The city of Irving has announced doomsday for the Dallas Cowboys’ long-time home: April 11. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese will do the honors of razing the stadium, as part of a Project Cheddar Explosion promotion.
Shouldn’t it be a cheddar implosion? Full release after the jump:
The City of Irving announced today that Texas Stadium, the iconic facility that served as home of the Dallas Cowboys for 37 years, will be imploded at daybreak on Sunday, April 11, 2010.
Interest is building and outlets are being developed so the public can be involved in the demolition progression from start-to-finish. Six cameras have been installed to capture the process leading up to the historic event, as well as the implosion itself.  Four cameras will be located outside the stadium and two cameras on the inside will go down with the stadium when it is imploded. Live Internet feeds are accessible throughout the demolition at www.cityofirving.org/texas-stadium.
“There is great interest among sports fans, tourists and residents to watch the implosion in person,” said Maura Gast, executive director, Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau. “City officials are currently determining logistics such as staging and viewing areas, parking, and how to manage traffic around the stadium.”
Last week, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese announced their sponsorship of the stadium’s implosion with a national contest to win the chance to detonate Texas Stadium. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Cheddar Explosion is searching for one kid (ages 9-12) to tell a story about a positive impact they have made to better their community by sending in a 300 words or less essay and a picture illustrating his or her story. The contest entry period is from January 7, 2010 until February 5, 2010, when all entries must be received. To enter, please visit: www.projectcheddarexplosion.com
Green Efforts Take Center Stage
In March 2009, the Irving City Council hired Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. to determine the best way to bring down Texas Stadium. The council later awarded Weir Brothers a $5.8 million contract to carry out the implosion plan outlined by Jacobs Engineering.
Through environmentally green efforts, the stadium is currently being readied for implosion. Reuse and recycling has been a major initiative in the dismantling of Texas Stadium. Currently, asbestos is being removed from the stadium per state and federal regulations, while explosives experts are making their final preparations.
What remains now is steel and concrete, and a full 95 percent of these materials will be recycled. The steel will be sold as scrap metal. Trusses from the top of the stadium will be set aside to be incorporated in future pieces of public art. The stadium’s cement is being crushed on site, and used in the reconstruction of surrounding freeways. “There will be little specs of Texas Stadium all around here,” states Irving Mayor Herbert Gears.
Current Site Use and Future Development
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is currently leasing the stadium site from the City of Irving for 10 years at a price tag of $15.4 million. TxDOT is using the site as a staging area while it streamlines the four major roadways that encompass the stadium and preparations are made for the light rail system under construction that will include the site itself and other locations in Irving, and will connect Irving directly with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Once the stadium is demolished, the 75-plus acres will become an open canvas for development, along with an additional 300+ acres surrounding the stadium site, referred to as “Crossroads DFW.” Situated at one of the most visible landmarks in Dallas/Fort Worth, the Crossroads DFW site will be available for development for many future uses — residential, mixed, office, transit-oriented, cultural — for generations of future users. The size of the site lives up to its Texas heritage.
While development opportunities for sites this size are rare, the development of one in the center of a major metropolitan area, located between two airports, is unprecedented.  Visit www.crossroadsdfw.com for more information.
