Cowboys to announce contractors for new stadium
Oklahoma-based contractor gets Cowboys' stadium project
By ANDREA AHLES and SALLY CLAUNCH
Star-Telegram Staff Writers
The Dallas Cowboys $650 million stadium will be built by Manhattan Construction, according to sources close to the project.
The club will announce the Oklahoma-based company as its general contractor Tuesday. The team will also announce two strategic alliances with minority general contractors — Hispanic-owned Rayco Construction Inc. of Grand Prairie and African American-owned 3i Construction of Dallas — the sources said.
Manhattan, which built Ameriquest Field and Houston’s Reliant Stadium, will be in charge of constructing the Arlington football stadium, as well as hiring subcontractors for the job.
The deal is valued at about $15 million, sources said. The Cowboys plan to break ground on the stadium this spring and to play their first season in the stadium in 2009.
Manhattan has already begun soliciting bids from firms for erosion control, site cleaning, temporary construction fencing and other preconstruction work.
The bids are due Feb. 10, according to an Arlington Chamber of Commerce statement. Manhattan Construction manager Keith Cooper said the firm has been handling preconstruction bids for the Cowboys while waiting for the team to name a general contractor.
Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels confirmed that an announcement would be made Tuesday, but would not comment further.
Sources who confirmed the Manhattan deal did not want to comment on the record because they had pledged not to publicly discuss the deal until the announcement was made.
The hiring of a general contractor for the Cowboys stadium has been a divisive topic. Some African-Americans have criticized the Cowboys for not doing enough to encourage joint ventures with firms owned by minorities and women.
Last fall, the Rev. Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones promised to hire an African-American construction firm to partner with the general contractor.
But Daniels said Jones had not made any specific commitments.
The Cowboys did sign a fair-share agreement with the city of Arlington in October 2004 that set a goal of awarding 25 percent of project contracts to minority- or women-owned businesses. In November, the team reported to the Arlington City Council that 17 such firms had been awarded preconstruction contracts totaling $10.8 million.
McKissic applauded the hiring of two minority firms to work with Manhattan but expressed disappointment that neither is based in Arlington.
"We are pleased through our combined efforts that an African-American and a Hispanic firm will participate in this strategic relationship and that we contributed to these results," McKissic said in a letter to Mayor Robert Cluck that was released Monday. "We are concerned that qualified Arlington-based minority contractors were not offered an opportunity to dialogue about this matter."
He added that he would continue to argue for Arlington-based minority contractors to be included in significant aspects of the stadium and future projects.
Arlington councilman Robert Rivera, a primary advocate for bringing the Cowboys to Arlington, said he was pleased with the strategic alliances.
The two minority firms will be part of Manhattan’s management team overseeing the stadium project. The 30- to 40-person team will include four to six supervisors from Rayco and four to six supervisors from 3i, a source said.
Rayco, owned by Arlington resident Raymond Gomez Jr., has worked on D/FW Airport’s Terminal D project and specializes in commercial construction and remodeling. Gomez was named Small Business Person of the Year in 2000 by the federal Small Business Administration and has worked on several contracts for the federal government.
Gomez could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
According to 3i’s Web site, the Dallas general contractor has refurbished several schools for the Dallas Independent School District, renovated Gateway Church in Southlake and worked on Terminals B and D at D/FW Airport.
The firm was founded by Michael Williams, a former NBA player and a graduate of Dallas Carter High School.
COWBOYS STADIUM
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Manhattan Construction
Headquarters: Oklahoma. Opened an office in Dallas in the mid-1960s after winning contracts to build the Dallas Convention Center and terminals at D/FW Airport
Projects: Ameriquest Field, Pier 1 Imports headquarters, Reliant Stadium, Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington Chemistry and Physics building.
The Cowboys are also expected to announce a strategic alliance with two minority-owned general contractors for the stadium project.
Rayco Construction Inc.
Owned by: Raymond Gomez Jr.
Headquarters: Grand Prairie
Projects: D/FW International Airport’s Terminal D, several commercial construction and remodeling contracts for the federal government
3i Construction
Owned by: Michael Williams, former NBA player
Headquarters: Dallas
Projects: Terminals B and D at D/FW International Airport, various projects for Dallas Independent School District
By ANDREA AHLES and SALLY CLAUNCH
Star-Telegram Staff Writers
The Dallas Cowboys $650 million stadium will be built by Manhattan Construction, according to sources close to the project.
