103 replies to this topic

[tjh1]

There is a thread that focuses on general developments in the Near Southside and I thought that it would be great/convenient to have a similar thread where information on both big and small projects on the Westside could be posted and discussed. I am interested in hearing about all sorts of urban development projects, including topics that wouldn't necessarily justify their own thread.

http://fwbusinesspre...ay.php?id=12457

Blue Bonnet Bakery moving to former church

BY ALESHIA HOWE
April 26, 2010

Blue Bonnet Bakery has purchased the former First Church of Scientists church building at 4705 Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth with plans to renovate the property.

According to a release, Blue Bonnet Bakery, which currently operates from 3905 Camp Bowie Blvd., hopes to turn the building from Christian Scientist church to ‘Bavarian chalet.’

Michael Hart, operator of Blue Bonnet Bakery, purchased the 7,600-square-foot building from First Church of Scientists in Boston Massachusetts Corp. The property will allow Blue Bonnet to expand from its current 5,000-square-foot location.

The property is being financed by Community Bank, located at University Drive and Interstate 30. Community Bank’s Mark Thielke is the officer handling the transaction.

“What attracted Community Bank to the project is the long time family involvement in the high profile bakery and the great business capacity which will make Blue Bonnet Bakery even better,” said Mark Thielke in a release. “We are absolutely sold on the owner’s vision, quality of the business, plus, the new location will add to the baker’s area, retail sales area and greatly enhance the restaurant space. I believe Blue Bonnet will become a new destination for breakfast and lunch.”

SBA financing was used to facilitate the project. Gary Vasseur of Coldwell Banker Commercial Searcy Vasseur Group represented the buyer in the transaction and Graham Styles of Coldwell Banker Residential represented the seller.

[tjh1]

http://www.star-tele...o-camp.html#tvg

Coming soon to Camp Bowie, Ray's Steakhouse & Seafood
By BUD KENNEDY

What Fort Worth needs is -- another prime steakhouse?
Bailey's Prime Plus just opened.
Coming soon: Ray's Steakhouse & Seafood.
"Ray" isn't a stranger. Raif "Ray" Jumera owns one of the busiest restaurants in west Fort Worth, the popular and bargain-priced Fortuna Italian Restaurant in a low-profile shopping center on Camp Bowie Boulevard.
Fortuna has a reputation for steaks and grilled seafood, along with simple pastas and pizza by the slice.
So Jumera will expand the steak-and-seafood menu to the new steakhouse, replacing the familiar Aventino two blocks away on Winthrop Avenue.
He already has had fine-dining experience as the original owner of La Bistro in Hurst and Cafe Portobello in Coppell and Colleyville.
"I know there are a lot of steak restaurants in Fort Worth, but they are all downtown or on Seventh [Street] -- there is nothing here for Ridglea or Camp Bowie," Jumera said this week during a typical Fortuna lunch rush.
Some of the new restaurants feel "too cold," he said, saying that Ray's decor will feel warmer than the stark Aventino.
Ray's Steakhouse & Seafood will open in about six weeks at 3206 Winthrop Ave., near Fortuna at 5837 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817-737-4469.
Across Camp Bowie Boulevard, one of Jumera's nephews will open Allstar Sports Bar & Grill in the former Cafe Aspen.
And a former music club next door will be replaced by Ridglea Jazz Cafe, owned by Stan Hatcher of the first-rate Hatch's Corner home-cooking restaurant family in Forest Hill.

[tjh1]

