79 replies to this topic

[EricTCU]

Agreed! Now that this "mysterious catasrophe" has destroyed the old building, TCU should plan a bookstore on the site to match the pedestrian appeal of the GrandMarc. The new bookstore should be built with Parking behind or under or on top.

[Sam Stone]

That is the first thing I thought of when I heard the story. I imagine it depends on the amount of damage, though.

[safly]

The Bookstore on Berry and University burned down or will burn down?
Confused. Didn't see any reports.

Wonder who handles their insurance claim? Alumnus anyone?

[EricTCU]

http://www.dfw.com/m...l/14213654.htm

http://cbs11tv.com/t..._088064743.html

[safly]

WOW!

I like how the driver of the white van parks right up front to take it all in.

That is mysterious, LUCKY to have the books out. Inside job? Late night, middle of the week. Couldn't have been from a contractors cigarette, too late in the night. Very odd.

[Bradleto]

It struck me as being sort of odd that the news accounting of the bookstore fire mentioned that it was the site of a former grocery store. That is true, though of no particular historical interest or significance to anyone I can think of, maybe an old bagboy I guess.

What was there "way back when" was a fire station. The fire station itself may have sat a bit forward toward Berry Street back then... I can't recall now, but that is the image I think of, not the old grocery store, from my youth.

I normally hear fire engines in the TCU area from our home west of the athletic fields, but last night, can't recall hearing anything at all, nor did my wife. Brad

[safly]

Perhaps you and your wife Brad, are great sleepers.

No sirens, ehh.
Something is rotten in the state of COWTOWN.

[JBB]

What was there "way back when" was a fire station.

That makes what happened this morning just a tad ironic, doesn't it?

[bailey]

If there was ever a fire station there, it was over 50 years ago. The Tom Thumb was previously a Safeway and was a second generation store. The building that burned was built directly behind an older Safeway that had the old rounded front. That store was torn down when the present building opened. Not that all this has any significance.

[BluebonnetCircleInc]

When TCU rebuilds it should be on the site of the trailer park... right up to the sidewalk on Berry. Parking can then be where the grocery store was.

This is a very good opportunity for more pedestrian friendly development!

Greg, because the property is zoned MU-2 (due to the foresight of the surrounding neighborhoods, of course!), I believe TCU *must* rebuild to the MU standards--right up to the property line with parking in back. Ironical, indeed.

[John T Roberts]

A brief note on the history of the site:

Bailey is correct. The old Safeway store was rounded toward the corner of Berry and Cockrell and the new one from the 1960's was built behind the old one. I can barely remember the old and the new opening. The fire station was at the corner of Berry and University. It sat on the building line along Berry and was set back from University. Two commercial buildings sat between the fire station and the TCU Theater.

[Buck]

TCU would be much better off rebuilding in the original Safeway footprint at the curbline, and using the current space for parking.

[youngalum]

Before anything will happen, the insurance companies will fight over who will pay. Being in the business, I would expect a lawsuit to be filed.

TCU will want to rebuild and rebuild quickly. Expect the same location with the same design we saw before as the walls are not down and the zoning issues you talk about will more than likely not be an issue as the general structure outline is still there, intact.

[Bradleto]

Thanks to John Roberts for recalling the exact location of the old fire station... that sounds right on to me. I can't recall when it was removed but it was not over 50 years ago as one poster mentioned as I am 53 and I am pretty sure it was there around 1962/1963 when we roamed the area as kids. Maybe 40 years ago though.

Greg, no horses on Berry St. other than the ones at the old Merry-Go-Round ... I guess that was about where the Jack-In-The-Box is today, but, again, not sure. There was a horse stable where horses could be rented somewhere in Forest Park to the north, but I couldn't tell you exactly where it was. Too, there was a small structure, almost a shack, housing a business that fixed/rented bicycles as I recall, again, the exact area is lost to me now.

Another major attraction, at least to us kids, was not a building or structure, but a person: The Berry Street Walker. Does anyone recall the little lady given that moniker who used to walk up and down Berry Street usually wearing black boots and layers of heavy clothing?

