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Close to 90 days out from kickoff, Arlington is shoring up plans to host tens of thousands of visitors during the World Cup this summer.
Due to FIFA’s sponsorship restrictions, plans have been announced to rename AT&T Stadium to Dallas Stadium for the tournament, prompting backlash from Arlington officials, including Mayor Jim Ross. Regardless of the stadium’s name, Arlington is set to host nine matches, the most matches of any host city in Mexico, Canada and the U.S during the World Cup. The first match scheduled in Arlington is Japan vs. Netherlands on June 14.
Close to 4 million fans are expected to visit North Texas during the tournament’s 39-day run, generating $1.5 to 2.5 billion in revenue across the region, officials estimate. Arlington will host several high-profile matches during the tournament, including Croatia vs. England and the semifinal. Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, will also play group stage games at the stadium.
The influx of visitors will draw on the city’s resources. Officials have said public safety services will not be disrupted during the tournament as a result of planning, regional coordination and reimbursements from organizing partners. The city council approved an agreement with the North Texas Organizing Committee in February to be reimbursed $8.5 million for city services such as public safety, traffic management and event operations.
The agreement partially relies on federal funding, which has been held up by a partial government shutdown. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn told reporters that he expects Texas host cities to receive roughly $100 million in funding during a visit to the Dallas Police Headquarters in January.
Rental Properties And Delegate Offices
At a city council work session Tuesday, staff outlined the city’s plans to host visiting diplomats and regulate short-term rentals (STR) during the World Cup.
Arlington was among the first North Texas cities to implement a short-term rental ban in 2019. The ban restricts STRs to the city’s stadium-anchored entertainment district and multifamily or nonresidential-zoned areas. Property owners must apply for a permit through the city to operate an STR.
Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann told council members that while the process typically takes two weeks to complete, property owners are encouraged to apply two to three months in advance.
“So the time is really now. If folks are interested in doing this, this is the time to take action on that,” said Wichmann.
Wichmann also detailed the city’s plans to regulate and identify noncompliant STRs. Multiple hotlines have been set up for residents to notify code compliance of unauthorised properties or STRs violating the city’s policy, which heavily restricts gatherings and outdoor noise. Arlington will also utilise a new host compliance program that scans 70-plus rental websites daily to identify unauthorised STRs. The program sends a written notice to those property owners when an issue is found, a tool which was recently added ahead of the tournament, she said.
Ross questioned what the enforcement timeline would look like for unauthorized properties. Wichmann said action will be taken within days of being notified of an unpermitted listing.
“We need to get in there. We certainly don’t want people in an unpermitted short-term rental. So we’ll be moving quickly,” said Wichmann.
Data from Airbnb shows that over 45,000 stays have been booked in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the tournament’s run, a 260% year-over-year increase. Active STR listings have also increased by 9% since last June.
Wichmann said she didn’t have data available showing a recent increase in STR applications, but that “if we haven’t yet, we certainly will soon.”
Choctaw Stadium, formerly home to the Texas Rangers, will host visiting delegations from countries with matches scheduled in Arlington. Part of the city-owned ballpark has been remodelled into office space.
Dubbed “Ambassador Row” for the event, the offices will be available for consulate delegations to provide services for international visitors. Delegations from England, France, Mexico, Argentina, Canada and Croatia have already signed up for office spaces at the stadium. While the offices are complimentary, Japan has also agreed to rent additional space.
Seven volunteers from the host committee will staff Ambassador Row, Wichmann told council members, and public safety resources will be deployed to ensure security.
Wichmann also detailed existing regulations for businesses operating as parking vendors on match days, plans to activate other entertainment district venues on non-match days and resources for small businesses.
The city’s economic development corporation recently authored and published a small business guide for the World Cup. Wichmann said it will be available online in the near future.
“There are a lot of really practical tips in here about when you stock up, figuring out that some of your customers might have to exchange money,” Wichmann said. “There’s a lot of really practical information in here, and we hope businesses will take advantage of it.”
