46 replies to this topic

[elpingüino]

Star-Telegram building being sold

Anyone have any idea where the employees would move to? Since all the printing and circulation is done at the facility at I-20 and I-35W, I can't imagine they'd need anything more specialized than cubicle office space.

More info on the building: http://www.fortworth...re.com/fwst.htm

[Owen]

The Star-Telegram announced today that it is moving its central offices into the Commerce Building (olf Fair Building) at 7th & Throcikmorton; the building will be renamed after the newspaper.
http://www.star-tele...adlines-default

[Brian Luenser]

Shots from this morning. I do love this Star Telegram building. I am so happy it is going to such a great home. Bob Simpson. My hero.

[David Love]

For some Startlegrammers this is a serious upgrade from 4th street tin can.

[RD Milhollin]

Here's an update on the building restoration.

http://www.star-tele...ormer-star.html

Edited by John T Roberts, 06 January 2012 - 10:39 PM.
Combined Double Post and Link

[John T Roberts]

A new thread on the restoration was started today, so I merged them into one. This still leaves a double post, so I have deleted one.

[Joshw]

I have to say I give Bob Simpson a lot of credit, for doing what he's done with Downtown. Especially for being in the business he is in, he could have done what many have done in the past; bulldoze and extravagantly build something in it's place. Instead he's done a lot more restoration than he has building. I have several friends who work for XTO, and they speak highly of him and the company as well.

[Mark - Neil p]

Does anyone know how they will finish the roof on this building? I am moving into the Neil P and have a nice view of the work being done which is currently just redoing the insulation and waterproofing. Hoping they go further and provide some rooftop greenery etc. Sure wish someone would do a green roof but I wont hold my breath for that.

[Ron Payne]

Does anyone know how they will finish the roof on this building? I am moving into the Neil P and have a nice view of the work being done which is currently just redoing the insulation and waterproofing. Hoping they go further and provide some rooftop greenery etc. Sure wish someone would do a green roof but I wont hold my breath for that.

At the risk of being off topic, I'd be interested in hearing how you like the Neil P. once you're settled. We're renting in the T&P until our house in Haslet sells, then will be looking to buy in the Tower, Sundance West, or Neil P. As far as plans for the rooftop on the S-T building, I'm completely ignorant!

[John T Roberts]

Mark, welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to your question. My firm was not involved in that project.

[Mark - Neil p]

Does anyone know how they will finish the roof on this building? I am moving into the Neil P and have a nice view of the work being done which is currently just redoing the insulation and waterproofing. Hoping they go further and provide some rooftop greenery etc. Sure wish someone would do a green roof but I wont hold my breath for that.

At the risk of being off topic, I'd be interested in hearing how you like the Neil P. once you're settled. We're renting in the T&P until our house in Haslet sells, then will be looking to buy in the Tower, Sundance West, or Neil P. As far as plans for the rooftop on the S-T building, I'm completely ignorant!

[Mark - Neil p]

Will do Ron.

Mark, welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to your question. My firm was not involved in that project.

[Mark - Neil p]

Thanks for the welcome and thanks anyway on the roof.

Would it be of interest for everyone if I started a Neil P and area thread?

[John T Roberts]

There is an existing thread on the Neil P. when the building was converted into condos. The link is here: http://www.fortworth...ch=1. I actually found two other threads on the building by searching for Neil P. Anderson and its variations in the search forum at the top of the main page of the forum.

If you want to start a thread about that end of Downtown, I don't think one like that exists. However, individual projects usually have their own threads somewhere on the board.

[Mark - Neil p]

Thanks John,

I did the search too and see what you mean. I'll be thinking about the thread on this part of downtown...not sure yet that i will have a lot to offer. It's worth noting that the Neil P penthouse has been sold. I have seen it a couple times and it has great potential. You can even see Jerry World up there.

[Brian Luenser]

Mark,

In my opinion, we have a real void in current information on the Neil P.. We would really appreciate any reporting on that building and that immediate neighborhood. One of the most historic and overlooked "hoods" Downtown.

You may have seen my entries to Neil P. when I went up in the penthouse of that building. A real treat. I had a friend that lived in Neil P for about a year or maybe two. (Northwest corner on the second floor I believe.)

I surely love the whole corner. I love the Electric building/ Hollywood Theater, Star Telegram and Worth Hotel area. I have had 3 friends live in the Electric building as well as my Wife's uncle who worked in the building for many years as an engineer for "The" electric company back then. (TESCO)

I am sure curious what life is like at the Neil P these days... Along with the T&P lofts. (That I have never been in.)

[Mark - Neil p]

Brian,

I kinda thought so too...there was good info in the early days but a lot has changed since then.

As I am naturally a curious person, I ask lots of questions and enjoy sticking my nose into whatever I don't know much about.

I have a lot of new info on the Neil P (from an outsiders point of view, soon to be an insider) but I guess I can just keep this thread going with it....

We will be living on the north side overlooking the Star Telegram building and roof. It's about time for me wander in and see if I can find the GC or the Architect and find out what's planned for the roof.

Mark

[RD Milhollin]

Update on the restoration and repurposing of the former Star-Telegram building by Bob Simpson.

http://www.star-tele...ing-begins.html

[dangr.dave]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know when the facade of the Star-Telegram building will be completed?  There has been no visible progress for as long as I can recall.  I took the photo below in August of 2012 and the exterior looks pretty much the same, with the only exception being a lot more scaffolding. 