University Drive north of Bluebonnet Circle and south of Berry Street was lined with trees back in the early 1960s sort of like the area on University going through the campus today. The Trinity River was much different looking then too before it was cleaned out.

On the northwest corner of University Dr. and the river, I guess about where the steak restaurant is now, there was a skating rink and, for awhile, an area with trampolines mounted at ground level over dug-out holes. This was "The Place" for grade school birthday skating parties.

In some ways, the area looks almost exactly the same, in other ways, lots of changes. Brad

[bailey]

There may have been a fire station around the Safeway but what I said was it wasn't on the present Safeway lot. I'm impressed that there is someone that can remember back to the Berry Street Walker. Back in highs school I worked at the Chuc Wagon at 1716 W. Berry and she would walk by everyday pushing her shopping cart. It didn't matter whether it was rain or shine. She also always wore a heavy coat whether it was winter or summer. That old roller skating rink in what became 1849 Village was the place to have birthday parties. If I remember correctly, the walls were made of tarp at least partially. Must have gone to 50 parties there.

[Bradleto]

There may have been a fire station around the Safeway but what I said was it wasn't on the present Safeway lot. I'm impressed that there is someone that can remember back to the Berry Street Walker. Back in highs school I worked at the Chuc Wagon at 1716 W. Berry and she would walk by everyday pushing her shopping cart. It didn't matter whether it was rain or shine. She also always wore a heavy coat whether it was winter or summer. That old roller skating rink in what became 1849 Village was the place to have birthday parties. If I remember correctly, the walls were made of tarp at least partially. Must have gone to 50 parties there.

Yes, I think John Roberts correctly identified the location of the old fire station in an earlier post... I just recall that it was somewhat adjacent to the TCU theater.

Bailey, you are correct that the old rink was sort of an open structure with some sort of fencing or screening in lieu of solid walls covered by either tarp or maybe burlap. It had large belt-driven wall-mounted fans to move air around on hot days as I recall and maybe an evaporative cooler or two.

Other things long gone now are the Toddle House located where Einstein Bagel is today... always a neat place to eat. The Ol' South Pancake House was moved years ago, and at its present location, there was that interesting little shopping mall with tiny shops of all kinds behind glass walls, a barber shop, and other things. I think the building was burned down twice. The rumor back then was they wouldn't play "ball" with the persons controlling, or wanting to control, vending machines in the building. I guess it's possible.

Brad

[bailey]

There may have been a fire station around the Safeway but what I said was it wasn't on the present Safeway lot. I'm impressed that there is someone that can remember back to the Berry Street Walker. Back in highs school I worked at the Chuc Wagon at 1716 W. Berry and she would walk by everyday pushing her shopping cart. It didn't matter whether it was rain or shine. She also always wore a heavy coat whether it was winter or summer. That old roller skating rink in what became 1849 Village was the place to have birthday parties. If I remember correctly, the walls were made of tarp at least partially. Must have gone to 50 parties there.

Yes, I think John Roberts correctly identified the location of the old fire station in an earlier post... I just recall that it was somewhat adjacent to the TCU theater.

Bailey, you are correct that the old rink was sort of an open structure with some sort of fencing or screening in lieu of solid walls covered by either tarp or maybe burlap. It had large belt-driven wall-mounted fans to move air around on hot days as I recall and maybe an evaporative cooler or two.

Other things long gone now are the Toddle House located where Einstein Bagel is today... always a neat place to eat. The Ol' South Pancake House was moved years ago, and at its present location, there was that interesting little shopping mall with tiny shops of all kinds behind glass walls, a barber shop, and other things. I think the building was burned down twice. The rumor back then was they wouldn't play "ball" with the persons controlling, or wanting to control, vending machines in the building. I guess it's possible.

Brad

The old Toddle House was a place I frequented often. Great waffles and chocolate ice box pie. My sister actually got hit by a car many years ago going from the TCU theater across University to the Toddle House. The Old South Pancake House was originally in that funny shaped building to the north. I have eaten there ever since it opened which was around 1957 and still do some. They had to tear the old building down to expand the freeway. The current building was cut in half after the fire in the Forest Park bowling alley that was upstairs. It was one of the largest around with 64 lanes. As bad as that fire was, it's amazing they were able to save any of the building.