The club will announce the Oklahoma-based company as its general contractor Tuesday. The team will also announce two strategic alliances with minority general contractors — Hispanic-owned Rayco Construction Inc. of Grand Prairie and African American-owned 3i Construction of Dallas — the sources said.
Manhattan, which built Ameriquest Field and Houston’s Reliant Stadium, will be in charge of constructing the Arlington football stadium, as well as hiring subcontractors for the job.
The deal is valued at about $15 million, sources said. The Cowboys plan to break ground on the stadium this spring and to play their first season in the stadium in 2009.
Manhattan has already begun soliciting bids from firms for erosion control, site cleaning, temporary construction fencing and other preconstruction work.
The bids are due Feb. 10, according to an Arlington Chamber of Commerce statement. Manhattan Construction manager Keith Cooper said the firm has been handling preconstruction bids for the Cowboys while waiting for the team to name a general contractor.
Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels confirmed that an announcement would be made Tuesday, but would not comment further.
Sources who confirmed the Manhattan deal did not want to comment on the record because they had pledged not to publicly discuss the deal until the announcement was made.
The hiring of a general contractor for the Cowboys stadium has been a divisive topic. Some African-Americans have criticized the Cowboys for not doing enough to encourage joint ventures with firms owned by minorities and women.
Last fall, the Rev. Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones promised to hire an African-American construction firm to partner with the general contractor.
But Daniels said Jones had not made any specific commitments.
The Cowboys did sign a fair-share agreement with the city of Arlington in October 2004 that set a goal of awarding 25 percent of project contracts to minority- or women-owned businesses. In November, the team reported to the Arlington City Council that 17 such firms had been awarded preconstruction contracts totaling $10.8 million.
McKissic applauded the hiring of two minority firms to work with Manhattan but expressed disappointment that neither is based in Arlington.
"We are pleased through our combined efforts that an African-American and a Hispanic firm will participate in this strategic relationship and that we contributed to these results," McKissic said in a letter to Mayor Robert Cluck that was released Monday. "We are concerned that qualified Arlington-based minority contractors were not offered an opportunity to dialogue about this matter."
He added that he would continue to argue for Arlington-based minority contractors to be included in significant aspects of the stadium and future projects.
Arlington councilman Robert Rivera, a primary advocate for bringing the Cowboys to Arlington, said he was pleased with the strategic alliances.
The two minority firms will be part of Manhattan’s management team overseeing the stadium project. The 30- to 40-person team will include four to six supervisors from Rayco and four to six supervisors from 3i, a source said.
Rayco, owned by Arlington resident Raymond Gomez Jr., has worked on D/FW Airport’s Terminal D project and specializes in commercial construction and remodeling. Gomez was named Small Business Person of the Year in 2000 by the federal Small Business Administration and has worked on several contracts for the federal government.
Gomez could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
According to 3i’s Web site, the Dallas general contractor has refurbished several schools for the Dallas Independent School District, renovated Gateway Church in Southlake and worked on Terminals B and D at D/FW Airport.
The firm was founded by Michael Williams, a former NBA player and a graduate of Dallas Carter High School.
COWBOYS STADIUM
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Manhattan Construction
Headquarters: Oklahoma. Opened an office in Dallas in the mid-1960s after winning contracts to build the Dallas Convention Center and terminals at D/FW Airport
Projects: Ameriquest Field, Pier 1 Imports headquarters, Reliant Stadium, Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington Chemistry and Physics building.
The Cowboys are also expected to announce a strategic alliance with two minority-owned general contractors for the stadium project.
Rayco Construction Inc.
Owned by: Raymond Gomez Jr.
Headquarters: Grand Prairie
Projects: D/FW International Airport’s Terminal D, several commercial construction and remodeling contracts for the federal government
3i Construction
Owned by: Michael Williams, former NBA player
Headquarters: Dallas
Projects: Terminals B and D at D/FW International Airport, various projects for Dallas Independent School District
posted by The Gryphon at 7:23 AM
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