 

The Star-Telegram Building, Fort Worth by dangr.dave, on Flickr

[Dylan]

Does anyone know what the building to the north that's connected by that giant sky bridge is?

[mmmdan]

Technically it is all one building.

 

http://www.fortworth...re.com/fwst.htm

[Austin55]

There has been a fair bit of progress lately. Most of the scaffolding is down, most of the stonework is on, still a bit of glass left, the awning, and some more work at sidewalk level. Otherwise it's looking very complete. You can peek inside in this picture and see that there is still a lot to do in there. 

 

Does anyone what purpose the first floor will serve? Offices, lobby, retail?

[elpingüino]

My understanding is that the first floor - at least at the corner of the main entrance, Seventh and Taylor - will be a lobby. The building originally had a grand lobby taking up two stories. Sometime in the 1960s or 1970s, the lobby was split into two floors (ground and mezzanine), so when you walked into the main entrance, you were in typical office space with a drop ceiling. When Bob Simpson bought the building, his plan was to restore it to its Amon Carter-era glory, and I'm assuming that plan is still in effect.

 

Also, according to the Business Press, apparently there will be a museum as well: http://fwbusinesspre...-building-.aspx

[RD Milhollin]

It would be very cool if the current renovation sparked interest in the owners of the Electric Building next door to restore the movie theater between the two buildings.

[Austin55]

Little bit more progress. You can peek inside and see how much work is going on in that massive lobby. It also appears the building has a new name, as the overhangs say Morningstar Oil & Gas.

 

 

I also noticed the garage door around the corner was open... So I walked in and shot some of the old theater details. I really wanted to go further in as the garage looks like it goes all way down, but I did'nt have a way out. 

 

 

[JBB]

I seem to remember reading a rumor on Twitter awhile back saying that a plane that belonged to Amon Carter was going to be placed in the lobby of this building. Has anyone heard about that?

[Austin55]

Yep, its an old article but I assume its still in the plans. Some old cars to. 

 

http://fwbusinesspre...-building-.aspx

 

 

Here's a similar plane.

http://www.edcoatesc...l Air 5000.html

[Austin55]

.... Know idea how they snuck it in there. It looks like they removed a floor over the basement, it's hanging at about street level. 

 

 

 

 

[John T Roberts]

Nice shots through the windows.

[renamerusk]

I believe that Mr. Carter would be very pleased.

[Austin55]

Stumbled across this great website with some great old pics, now that this project is near completion we can really see they've done a great job.

 

 

 

And some interesting shots of additions and restorations from 1967. I hope in 50 years people will see pictures that I and others have posted on this website with as much interest. 

 

[John T Roberts]

Those are great old photographs.  Look at the old incandescent signs.  They were later converted to neon, or replaced with nearly identical signs with neon tubing in them.

[Austin55]

Morningstar Oil building is lit for Christmas, and it looks awesome. Kinda Rockefeller Center esque. Inside the windows is lit Garland. It looks like the museaum now has all it's displays, the plane, car, WPA radio area, a wagon, a dinosaur skull, etc.

 

 

I think the building really helps to bring some life to a limp part of downtown.

[John T Roberts]

Austin, I was down there last night at The Cheesecake Factory and I was going to shoot the Star-Telegram Building, but they were having a party.  I did not take the picture.  Maybe they will still have it illuminated the next time I'm downtown at night.

[JBB]

That looks really nice. I'm interested in seeing how they light the building the rest of the year.

[John T Roberts]

The appropriate scheme would be white, except for special occasions.  Since the light fixtures are LED, they will be able to change the colors.  Purple on TCU nights would be nice.

[Austin55]

It does look great.

John here's a link to the party you saw. Expensive!

http://events.r20.co...7&llr=vrmwcdcab

[dangr.dave]

Here's a photo that I took through the window the other day.

 

A Christmas ride by dangr.dave, on Flickr

[John T Roberts]

Austin, that party is a little out of my league. Dave, that shot is very good for taking it through a window.  I'm surprised their security didn't run you off.

[dangr.dave]

John, I wore my running shoes and have the stamina of Forest Gump.  They never would have caught me. 

[John T Roberts]

I have information from a good source that the lighting on the building is not complete.   There are plans to install lights up at the top of the building to illuminate the decorative frieze at the top.

[Austin55]

 John, last night I met a guy called Jeff Mabray who evidently does a lot of lights around DFW as well (Sundance, Pier 1, etc) and he mentioned that he was doing the lights on here and the freize would be lit up in January. 

[John T Roberts]

Thanks for the information.  The guy you met and the person who contacted me on the building are not the same.  I look forward to seeing the additional lighting.

[Fort Worthology]

They did a really lovely job on the building.  It's amazing what opening up the ground floor back to its original design, getting rid of all the terrible blank walls the S-T did to it over the years, does for the building - and for the street.

[RD Milhollin]

Wow, I looked through the windows at the Old S-T Building the other day and saw dinosaur skeletons! The finishing touches were being put on the lighting fixtures at the 7th Street entrance that leads into the exhibition room and that portal was taped off. The business entrance on Taylor Street was locked, so apparently the exhibition is not ready for the public.

[RD Milhollin]

Bob Simpson is honored for his downtown historical preservation activities by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce; High Impact Legacy Award

 

http://www.star-tele...le27500677.html

 

Congratulations Mr Simpson! And thanks.

[renamerusk]

"What irony!" [Landmark Tower Block]