Officials with the Texas Rangers and city of Arlington broke ground Thursday on the team's new $1.1 billion stadium, Globe Life Field.
Rangers Hall of Famers Kenny Rogers and Ivan Rodriguez — who pitched and caught the first regular-season pitch at the current stadium April 11, 1994 — performed a "ceremonial first pitch" at Thursday's event.
The groundbreaking took place at the site of the new stadium's home plate, which was formerly the back of Parking Lot B.
Rangers executives call the designs of the new retractable roof stadium "truly amazing."
"It opens a world of possibilities to us," Rangers Executive Vice President of Business Operations Rob Matwick said. "We want it to be the best Major League Baseball facility that there is."
The stadium is slated to open before the start of the 2020 season.
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The City of Arlington will cover $500 million of the total cost. Voters there overwhelmingly approved extending a package of tax increases that had been used to pay for the construction of AT&T Stadium.
New Renderings Revealed of Rangers New Park
The city's deal with the team keeps the Rangers in Arlington through 2054; their current 30-year lease on Globe Life Park was set to expire in 2024.
