A two-alarm fire that broke out over the weekend is not expected to delay the opening of Globe Life Field, Manhattan Construction Group said after an initial review.
On Saturday, a fire broke out in the upper levels of the under-construction Globe Life Field–the upcoming retractable-roof home of the Texas Rangers that has been scheduled to open in March 2020. More information has emerged over the days since the fire, as indications after an initial assessment are that it will not result in delays to the ballpark’s opening.
In a statement on Monday, an official from Manhattan Construction Group–the construction manager on the project–stressed that inspections are ongoing. Based on what it knew at the time, however, the firm did not believe that the fire would force the ballpark’s opening to be pushed back. More from the Dallas Morning News:
In a statement Monday, Arlington Fire Department officials said the initial investigation revealed that sparks from a welder are suspected of starting the fire, which was contained in 37 minutes and resulted in no injuries. The AFD statement said the fire broke out on the fifth floor of the stadium in the sub-roof area. The investigation, however, is continuing.
In a separate statement, Manhattan Sr. Vice President Greg McClure said approximately 2,000 square feet of the roof area was impacted by the fire and will be removed, inspected and replaced. The fire also caused limited damage to some metal decking, he said.
“Inspections are ongoing and based on what we know today, we do not anticipate any delays to the opening of the stadium,” McClure said.
It has been expected that Globe Life Field’s first major event will be a concert headlined by Chris Stapleton on March 14. The Rangers are scheduled to play exhibition games there against the St. Louis Cardinals on March 23 and Rangers minor leaguers on March 24, before facing the Los Angeles Angels in the regular-season home opener on March 31.
Rendering courtesy Texas Rangers and HKS.
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