[EricTCU]

Another major attraction, at least to us kids, was not a building or structure, but a person: The Berry Street Walker. Does anyone recall the little lady given that moniker who used to walk up and down Berry Street usually wearing black boots and layers of heavy clothing?

I think she has been replaced with that guy with blonde dreadlocks who is always carrying his skateboard.

Come on, you all know who I'm talking about. He's ALWAYS on Berry Street!

[JBB]

I know exactly who you're talking about. For about the last 6 years or so, I've seen him on Camp Bowie, Colonial, Park Place, Berry, Biddison, and 8th.

[SurplusPopulation]

I like to walk... back off.

[JPO]

This is the first I've heard of the fire - my family in Fort Worth has really dropped the ball on keeping me informed up here in New York...

My grandfather was the manager of the Safeway on Berry in the late 1940's - He, my grandmother and my mother lived on Cockrell just behind the store - probably where the building was that burned. My mother's dog used to run out of the front door and she remembers chasing it across the TCU campus in her nightgown...

[Now in Denton]

This is the first I've heard of the fire - my family in Fort Worth has really dropped the ball on keeping me informed up here in New York...

My grandfather was the manager of the Safeway on Berry in the late 1940's - He, my grandmother and my mother lived on Cockrell just behind the store - probably where the building was that burned. My mother's dog used to run out of the front door and she remembers chasing it across the TCU campus in her nightgown...

From what I remember TCU bookstore was a Tom Thumb?

[Buck]

Built as a Safeway.

Lately a Tom Thumb.

[Now in Denton]

Built as a Safeway.

Lately a Tom Thumb.

Ahhhh I see. Thank you I guess its my Gen X thing. As the late Johnny Carson would say.

"I did not know that"

[Urbndwlr]

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.

TCU had moved it's bookstore operations out of the old Tom Thumb store to make way for a second story to be added. So there's been a trailer park, so to speak, in the parking lot for store operations to continue. Then the original building burns down last night.

When TCU rebuilds it should be on the site of the trailer park... right up to the sidewalk on Berry. Parking can then be where the grocery store was.

This is a very good opportunity for more pedestrian friendly development!

[JBB]

That's good news. I imagine the longer the burned out shell sits, the more likely it will not be suitable for repair.

[Buck]

Is there any way a TCU Theater purchase could be included?

The theater is useless without parking. And TCU controls the parking.

[cberen1]

That's good news. I imagine the longer the burned out shell sits, the more likely it will not be suitable for repair.

The burned out shell is now gone.

[youngalum]

TCU or one of its real estate investment arms bought the TCU theatre. Plans are still in the dark if the old place will be part of the new building or will be just a temp home until the new building is built.

However, the new building will be along the fronts of berry and university and approx. 2-3 stories tall. The Allen Saxe garden will remain. The parking will be in the back of the building now.

[EricTCU]

I wish somebody would cover the windows of the theater, the lobby is trashed out and its visible from the street.

A Theater and a Bookstore huh?...

http://www.fortworth...com/palace1.jpg

Now we're talking pedestrian.

[JBB]

However, the new building will be along the fronts of berry and university and approx. 2-3 stories tall. The Allen Saxe garden will remain. The parking will be in the back of the building now.

Awesome. The view looking NE from Berry/University is going to be much improved.

[mosteijn]

Yeah! That is great news! When are they planning to demolish the tower? Last time I drove by there it was still standing, a shell of its former self...

[John T Roberts]

Jonny, the tower and shell were demolished within the last few days. I was by there last week and it was standing, but on Sunday, it was gone.

