11 replies to this topic

[Dylan]

Any chance there's a skyscraper downtown that will let the public go to the top and look down over the city? That's something I've never done before but want to do sometime.

[dangr.dave]

I whole-heartedly concur.  Most other cities have an observation deck and Fort Worth needs one too.

[Austin55]

ehhhh I'm torn on them. Sometimes, they can be timeless icons (Eiffel, Space Needle, Canton Tower) but sometimes they can be rather mediocre (CN, Reunion, Calgary Tower). 

 

If it is done properly I'm all for it. 

While we are on the subject, an observation deck in the Tandy Hills and something like http://farm4.staticf...2194d3d92_z.jpg would be cool in Cedar Hill. 

 

[Dylan]

Actually, I was asking if any of our current skyscrapers had one at the top (or if any of our skyscrapers allows the public to go to the top). I'm aware we don't have a tower that's only an observation like Reunion.

[djold1]

Alternative:  How about getting rid of the ugly concrete "water feature" crap in Heritage Park?  Then, refurbish and improve what was once a spectacular overlook or viewpoint from the Trinity Bluffs? This is one of the most scenic points in the city and needs nothing more than nice trees, walks, benches and the overlook platform.  

[John T Roberts]

PeopleAreStrange: We do not have any public observation space at the top of any of our buildings.  Actually, all of the upper floors of the city's tallest buildings are private office space and do not allow anyone but their guests to go up there.  The closet thing we have is the Petroleum Club at the top of 777 Main.  This is a private club to where you must be a member to go there, or you have to be an invited guest of a member. 

[renamerusk]

Bring the Dallas Fair Park Texas Star Ferris Wheel to the Fort Worth Stockyards; after all, its owned by a group from Fort Worth.  If not, build one for us.

[Austin55]

Alternative:  How about getting rid of the ugly concrete "water feature" crap in Heritage Park?  Then, refurbish and improve what was once a spectacular overlook or viewpoint from the Trinity Bluffs? This is one of the most scenic points in the city and needs nothing more than nice trees, walks, benches and the overlook platform.  

 

I know it's not the same, but if you want a good north view you can go into TCC's west campus (old radioshack) and go across that bridge. I doubt anyone would have a problem with it. 

 

I'm also fully backing the idea of a Ferris Wheel. The little one's set up for Mayfair and the Stock Show are a bit of a tease. 

 

I wonder how much profit a obs. deck would make in Fort Worth? I'd think having a little lookout area and perhaps even a restaurant or museum at the top of say D.R. Horton Tower (surely I'm not the only one who looks at those overhangs at the top and thinks "glass floor") would make a good bit of money. Obviously it wouldn't have near this impact, but the Empire State made 60 million bucks of the observation deck, apparently a sizable majority over office leasing.  Perhaps if there is an older tower that is outdated enough to not be attracting tenants might be interested in setting up a conservation area. Though I can't think of any of these really. Was Reatta relatively profitable in it's former location? We're people allowed to go up just to look?

 

Speaking of, does anyone have some high quality pics from the tops of Burnett, 777 Main, or the Bass towers? I've seen plenty from Brians Perch on the Tower and a few from the Omni. 

[John T Roberts]

I don't think observation decks are really profitable here.  Of course, I have nothing to support that statement.  Reunion Tower has been closed for a number of years, and that was the premier observation deck in Dallas.  However, it is going to reopen soon.  I don't think the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio has been that successful, either.  Several operators have come and gone since Hemisfair '68. 

 

I do think Reata was profitable when it was on top of the Bank One Tower.  For the record, I never went up to just look.  If I was going to enjoy the view, I made sure I paid for a full meal.  A couple of times, I did attend some functions there when meals weren't served, but I still had something to drink.  When it was at the Bank One Tower, I used to take guests to show them the view and treat them to a reasonably good meal for an observation deck.  I always thought, from experience, that the restaurants at observation towers were not very good and were overpriced.  I do realize that I was paying for the "view", but I also feel that if I'm buying an expensive meal, the food should at least be above average.  Since Reata moved down on street level, I have not taken guests their restaurant, unless they want to eat there.   More often than not, they choose other downtown restaurants. 

 

I have physically been on the top floors of all of the tallest buildings in the city, except for the Omni.  I have been on the roofs of all of them for work.  Unfortunately, the renovations that we did were in the mechanical or communications areas behind the roof screens or in the penthouses.  I did take pictures, but I'm not in possession of them and it was back in the early days of digital photography or they were taken with a film camera. 

[Dylan]

So when the tower was redeveloped into condos after the tornado, they didn't keep the observation restaurant? That's disappointing.

[John T Roberts]

Yes, it is disappointing, but it makes sense.  To have a restaurant open to the general public at the top of the building with all of the floors below until the base "private" residential, the building would require another separate entrance with elevators only serving the restaurant.  This eats up a lot of space inside the building.  If you also remember, the upper two mechanical floors were converted into the penthouse condo units with smaller mechanical areas on Level 37.  Also, the mechanical equipment that was in a sunken well in those upper levels was raised up to roof level, thereby making more room for the penthouse condos.  The owners maximized the amount of area set aside for the residential units. 

[Stadtplan]

PeopleAreStrange: We do not have any public observation space at the top of any of our buildings.  Actually, all of the upper floors of the city's tallest buildings are private office space and do not allow anyone but their guests to go up there.  The closet thing we have is the Petroleum Club at the top of 777 Main.  This is a private club to where you must be a member to go there, or you have to be an invited guest of a member. 

 

When I have company visiting from out of town, we like to park on the upper level of Sundance Square Lot II.  It's free after 5pm and weekends and a pretty good view of Bass Hall.

 

http://www.fortworth...Places/Downtown