Ground was officially broken on the new Texas Rangers stadium, Globe Life Field, on Thursday afternoon. Once construction gets going, the retractable roof stadium is anticipated to be open in time for the 2020 Major League Baseball season.

The Rangers announced the plan to construct a new ballpark back in May 2016 and the plan was officially set in motion after citizens of Arlington approved during a vote on Election Day last November.  

HKS, Inc. was selected to design the new ballpark back in January and released the new renderings (shown above) last week.  HKS shared some specific details about the new ballpark with Dallas Sports Fanatic.

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Design highlights include:

• The major project drivers are transparency and asymmetry
• The entry is marked by an overhang, reminiscent of a traditional Texas front porch
• Enhanced transparency by turning arches 90 degrees and along the 360-degree Upper Concourse
• Retractable roof that can be moved on and off in a quick manner
• Transparent roof with baffles/shields that block the players from direct light
• Seats that are lower and closer to the field – providing a more intimate fan experience
• Ballpark size: 1.7 million square feet
• Capacity: 41,000 (approximate)
• Site area: 13 acres
• Project cost: 1.1 billion

A note that stands out is the decrease in capacity from Globe Life Park, which currently has a capacity of just over 48,000.  The design of Globe Life Field will feature much less seating in the left field portion of the stadium compared to the current layout of Globe Life Park.  This should create a better atmosphere and feel at regular season home games as the park was a bit too big and the left field upper decks are often mostly, or completely, empty.

Globe Life Field ground breaking https://t.co/eBtCgKBa3x

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 28, 2017

By the time the stadium is complete, North Texas baseball fans will have spent near five decades baking in the sun while cheering on the Rangers.  The new stadium will provide an opportunity to soak in Rangers baseball without soaking in too much sun during the brutal Texas summers.

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