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

Wachovia Bank calls off foreclosure of Village at Camp Bowie
BY SANDRA BAKER

Wachovia Bank called off today's scheduled foreclosure of the Village at Camp Bowie shopping center on Fort Worth's west side but declined to elaborate on why.
"We continue to be in communication with the borrower and have decided not to go to foreclosure at this time," said Joe Stroop, Wachovia's spokesman.
David Burgher, a principal in Dallas-based Trophy Investments, which six years ago bought the high-profile center, formerly known by its address, 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd., and then spent millions to renovate it, said Monday that he could not comment on the negotiations but that he hopes that "we will get something worked out."
A few weeks ago, Wachovia posted the center for today's auction on the Tarrant County Courthouse steps. Burgher said he would file for bankruptcy if necessary to stop the foreclosure.
The two sides said they've been negotiating loan issues for several months. A $36.5 million loan on the property matured in March.
Wachovia didn't originate the loan. But $26.5 million of it originated with SouthTrust Bank, which merged with Wachovia in 2004. The rest is from Texas Capital Bank.
The Village at Camp Bowie, in the Ridglea area, was developed in the mid-1950s. It borders mostly the south side of Camp Bowie Boulevard but also includes a strip on the north side at Westridge Avenue.
SANDRA BAKER, 817-390-7727

[tjh1]

http://www.star-tele...ublic-food.html

Chef planning new public food market in Fort Worth
By: Sandra Baker

If consulting chef Johndavid Bartlett gets his way, many Tarrant County residents will be buying more local produce and eating differently.
Around May 1, Bartlett hopes to open a public market at an undisclosed location on Camp Bowie Boulevard.
It will feature producers within a 300-mile radius selling their cheeses, vegetables, fruit and meat directly to consumers. A wholesale arm will deliver these vittles to area restaurants who believe that local may be superior as well as fresher.
In the meantime, Bartlett's The Good Food Co. is negotiating the takeover of the sheds of the old, long-vacant downtown Public Market, to help transform the building into a functioning architectural landmark.
Delays on that project is the reason for the Camp Bowie location. An anchor tenant dropped out of the deal, and Bartlett frankly admits, "We don't have a lot of money right now."
Now, if he can only keep his optimism green and growing. Stay tuned.

[tjh1]

Here is another article (this one from the Star-Telegram) about Blue Bonnet Bakery's move to the former Christian Science church building on Camp Bowie.

http://www.star-tele...-move-half.html

Blue Bonnet Bakery to move half a mile up Camp Bowie
BY BARRY SHLACHTER

A former Christian Science Church at 4705 Camp Bowie Blvd. will become the new, larger home for Blue Bonnet Bakery, a 76-year-old west side fixture located a half mile away.
The deal, which closed Friday, will give the family-operated bakery about 50 percent more space and provide 20 parking spots, up from seven, after renovations, said Michael Hart, who manages the day-to-day business. The dining area. to be located in what was the sanctuary, will seat 60, up from 40 at its current location at 3900 Camp Bowie.
And no longer will customers have to back their cars into 40-mile-per-hour traffic on Camp Bowie, he added.
Transformation work will take most of the summer, and the new location should be open to sell cakes and cookies well in time for the holidays, said Hart, whose mother Margie purchased the business from relatives of the founding Roberts-Harper family.
"It gives us a lot of needed room in the production area for baking cakes," he said. "We'll definitely be able to increase production." Hart is not sure if it's the former Bible study room or reading room that will be dedicated to cake decoration.
The 7,616-square-foot brick church with Tudor touches, built in 1922, ended activities last fall and was listed at $775,000. It is located near two well-known Camp Bowie eateries, Lucile's and The Original.
Hart, who was told that other interested parties had wanted to bulldoze the building, declined to disclose the purchase price.
"While the building was priced well, the renovation and conversion costs have grown more than we originally anticipated," Hart said. "We will be moving some equipment and buying some new. In the end, I think it will be a great new location for us."
The deal was financed by a Small Business Administration loan through Community Bank. Proceeds of the sale went to the Christian Science Church headquarters in Boston, said Graham Stiles, a Coldwell Banker real estate agent who represented the seller.
The timing meant Blue Bonnet was able to take advantage of a federal stimulus-related program that saved money on some fees, said Mark Thielke, a loan officer at Community. The fees could run as much as 2 percent of the loan, he said.
The church-turned-bakery will join other houses of worship that have been given new, non-spiritual leases on life.
Also on Camp Bowie, the former Gideon Baptist Church is now home to the Texas Girls Choir.
La Puertita, a banquet building owned by Joe T. Garcia's restaurant on the north side, was once the Iglesias Navidad church.
The Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts public charter school was once the original building of McKinney Memorial Bible Church.
In Keller's Old Town section, Bear Creek Bible Church became the Lucas Funeral Home.
The Victory Arts Center loft apartments were once Our Lady of Victory convent.
And a 1903 church in Aledo became a catering business, The Parson's Table.
Blue Bonnet had been looking for a new home for years but other buildings on Camp Bowie were either too small or too expensive, Hart said.
"We could see it was a good fit," he said of the former church. "An old business like ours fits in an old building. It's bigger but not too big. We went for it and it worked out."
BARRY SHLACHTER, 817-390-7718

