Only a week after Arlington voters approved building a new stadium for the Texas Rangers, the team is close to naming an architectural firm to design it.
"We sort of narrowed it down to one firm now, we're in the process of trying to finalize an agreement with that firm" says Rob Matwick, Executive Vice President, Business Operations for the Texas Rangers.
Dallas-based HKS is the odds on favorite to design the $1 billion retractable roofed stadium.
"That's a pretty good possibility" says Matwick.
The local firm also designed the Cowboy's AT&T Stadium, the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium.
"I would say that they are getting strong consideration to do the job", says Matwick, "but we interviewed a number of very capable firms but in our mind it came down to really two or three that could do this type of project on this type of schedule".
After choosing the architectural firm to design it, the Rangers expect to hire a general contractor early next year to build the new stadium.
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"We've seen ideas, and part of the reason we're interviewing structural engineers is once we start to get our arms around the design for the roof especially, but also the structure of the building, I mean it has to be constructed, it has to work", says Matwick.
The Rangers hope to have the new stadium ready in time for opening day of 2020, but plans for the current ballpark remain up in the air.
"Our intention is to repurpose this building" says Matwick, "I think over the next three years, while we're still playing baseball here, that will give us the opportunity to not only consider ideas but to see what the market demands".
Excavation at the site of the new stadium could start the middle of next summer.
