Nearly $4M kicks off World Cup drop-off location renovations as Arlington prepares for soccer fans
North Texas officials recently approved nearly $4 million toward renovating a Texas Rangers parking lot as they prepare to move an estimated 100,000 soccer fans through the region per day. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than a year away, and many preparations are underway.
Renovations to the Rangers’ Lot H include repaving the more than 300,000-square-foot area so that it can accommodate the additional weight of dozens of buses and other vehicles required by the tournament.
Officials from the city, the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Rangers are coordinating the renovation ahead of the event.
Lot H will serve as the main drop-off and pick-up point for buses carrying fans from CentrePort Station in Fort Worth, said Rob Matwick, the executive vice president of public affairs for the Rangers.
Arlington will hold its first of nine matches at AT&T Stadium on June 14. The game is a group-stage match, but the participants had not been announced at the time of writing.
Buses and vehicles that will park in the lot are part of NCTCOG’s plan to address a lack of public transit in Arlington, which was a large point of contention for fans when match locations were announced.
Matwick said early estimates show the lot could hold about 90 vehicles and buses.
“(The vehicles) obviously have significant weight, and that significant weight in the summer can be a challenge on a typical asphalt surface parking lot,” Matwick said. “The biggest thing is we need to put a much thicker surface on the lot.”
The project is expected to be completed by April, said Keith Brooks, Arlington’s director of public works.
Here’s how Arlington is paying for parking lot improvements
In March, NCTCOG’s Regional Transportation Council approved a deal to reimburse Arlington $3.8 million for the renovations to the lot. In early September, Arlington City Council members agreed to pay for the improvements up front.
According to the contract between NCTCOG and the city, $1.9 million will be spent on the improvements themselves. The remaining $1.9 million will be spent on “preparing and organizing resources, equipment, and personnel necessary for the construction project.”
Improvements to the lot also include replacing vehicle entrances, creating new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps and fixing sidewalks in the area, according to a city report on the project.
Sidewalk and lighting upgrades are efforts the city has been working on across the entertainment district ahead of the tournament, said Brooks.
These will be key due to the number of fans expected to come to the area as Arlington hosts nine games, the most of any host city during the tournament.
“We’ve got a lot of activities that we’ve been doing just in preparation for the World Cup,” Brooks said.
Chris Moss is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org.
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