by Chris Helterbrand

    The new Cowboys Stadium has been hailed as the "Crown Jewel of Arlington" by some and a colossol waste of taxpayer money by others who opposed its construction.
    Love it or hate it, the billion-dollar structure hosted its first public events recently with concerts by country music superstar George Strait and teen idols The Jonas Brothers.
    The first shows were not without their glitches, but Cowboys Stadium managment has been praised since the facility's opening addressing problems as they arise.
    Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium's current construction cost is $1.15 billion, making it the most expensive sports venues ever built
    To assist Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in paying the construction costs, Arlington voters approved an increase of the city's sales tax by one-half of a percent along with a hike in the the hotel occupancy tax of 2 percent and and additional 5 percent tax on car rentals. In all the city provided $325 million in funding, with Jones responsible for any cost overruns.
    The new stadium has some dazzling features, including a 160-ft. by 72-ft. high definition video scoreboard and display that measures more than 11,500 square feet.
    It will replace the 8,736 square foot screen that opened earlier this year at the renovated Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri as the world's largest television screen.
    A pair of arches that reach 300 feet into the air span the length of the stadium dome, anchored to the ground at each end. The  structure also includes a retractable roof—giving it the same feel as the old Texas Stadium with its trademark "hole in the roof."
    No more Thanksgiving Day ice bowls at the new facility, however, as the roof can be closed during inclement weather to protect players and spectators from the elements.
    Cowboys Stadium has already been named as the host to Super Bowl XLV in 2011 as well as the site of the NCAA Final Four in 2014. 
Former Cowboys players such as Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Bob Lilly and Rayfield Wright have all expressed their amazement over the immensity of the new structure.
    "It makes you wish you could come back for another season—but that's wishful thinking when you get to [my] age," Irvin said.   They were all in attendance during a "topping out" ceremony that was held in December of 2008, celebrating a significant milestone in the construction process where the final steel beam is hoisted into place.
    Players and other VIPs all took the opportunity to sign the beam, with Jones adding a short excerpt next to his signature that read: "I’m down to my last nickel because of you." 

Here is a timeline of the stadium's construction:

▪1994: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he wants to expand the 65,000-seat Texas Stadium by up to 40,000 seats, add retractable roof panels and install a climate-control system to make the stadium a year-round venue for sporting events, including the Super Bowl, concerts, and conventions.
▪1997 – 2000: The Cowboys hold preliminary talks with Arlington officials about building a stadium there. The team also publicly discusses a $260 million plan to upgrade Texas Stadium. In 2000, the Cowboys compile a list of potential stadium sites, which include Grapevine, Coppell and Arlington. The team continues negotiating with Irving to renovate Texas Stadium.
▪2001: Jones says Arlington is the leading contender for a $500 million stadium. The primary site considered is a 2,000-acre tract on Farm Road 157. Several other cities are said to remain in the running, including Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Dallas and Irving.
▪2003: The Cowboys ask the Irving City Council to extend their lease at Texas Stadium, which expires at the end of the 2008 season, on a year-to-year basis. They narrow their search to sites in Las Colinas and Dallas, and state legislators file bills that would allow Dallas County to increase its hotel-occupancy and car-rental taxes to pay for a new stadium.
▪2004: In April, the Cowboys announce plans to build a $650 million stadium at Fair Park in Dallas. The deal requires $425 million in public financing from a 3 percent hotel-occupancy tax and a 6 percent car-rental tax. However, the agreement falls apart several weeks later when Dallas County commissioners say they are unwilling to ask voters to approve the team's request for $425 million in public funding. In July, the Cowboys and Arlington announce they are negotiating to locate the stadium near The Ballpark in Arlington. Shortly after that, the Arlington City Council votes unanimously to put before voters a tax increase proposal that would fund the city's $325 million portion of the project. Voters approve the tax increase on November 2.
▪2005: Arlington and the Cowboys choose a site south of Randol Mill Road and east of Collins Street for the new stadium. The city begins notifying residents and property owners of its plans to acquire their property.
▪ January 2006: Tarrant County work crews begin demolition of more than 150 Arlington residences and small business structures to make room for the stadium.
▪April 2006: Crews begin excavation at the stadium, moving over 1.4 million cubic yards of earth by August to shape a 14-acre bowl with an average depth of 54 feet.
▪December 2006: The stadium's structure begins to go up.
▪February 2007: Masonry work begins.
▪June 2007: Work on the retractable roof begins.
▪July 2007: Exterior facade and enclosure work begins.
▪October 2007: First steel arch is completed.
▪February 2008: Second steel arch is completed.
•December 2008: "Topping Out" ceremony held, celebrating the hoisting of the final piece of steel into place.
▪May 13, 2009: Jerry Jones announces the official name of the new venue as Cowboys Stadium.
▪May 27, 2009: Completed and opened to the public.
▪June 6, 2009: Country music star George Strait along with Reba McEntire headlined the first event in the new stadium.
•June 13, 2009:The Jonas Brothers perform at the new stadium, kicking off their 2009 world tour.

August 21, 2009: The Cowboys will play their first pre-season home game on August 21followed by their first regular-season home game on Sunday, September 20.