The City of Arlington, the Texas Rangers and the team's development partner, The Cordish Companies, celebrated the groundbreaking of the Texas Live! entertainment complex on Wednesday.

The milestone ceremony for the $250 million world-class development was held on the project site in Arlington's Entertainment District. Texas Live! will house more than 200,000 square feet of best-in-class restaurants, retail and entertainment, as well as a 5,000-capacity outdoor event pavilion when it debuts next year. The project will further cement The American Dream City as the premier sports, entertainment and hospitality destination in the country for decades to come.

"We are marking the beginning of something big in Arlington today. Building out our Entertainment District has been a dream for more than two decades and with today's announcement, we are one step closer to seeing that dream become a reality," Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams said.

Texas Live! will also be anchored by an upscale full-service, 300-room convention hotel and 35,000 square feet of meeting/convention space. The hotel/convention facility will feature a leading brand and management team that will be announced at a later date.

"We have an incredible vision for the Arlington Entertainment District and today's ceremony continues that forward momentum of our commitment to deliver this one-of-a-kind project to Arlington," said Rob Matwick, Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Texas Rangers.

Wednesday's ceremony also included an announcement that Texas Live! will be constructed by a joint venture partnership of Manhattan Construction Company and Arlington-based Con-Real. Additionally, the development team has engaged Arlington-based LeVis Consulting Group to provide construction management and owner's representation services throughout construction.

Texas Live! is part of a greater $4 billion vision for the Arlington Entertainment District that features the Rangers new $1 billion ballpark and preservation of Globe Life Park. The project will bring more than 3,000 new jobs and more than 3 million new visitors to Arlington, which already welcomes 14 million annual visitors.

"Today would not have been possible but for a very unique and special public-private partnership. It took the leadership and vision of the City, the mayor, the City Council and the County judge - So many visionary public officials that are great leaders for the community who came together and said this is important to us," said Blake Cordish, vice president of The Cordish Companies.

"We recognize the importance of the project. We are deeply aware that it's been talked about for a long time. I can promise you that we and the Rangers are 100 percent committed to exceeding your expectations and doing everything possible to deliver the country's premiere urban entertainment sports destination. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

The Rangers and Cordish were joined Wednesday by the Arlington City Council, as well as community and business leaders from across Tarrant County.

"We're proud to be a part of Tarrant County and the City of Arlington. I can't imagine another city that could be more supportive of their sports team than this city," Texas Rangers Co-Chairman Ray Davis said.

Recent Texas Live! Announcements

Rangers Republic: the "ultimate fan clubhouse" for Rangers fans during home games, away games and all year-round. A celebration of the Rangers heritage past, present and future, Rangers Republic will be a two-level, 30,000 square foot, family-friendly dining and entertainment venue that will allow fans unprecedented access to the Texas Rangers.

Live! Arena: the heartbeat of Texas Live! - a multi-level, central gathering place comprised of over 35,000 square feet of best-in-class dining and entertainment options. Live! Arena will be the "living room" of Texas Live!, providing fans with one of the best sports viewing experiences imaginable and will be the ultimate place to celebrate the Rangers and all Texas sports.

Arlington Backyard: a 5,000-capacity outdoor event pavilion that will become the "backyard" of Texas Live! Arlington Backyard will host over 250 annual events including cultural activities, art shows, regional and national concerts, charitable functions and community events and will serve as the launching point for major festivals throughout the entire district.

PBR Country Bar: The flagship PBR bar at Texas Live! will be the largest PBR venue in the country. Born from the toughest sport on dirt, the PBR country bar at Texas Live! will be a powerhouse concept that brings an authentic country experience to Arlington, marrying an electric combination of "cowboy cool" and big-time, Texas-sized entertainment. The country's flagship PBR will exceed 1,500-capacity and will feature a 7,000 square foot balcony overlooking Arlington Backyard.

Guy Fieri: The Emmy-award winning chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality will be launching a one-of-a-kind, flagship restaurant concept for the project that will be developed specifically with Texas Live! in mind.

Revolver Brewing: Known for bringing a fresh perspective in world-class craft beer in the Dallas/Fort Worth region, Revolver Brewing will be opening a working brewery at Texas Live! where customers can enjoy Revolver's flagship brands, like Blood and Honey, as well as one-of-a-kind specialty beers specifically crafted for Texas Live!.

Lockhart Smokehouse: The family behind the iconic brand have deep roots in Texas and will be bringing the Lockhart barbecue tradition to Texas Live!. Guests will be able to experience Lockhart traditions such as Kreuz Market sausage, as well as other Texas standards including brisket, ribs and other meats smoked low and slow over Texas post oak.

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