Permit requests for non-FIFA events around the Arlington Entertainment District will be denied when the World Cup comes to the city next year.
Arlington City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve temporary changes to the city’s rules on permits for outdoor events in preparation for the tournament.
Under the rules, special events and temporary outdoor events in the area the day before or day of a World Cup match will be denied. Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann said the rules will help the city allocate enough resources for the World Cup.
“The nine matches will require significant City resources, particularly from the Police and Fire Departments,” Wichmann said in an email ahead of the vote. “Adding additional events to that mix the day before or the day of a World Cup match could have an impact on World Cup match needs and citywide public safety response.”
The prohibition on permits will include the area between Center Street, Lamar Boulevard, Ballpark Way and Division Street, according to the resolution passed by the city council.
“Really the focus is to make sure that our public safety resources are able to focus where they're needed, to focus which is primarily in our neighborhoods, doing the regular policing and protection of our community but secondarily for the event,” Wichmann said at a Sept. 2 council meeting.
She said special or temporary outdoor events on the day before or of a match could draw those emergency resources away from other places they’re needed.
With the World Cup about seven months away, Arlington is working to wrap up preparations for its arrival. The city will host nine matches, the most of any host city.
AT&T Stadium, which will be temporarily renamed since FIFA does not allow sponsored names for stadiums hosting the World Cup, will host five group stage matches, two Round of 32 matches, one Round of 16 match and one semifinal match.
On non-match days, fan festivals will draw more visitors to the city.
Other preparations involve planning to prevent and combat human trafficking in Arlington, plan for transit across North Texas and setting up rules for businesses around the entertainment district.
Those rules could include requirements that businesses not make any significant changes to operations, Wichmann previously told the council. For instance, a business in the World Cup area would not be allowed to set up a small soccer pitch in the parking lot during the World Cup.
The World Cup is also looking for volunteers to work eight to 10 shifts, typically around eight hours. Volunteers will receive full FIFA outfits including shoes, hats, shirts and backpacks, with multilingual volunteers in high demand.
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