A major milestone in the construction of Arlington's latest hotel, as the $550 million Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center is topped off.
The final steel beam was set in place atop the new hotel in the city's Entertainment District, located across the street from Texas Live! and Live! by Loews.
"It's on schedule, we're opening in early '24," said Alex Tisch, president of Loews Hotels. "Saying it in a different way, we're continuing to keep our promises and commitments we made to the city and our partners, and we're thankful for all the trust everyone put in us."
The new Loews hotel will have 888 guest rooms and more than 266,000 square feet of meeting space; it is designed to complement the smaller Live! by Loews hotel.
At Wednesday morning's topping off ceremony, Mayor Jim Ross says it will further place Arlington on par with some of the biggest resort and convention cities in the nation.
"Orlando, stand the hell back, because we will whoop some butt, and we're gonna move Arlington second to nowhere when it comes to entertainment," Mayor Ross told those gathered atop the parking garage next to the under-construction hotel.
"There is tradition of hoisting a piece of wood or a tree when you top off a building," said Jon Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews hotels, just prior to the placing of the final steel beam. "And obviously, we are so proud to -- right next to the tree which will bring us good luck -- also hoist the American flag."
As part of the topping off ceremony, Loews announced its signature restaurant anchor.
"Soy Cowboy is going to be an upscale, sophisticated pan-Asian concept, transporting guests on an adventure through the flavors of China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and all of Southeast Asia," Alex Tisch said. "The menu is going to include selections of shareable plates, classics like sushi, yakitori, tempura, wok, hibachi, teppanyaki, Korean and Japanese barbecue."
Soy Cowboy is a concept from Houston restaurateur Benjamin Berg of Berg Hospitality.
Mayor Ross said the new Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center is just the tip of the iceberg on what's in store for the Entertainment District.
"We have some tremendous projects that we're working on to try to make happen," said Ross. "You will continuously be surprised, just like you're surprised by this beautiful hotel coming over here."
Projects either under construction or in the planning stages include the National Medal of Honor Museum and a new luxury apartment complex located adjacent to Choctaw Stadium.
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