Fort Worth Multi-Purpose Arena Breaks Ground
Dirt flies Tuesday on $450 million Fort Worth arena project

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

BY MATTHEW MARTINEZ
mmartinez@star-telegram.com

Heads up, Cultural District. Here comes the next major project that will have dirt flying in the area.

The city of Fort Worth and the private sector group funding the other half of the $450 million project near the Will Rogers Memorial Center are hosting a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday to mark the beginning of construction on what is, for now, being called the Fort Worth Multipurpose Arena at Will Rogers.

When completed, the 14,000-seat arena will be the new home of the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo performances and will host concerts, sporting events and family entertainment. It is scheduled to open in November 2019, just in time to host the 2020 Stock Show Rodeo as one of its first major events.

Construction on an associated, six-level, 2,200-space parking garage is ongoing, and began in January 2016. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Edward P. Bass, board chairman of both Event Facilities Fort Worth and the nonprofit Fort Worth Multipurpose Arena, will speak at the groundbreaking ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Harley Avenue and Gendy Street.

The groundbreaking event is open to the public, with parking available in the Trail Drive lots, which are best accessed from Trail Drive opposite of the Harley intersection. Harley itself will be closed to all through traffic before and during the ceremony.