ESPN Moves In As Code Compliance Moves Through Fort Worth
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Two large tractor trailers were slowly rolled into position in Sundance Square Monday morning, exactly parallel and a precise distance apart.
The sides of the trailers unfolded, forming a stage and roof. It is the footprint of what will be ESPN's home base for coverage of the Super Bowl beginning next week.
Around Sundance Square, businesses and residents feel the excitement and anticipation growing. "I hired more security than I ever hired here in this building before," said restaurant manager Casey Gibbs. "I'm kind of nervous. How crazy can it get in here?"
Gibbs' restaurant is centered between ESPN's broadcast sight and the hotel housing the sports network. There was already an uptick of business over the weekend. They expect much bigger crowds.
Around downtown an army of workers attends to details like touching up road stripes and placing sanitation containers. All that as ESPN sets up what will be center stage for its coverage. Code enforcement is monitoring thing like signage, Is a sign normally there? Is it NFL sanctioned?
The city of Fort Worth is letting the restaurant know it expects the restaurant to be safe. "We get letters from the city. 'We're going to be in there every day. You better not be one person over,'" Gibbs said. "You know the city is definitely on top of it they're really, really organized."
"I've got a lot of stress going on right now," said Wendie Turpen with Fort Worth's Code Compliance. "We're all looking forward to February 7th."
More importantly, they're checking restaurant kitchens for food safety: 343 of them in a massive sweep of all touirist areas.
"We're 96-percent completed," Turpen said." A few of the facilities have been visited a couple of times. Most of them have been a one-shot deal and they've been very, very compliant."
