Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies Welcome Spark Coworking into Arlington Entertainment District

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Officials from the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and The Cordish Companies announced on Wednesday a cornerstone for Choctaw Stadium, a moment they added amounted to a “red-letter day” for Arlington’s Entertainment District.

Construction is underway to accommodate Spark Coworking, which will anchor the southeast corner of the stadium, continuing the momentum of nearly $1 billion in new development in the Entertainment District, officials said.

Spark Coworking, with bases in Baltimore, Kansas City, and St. Louis, is a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs, creators, and innovators. The flagship location, Spark Baltimore, opened in 2016 in the heart of downtown Baltimore. The company said it hosts and provides startup resources to more than 250 companies and 1,000 members in its three other office communities.

Spark Arlington will open its doors this winter, officials forecasted.

“Spark Arlington will add another important component to the development of the Arlington Entertainment District — collaborative business enterprise,” said Texas Rangers Managing Partner and Majority Owner Ray Davis, in a statement. “The addition of Spark Arlington also continues our pledge to make Choctaw Stadium a vital and fully productive facility in the district.”

It also won’t be the last one, he assured his audience of press members.

Spark will represent a central hub for local entrepreneurs, creators and innovators to locate and grow businesses and support the city’s entrepreneurial community.

Spark will take over 30,000 square feet over two floors. It will offer dedicated and nondedicated workstations, 61 private offices, 17 suites, top-of-the-line services, and hospitality-focused amenities, including security, workspace and balconies with views of Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium’s repurposed infield, a parking garage, branded office signage, access to a community kitchen, member café, and lounge spaces, and onsite meeting rooms.

Spark Arlington is the third entity to set down stakes in the repurposed 200,000 square feet of commercial and retail space within Choctaw Stadium, the latest incarnation of the original Ballpark in Arlington, opened in 1994 as home of the Texas Rangers. The stadium was reconfigured into a multipurpose venue and has since then hosted various professional sporting events, college and Texas high school football games, and a number of entertainment events. 

In late 2020, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation relocated its world headquarters into then-Globe Life Park, and the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau has also based its operations out of the stadium.

“We are constantly seeking innovative ways to utilize and maximize new and existing amenities in our development projects in the Entertainment District, and the addition of Spark to Choctaw Stadium is the latest example of these efforts,” said Zed Smith, COO of The Cordish Companies.

The Entertainment District is also soon to be home to the Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center, National Medal of Honor Museum, and One Rangers Way, a multi-family development announced in the spring.

“Our vision for Spark Coworking is to provide the local business and entrepreneurial community with an affordable, appealing, and flexible way to locate and grow and manage their businesses,” said Shervonne Cherry, director of community and partnerships for Spark Coworking. “We are excited to open Spark Arlington in such a unique and exciting venue as Choctaw Stadium, and we are eager welcome new members into this space later this year.”