[austlar]

Somebody mentioned the Forest Park Stables a few postings back. It was located just north of the Trinity River and just a block or so west of University Drive at the end of the street. I don't know the name of the street, but today there is a Courtyard Hotel along the north side of that street. We used to rent horses from the stables back in the 50's and ride them all over Trinity Park. I seem to remember that we would cross University on a trail that went under the University Blvd. bridges. In the 70's, I guess the river was gussied up a bit, and some commercial structures were built on what used to be parkland where the Residence Inn and the ugly little highrise are located today. I also remember birthday parties at the skating rink and later at the trampolenes as well. Nowadays I guess kids spend their time online or in the mall. I think we had more fun.

[ghughes]

There's a bare concrete slab where the building used to be. Wonder if it will become a parking lot.

[Buck]

So is TCU including the theater in the new bookstore, or demolishing it and building new?

[youngalum]

At this point mum is the word if the theatre will be part or just a temp facility. The parking will be behind the building as the building will face Berry and University in a 2-3 story facility.

The TCU family is in the dark right now, sorry.

[John T Roberts]

This is a good example of "Be Careful What You Wish For". Everyone here on the forum wanted the new bookstore to be built right up to the street and to be more pedestrian friendly. We don't yet know exactly how the new bookstore will look, but yesterday, demolition started on the TCU Theater. The removal of the theater has been fairly fast because the university only purchased the building in July. I'm not necessarily saying the theater should have been saved, I'm just pointing out that there was another potential historic building with no protection that was demolished with no advance notice. The city has now lost 11 "historic" buildings in the last two weeks.

[mmiller2002]

Is there any way a TCU Theater purchase could be included?

The theater is useless without parking. And TCU controls the parking.

Although it's now demolished, I never understood why an "indie" theater never succeeded across the street from a school with a large arts and letters population. You shouldn't need much parking when you have students within walking distance. But, then TCU students are not typical budget students looking for cheap entertainment. "When I was in school" we rarely drove anywhere, we used the local town.

I'm sure the new bookstore will fit well on the corner. I guess the alley behind will get taken over by the new building. And, when will TCU take over the rest of the block? Those old storefronts lend a real charm to the block (although some could use some remodeling), as did the failed theater.

[Buck]

John, what are the 11 demolished buildings?

Speaking of theaters, is the New Isis Theater preserved as part of the Stockyards historic district?

[John T Roberts]

Buck, after I gather some donated photographs, I was going to do a thread on the 11 demolished buildings. In the meantime, here is the list:

1. Workman's Hotel (c.1890) - 200 Block of E. Belknap, home of Mexican Chile Supply from 1900-1970

2. Mexican Inn (c.1880) - NW Corner of 5th & Commerce

3-10. Entire Block of Duplexes in 1000 Block of S. Adams (1924-28)

11. TCU Theater (c.1950) - 3055 S. University Drive


When I listed the New Isis Theater on my site, I included it within the National Register Stockyards Historic District. I pulled up a map, and the area is shown so small with some selected lots pulled out of the district, I can't really tell if it is included. National Register listings do not gurantee protection. The listing is more ceremonial than anything else. I did check the local zoning for the New Isis and it is listed as Demolition Delay. That means that demolition could be delayed for as long as 180 days as deemed by the Landmarks Commission. It doesn't appear to be listed as a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark. In summation, the New Isis Theater is only guaranteed protection for 180 days.

[John T Roberts]

Here is a picture that I took approximately one year ago of the TCU Theater. I also have demolition photos that I will post later.

[eshigginbotham]

Here is a picture that I took approximately one year ago of the TCU Theater. I also have demolition photos that I will post later.

Anybody seen the proposal of what is replacing the store yet?

[John T Roberts]

Buck, I did more research and I found out that the New Isis Theater is within the Fort Worth Stock Yards National Historic District.

[ghughes]

From a meeting last week I learned that TCU and Barnes&Noble are working on a store for the location. It is intended to be a flagship store that also happens to be a college bookstore. Textbooks on a mezzanine.

Store will be on the sidewalks (both University and Berry) in keeping with the MU zoning. Saxe's Corner will be preserved, so the building will apparently have a corner chopped off for that. Parking in the rear.

TCU and B&N will be showing concepts to neighborhoods in October.