[tjh1]

http://www.fwbusines...ay.php?id=12473

Banking News: Comerica Bank opening new ‘green’ Fort Worth center
BY LESLIE WIMMER
May 03, 2010

Dallas-based Comerica Bank in April announced the opening of its Camp Bowie-Ridglea Banking Center located at 6388 Camp Bowie Blvd.

The banking center was built with numerous “green” design and construction features to comply with Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design standards. Comerica is currently seeking LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the facility.

“We are committed to meeting the financial needs of our Fort Worth customers, while making a positive impact on the environment,” said Tracie Gusola, Comerica Bank’s North Texas regional manager, in a statement.

In order to obtain LEED certification, the new banking center on Camp Bowie was constructed with “green” features including energy-efficient roofing materials and colors with a high solar reflecting index; continuous building insulation and high-performance glass; environmentally friendly concrete to reduce heat absorption; on-site recycling center for customer and employee use; high efficiency plumbing fixtures and a drip irrigation system; and low volatile organic compound interior finishes, fixtures and furniture.

The Camp Bowie location will be Comerica Bank’s second LEED-certified location in Tarrant County. The bank’s first certified location opened in Fossil Creek in August 2009.
______________________________

Hopefully this new building will have proper urban aesthetics (i.e. built up to the street with a sidewalk, parking in the rear or on the side, etc.) that will both fit in with and promote walkability and mixed-use development in the area. I have yet to see a rendering, but I am hopeful that it will look something similar to the excellent new Comerica branch that is planned for the corner of 8th Avenue & Magnolia Ave. Googling the address shows that it is on the site of the demolished Stripling & Cox department store.

[Thurman52]

It does not have any urban aesthetics. Standard design, used less stone on the entrance, but otherwise standard.

[mmiller2002]

What is it with all these banks spending money building branches left and right? I thought there was some trouble in the banking world?

[tjh1]

Samaritan House withdraws request for city help for new Como facility

Read more: http://www.star-tele...l#ixzz0qC8hQLKe

[Russ Graham]

There's a proposed redevelopment at the corner of Bailey and Boland streets - near the North end of Bailey where it meets White Settlement.

I've posted an article about it on our neighborhood association website: http://www.mnafw.org...zoning-variance

The developer is asking for very high density - 56 per acre which is about double what's there now - and four stories of height, also double what's there now. As well, they are basically shutting down St. Donovan street and plopping the new apartment in the middle of it. It looks like a fortress, from what I can make out of the site plan.


All the cars would go in and out of the parking garage through one entrance, right there where Boland and Bailey come together, which is already not the best intersection in the world.

Also, it looks to me like the alleyway behind the apartments that are currently there, will turn into the main street from one side to the other. Seems the church on the corner would be impacted pretty heavily by this.

The whole thing looks pretty grim to me.

Funny thing is the developer is asking the neighborhood to support his petition for a variance. Let me think about that for a minute... "No"

[Austin55]

Rendering

[Austin55]

I think from Bart Shaw's portfolio some time ago. I thought it was a dead project actually. 

Edit: I think it went through a zoning change a few years back. I thought the site plan might live on the forum some where. It had a long row of parking Birchman.

Further edit: Here's a blurb from FWBP on the zoning case from 2018. It faced issues due to not meeting parking requirements. 

