That's a pretty cool site. I found this post by Big Texan particularly interesting:
Cowboys stadium counting down to '09 game day
BY ANDREA AHLES
aahles@star-telegram.com
In about one year, the Dallas Cowboys will be running onto the field of their new stadium to play their first game — albeit a preseason one — in their new home.
But like all new homes, there is still quite a bit of work that needs to be done before Tony Romo & Co. can move to their Arlington address.
Here’s a peek at Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ to-do list for the new stadium.
10. Put on the roof
Although workers have been busy all summer placing white roof panels on the north and south ends of the stadium, the retractable roof is nowhere to be seen. The panel system, which will close over its Texas Stadium-like hole, is being made by Minneapolis-based Uni-Systems. That company also made the retractable roof for Reliant Stadium in Houston. Work on the two large panels that will travel along an arched path and take only 12 minutes to open or close is expected to begin in September with cranes lifting the panels into place.
9. Put on the glass end-zone doors
Uni-Systems is also making the large hangarlike glass doors that will enclose the open-air end zones. With the end zone decks completed, the tracks that the doors will move on are now being set in place. The doors, which are 120-feet high and 180-feet wide, will take 18 minutes to open or close.
8. Landscaping and parking
One of the early projects finished at the stadium was a remote parking lot so construction workers could park on pavement, instead of dirt. But now, more parking lots and roads are being completed around the stadium as well as stone walls that will separate the lots from Rogers Street and Baird Farm Road. Mature trees, some of which had been saved from lots where houses were demolished on the site, will be replanted this fall.
7. Carpet and paint the club space
Light fixtures are going into the club spaces now, but the eight clubs still need blue carpets, silver paint and of course, decorative stars. Artist renderings show sleek modern designs in these clubs; however, the clubs are now mostly concrete and exposed steel and plumbing fixtures. Interior painting and carpeting is likely to start in November.
6. Install the seats
Bolting 80,000 seats onto concrete risers seems like a herculean task. All of the risers have been put in place that will hold the seats, some of which will have plush cushions and recline. Crews plan to start installing seats in October, taking several weeks to complete that task.
5. Pick a name
Unlike the American Airlines Center in Dallas, which had its sponsor name locked up shortly after construction began, the Dallas Cowboys stadium still has no name. A top priority for Jones will be to get a naming-rights deal signed before the stadium opens so promotional materials can be put in place from the beginning. According to a document obtained by the Star-Telegram, the team has been in negotiations with AT&T to name the stadium AT&T Field.
4. Super Flush
Imagine trying to flush every toilet in the new stadium at the same time. That is the goal of the Super Flush. Scheduled for May, the Super Flush is an event, staffed with many volunteers, so construction managers can check the water pressure in the water and sewer systems that connect to Arlington’s infrastructure. All of the water and shower faucets are usually turned on at one time, too, during the Super Flush.
3. Put in concessions
Fans already know they can expect to find Miller Lite, a longtime sponsor of the Cowboys, at the concession stands. And since the Cowboys operate their own concession stands, you probably won’t find Nolan Ryan hamburgers at the new stadium, as you do at the ballpark down the road. The physical spaces for the concessions are in place, with masonry work on the outside and storage space on the event level. Big coolers have already being installed and are waiting for the food to arrive next year.
2. Hang the scoreboard
Terrell Owens will be bigger than life on the 180-foot long, 50-foot tall scoreboard that will be suspended above the center of the field. Made by Mitsubishi, the scoreboard frame will be lifted into place, 100 feet above the field, by cranes and suspended from the arches that cross the roof. The LED screens will be installed while the frame hangs in place.
1. Install the turf
The Cowboys plan to use artificial turf and have samples in their construction offices of the rubber blades of grass and dirt pebbles made of recycled tires. But installing the turf will be the absolute last thing that workers will do in the stadium, sometime in the late spring. And since the Cowboys stadium is scheduled to host events other than football, the turf can be rolled up and stored in its designated room on the event level.
The 'super flush' sounds interesting. I wouldn't want to pay that water bill. There are some outstanding pics there too, I'll post some of them in another thread in the fan forum.
