Manhattan Construction builds big by thinking small

Before Tulsa-based Manhattan Construction Co. erects a stadium, it builds a relationship.

Manhattan had completed a $12.6 million suites upgrade for the Dallas Cowboys 16 years before the company finished the football team’s current home — AT&T Stadium.

Now, Manhattan is constructing Globe Life Field, the second baseball stadium since 1994 it has built in Arlington, Texas, for the Texas Rangers, which has hired Manhattan for about a halfdozen projects since that time, said John Reyhan, president of Manhattan Construction Co.

“In both cases for these customers, we started very early on with small projects,” he said by phone. “We have what we call a pyramid philosophy. We build the company on small projects. That’s really the bread and butter. Our average project size is somewhere around $10 million.”

Globe Life Field will dwarf that.

The 42,000-seat ballpark, set to be completed in 2020, will run about $1.1 billion, with $800 million earmarked for construction, Reyhan said. Adjacent to AT&T Stadium and the existing baseball park, the new stadium will have a retractable roof to guard against rain and Texas’ intense summer heat.

“We’re fortunate to have a world-class company like Manhattan in our own backyard,” Rob Matwick, Rangers executive vice president of business operations, said in a statement. “As a builder, Manhattan prides itself on its ability to lead these complex fast track projects, which result in some of the most iconic buildings in the world. We’re thrilled to partner with the Manhattan team to deliver a new state-of-the-art ballpark in the City of Arlington for our fans and players.”

The new stadium will sit next to Texas Live!, a $250 million dining, entertainment and hospitality district also being built by Manhattan. A partnership between the Rangers and The Cordish Cos., the district reflects the way professional sports franchises are trying to enhance the fan experience, Reyhan said.

“They are building this facility immediately adjacent to Texas Live! so they are completely integrated,” he said. “What you are going to find are many opportunities for restaurants, for retail, for recreation, a hotel.

“The baseball venue is really the cornerstone for a destination. The ballpark becomes the catalyst for the overall development.”

Founded in 1896, Manhattan is a privately held company in its fifth generation of Rooney family management. Its portfolio includes projects in sports, aviation, health care, manufacturing, retail and education, among others.