 

Further further edit: Here's the building's lease listing

[txbornviking]

considering the site address is currently a surface parking lot,it sounds like any proposal is likely to be an improvement

[txbornviking]

 

 

considering the site address is currently a surface parking lot,it sounds like any proposal is likely to be an improvement

 

Do you recall what the building here previously was used for?  Maybe an office and day spa?

https://goo.gl/maps/4xz9JoSWCpNLXBwf9

 

Previous Owners:

BRICK STREET INVESTORS LP 03-28-2005

MONCRIEF-BARTON LLP 04-23-2003

CARMEL LAND & CATTLE CO 02-19-2003

TRICIA READY DAY SPA INC 05-16-1996

READY PATRICIA A 05-15-1996

MARTIN GLENDA WILEY;MARTIN JAMES 06-27-1991

MARTIN GARY D 09-12-1979

 

 

I found this razing permit on Accela from 2008.  Looks like there was some type of fast food / coffee shop here too?

 

Project Description:

MH/COMM/DEMO/ FAST FOOD/COFFE SHOP

 

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

 

good eye...looks like a coffee shop, Moka Java

https://www.yelp.com...java-fort-worth

[txbornviking]

during last nights city council meeting a historic overlay was approved for a home in my neighborhood, 4337 Calmont Ave.

my wife and I wrote our city councilmember to learn more about the historic overlay and the reason(s) for granting the request.

our councilmember's assistant wrote back basically saying "the reason is that the property owner applied for this historic overlay through the Historic& Cultural Landmarks Commission. The Commission recommended approval of this application to the City Council. The Council upheld this recommendation."

would folks more knowledgeable about the process be able to point me in the right direction to learn more about this approval, why it was warranted, requested, or recommended?
 

[John T Roberts]

You are in luck.  I'm the former Chairman of the Board of Historic Fort Worth, inc., the city's preservation organization.  I'm still currently on the Board and I now Chair the Public Affairs Committee.  This committee is the one that looks at all designations and decides if we want to comment on them, publicly.  To talk specifically about the house, I will have to go back over the case to take a look at it.  It takes about 3 months for a case to go from Landmarks Commission to Zoning, and then to final approval at Council.  Under our Preservation Ordinance, a property owner may apply for a historic designation, providing the structure is at least 50 years old and it meets the criteria for that historic designation.  I have written several nominations for City of Fort Worth Historic & Cultural Landmark designation for the property owners over the years. 

 

Unfortunately, I will have to discuss with you more on this later this evening.  I have something I need to get out of the office before I leave, and when I get that done, I'm going to be touring the City of Fort Worth Historic & Cultural Landmark house on Samuels Avenue that is currently for sale. 

[John T Roberts]

Txbornviking, the HCLC Packet gives a lot of information on the house and why the HCLC voted to approve the nomination.  The Zoning Commission and City Council rubber stamped the approval from the HCLC.  The packet shows the criteria for designation that the house meets and gives explanations why.  It also shows that the house retains all of the seven aspects of integrity.  Usually the HCLC, Zoning Commission, and City Council approve the application without hesitation when a property owner wants to designate his own property.  Also, when a property owner wants to be excluded from a historic district, they are usually allowed to opt out.  Historic Districts are different from individual designation in that more than one contiguous property is involved.

 

Please feel free to ask me any specific question you wish, and I will be more than happy to answer it. 

[Austin55]

 

Here's another Ibanez Shaw project off of Camp Bowie.  I always look forward to what they bring to the table.

 

https://www.tdlr.tex.../TABS2022004662

 

PROJECT

Project Name: 4927 Byers Avenue

 

Ibanez Shaw shared a rendering that I presume is this building. 

[Doohickie]

Someone actually paid for that?  Oof.

[John T Roberts]

6201 Camp Bowie Blvd. was the address of the former Ridglea Presbyterian Church.  Maybe the deal with QT fell through.  Even though our office is right down the street, I was not aware of things changing on the site redevelopment.

[steave]

It's unusual to see them build something like that in town. Usually those travel centers concentrate on the edges of metro areas. So like, Sanger or Weatherford or Alvarado.

[Urbndwlr]

6201 Camp Bowie Blvd. was the address of the former Ridglea Presbyterian Church.  Maybe the deal with QT fell through.  Even though our office is right down the street, I was not aware of things changing on the site redevelopment.

