Home Plate Update March 2019 | Page 11

BALLPARK BRIEFS Rangers’ Office Building Taking Shape First Roof Truss Installed The Texas Rangers’ Office Building, located on the southeast side of Globe Life Field, is taking shape. The exterior brick has been laid, windows have been installed and the interior work is under way on the four-story structure, which is part of the new ballpark. The Rangers are expected to move its current offices at Globe Life Park into the new office space in early 2020. The largest American-made Crawler Crane, the Manitowic 31000, is hard at work inside the future ballpark. In February, this massive crane lifted the first section of the fixed west roof truss into place. The large piece of steel, which weighs 1.2 million pounds, was just a portion of the 19,000 tons of steel that will complete the roof. These trusses will provide support for the 240,000-square-foot roof, which will open and close on a track with the help of 20 electric motors. Main Concourse Complete, Other Milestones Marked Public Safety Planning Several construction milestones for Globe Life Field were recently completed. The final section of concrete for the ballpark’s main concourse was poured in December, and escalators have also been installed. About 16,000 pounds of steel were used to construct the 360-degree interior bowl, with the final piece set in February. Work to install precast seating risers on the main concourse is nearly complete. The lower seating bowl hasn’t been installed yet to allow plenty of room for the heavy equipment needed for the roof construction above. Beneath the main concourse, crews are busy laying tile, installing glass and doing other finishing-out work in the ballpark suites, concession areas and restrooms. The Arlington Police and Fire Departments continue to be actively involved in the preparation of tactical plans for emergency response, crime prevention, and the detection of planned acts of terrorism at Globe Life Field, which will be able to seat about 40,000 spectators and will requires hundreds of support personnel during games and other events. On a weekly basis, police and fire officials, the Rangers and the construction team review and discuss on-site emergency response protocols, security enhancements and communications technology. On-site public safety inspections of the flagship Live! by Loews hotel began in January. The hotel and conference center, located next to Texas Live!, is set to open this August. 11