Good thing about QT, if true.  Just round peg/square hole for that location. 

 

Glancing at the architecture/engineering firm's portfolio who is working on the newly planned building, go ahead and lower your expectations for how the building will look.  Basing that on their body of work shown on their website.  Pretty utilitarian stuff. 

[Austin55]

Wasn't an H2O proposed here some time ago?

[John T Roberts]

Yes, they are putting a car wash in at this location.  I also prefer the grassy knoll; however, I will admit that my firm had been involved with several prospective office/retail projects on that site over the last 10 years.  Thankfully, we are not involved with the design of the car wash.  It will also be interesting to see if this project gets built because of the challenges of the site.  I believe the difficulty in handling the grade along with meeting the Urban Design Standards and Guidelines for Camp Bowie Blvd. were the main reasons all of our designs were never built. 

[roverone]

That's pretty sad -- it is not just taking that grass away, but also forever devaluing the building beside / behind it.

 

But I guess if that building were valued it would already be more restored and the parcel would not be cut off from the building.

 

Do you think this will accelerate the demolition of that building?

[txbornviking]

 

So they're putting a carwash here?  I prefer the grassy knoll, to be honest.

 

Record CG22-00213: 

Commercial Grading Permit

Record Status: Plan Review

 

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

Permit Address

6425 CAMP BOWIE BLVD

 

 

 

 

wow that is an exceptionally sad land use

[John T Roberts]

This piece of property is somewhat similar to the Ridglea Theater property.  It was once one parcel and somehow was subdivided into two separate pieces.  When that happens, it is usually not good. 

 

I don't think it will accelerate the demolition of the office building.  The office building is very interesting and I toured it a couple of years ago.  It was originally built for the Commercial Standard Insurance Co.  Before they constructed this Mid-Century Modern building, they occupied part of the Aviation Building (demolished 1978) in Downtown.

[youngalum]

How many car washes does Camp Bowie need? One is about to open and Red Carpet has been open for years. All three would be within a mile of each other.

 

Then to the west, there are two more car washes in business. 

 

So in 2-3 mile radius there are going to be 5 car washes.

[rriojas71]

 

 

So they're putting a carwash here?  I prefer the grassy knoll, to be honest.

 

Record CG22-00213: 

Commercial Grading Permit

Record Status: Plan Review

 

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

Permit Address

6425 CAMP BOWIE BLVD

 

 

 

 

wow that is an exceptionally sad land use

 

Unfortunately that is a major theme here in FW

[johnfwd]

At least it's not a QT! 

[txbornviking]

At least it's not a QT! 

 

at least you can get a sandwich and slushy from QT, right.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

[Jeriat]

At least it's not a QT! 

I'd actually prefer a QT... 

 

[JBB]

Limited service car washes with self service vacuums/interior cleaning are all the rage right now.  I can probably get to a half dozen in less than 5 minutes from my house and 4 of them have opened this year.

[Urbndwlr]

Has this gone through UDC yet?

Is a good test for the form based codes on Camp Bowie. 

 

If it can conform w/ the FBCs it should be at least okay (I haven't looked at those to see how well they promote a good walkable street-frontage).

It is disappointing that an automotive use would go there but given the extreme low density along Camp Bowie in that zone, I'm not surprised a car wash operator would see it as an appropriate site vs say a restaurant/small retail building facing Camp Bowie.

[RD Milhollin]

Has this gone through UDC yet?

Is a good test for the form based codes on Camp Bowie. 

 

If it can conform w/ the FBCs it should be at least okay (I haven't looked at those to see how well they promote a good walkable street-frontage).

It is disappointing that an automotive use would go there but given the extreme low density along Camp Bowie in that zone, I'm not surprised a car wash operator would see it as an appropriate site vs say a restaurant/small retail building facing Camp Bowie.

This would have been been a pretty good site for a remote or auxiliary installation site for large public art. This use would probably require that one (or more...) of the art museums be able to acquire title to the land, and that parking and security be provided. Just an idea, I do hate to see that lawn converted to a (IMO) crass commercial use in that unique location. There is probably room for at least three large installations there, benches and picnic spots and creative night lighting might have made this spot a "destination".

[John T Roberts]

Personally, with all of the problems that we had on the site to design several different uses, I really don't see how they are going to build a car wash at that location.  We couldn't make a mixed-use building work (retail on ground floor, office on second).  We also couldn't make a small retail building work on the site, either.

[John T Roberts]

It was getting close to that with our designs.  I have a feeling with a car wash, both the east side and the south side would have a gigantic retaining wall.

[Crestline]

My idle question for the day: What should be built on 2501 MONTGOMERY ST, just north of the antique mall? My vote is for a big fat apartment complex to increase people density on Montgomery.

 

 

This dirt lot appears to have been owned by MONTGOMERY CORNER LLC for a dozen years. Wonder if the entity has plans to develop, or is just waiting for a buyer to come along. 

[JBB]

That lot and the antique mall are all included in the Botanic Garden master plan.  I would assume there's a long term plan and possibly even an agreement of some sort for the city to acquire that land.

[rriojas71]

I think a Hotel alongside residential and a couple of retail/restaurant spaces would get my vote.  I wish the people behind Hotel Renovo would have considered Montgomery St. near Dickies Arena as an alternate location after they were rebuffed by the Kimball.

[Crestline]

That lot and the antique mall are all included in the Botanic Garden master plan.  I would assume there's a long term plan and possibly even an agreement of some sort for the city to acquire that land.

 

Ah, crud, you're right. Here's a screenshot from the interactive zoning map future land use categories:

 

 

And another from the comprehensive plan appendix C:

 

 

Relevant quote from the appendix screenshot (note "the west side" rather than "both sides"):

 

12. Encourage compatible development between residential and commercial

properties along the west side of the Montgomery Street corridor.

 

I don't see anything about incorporation of this land into the botanical gardens in their own master planning document from this summer, so it doesn't seem like this is likely to happen soon.

 

Frustrating! In my opinion, Montgomery would make for a better and livelier commercial / residential / cultural corridor with appropriate (large and dense, I think) structures on this land. It would be nice if those structures had a public bike-and-pedstrian connection to the botanical gardens, but using the entire frontage for the gardens feels like a missed opportunity.

[Austin55]

It would be cool to have combine the two ideas: an eco-friendly botanic hotel. Think a smaller version of the Park Royal Pickering in Singapore. Or really anything from WOHA's portfolio. Something like the Meyerhouse might be a good scale for the neighborhood. That would certainly make a great tourist attraction.

[John T Roberts]

Excavation on the car wash site started this week in front of the Commercial Standard Building.  The address is 6425 Camp Bowie Blvd.  I have a photograph that I took yesterday, but I need time to post it.

[rriojas71]

Excavation on the site started this week.  I have a photograph that I took yesterday, but I need time to post it.

Excavation of what?

[John T Roberts]

I apologize.  That's what I get for posting in haste.  I edited my post with the address, but I was referring to the Car Wash site at the southeast corner of Camp Bowie Blvd. and Edgehill Rd.  This is in front of the Commercial Standard Building.

[John T Roberts]

This is the photograph that I took yesterday.

[John T Roberts]

They are.  I did a little bit of digging (please pardon the pun) and I found out that it was administratively approved by the UDC staff.  Our projects on this site required going before the UDC because they deviated from the design guidelines slightly.

 

The same thing happened with us on the theater down the street.  Approval of 20% glass vs. 30% glass required UDC approval.

[roverone]

I'm really disappointed about this.  It seems very likely that this low-use for the corner, obscuring the building, is only going to devalue the building more, and make it less likely to be valued.

 

Imagine someone doing this on the corner of one of the museum properties.

 

I think it will shorten the life of Commercial Standard Building.

 

I wish there was a means that when regular commercial causes cannot save an architecturally significant building that the city could step in and lease / buy in a way that puts it to use and values it for the greater benefit preserving the architectural history of the city.

[John T Roberts]

UDC.  I think I need a vacation.  I will correct my earlier post.

[John T Roberts]

At one time, they were one property.  In the past, the lot was subdivided with the corner being separated from the building's property.