64 replies to this topic

[ron4Life]

This was a surprising story to me from NBC Channel 5 http://tinyurl.com/cyc4p6e I knew about the plans for the garden, but I didn't think it had started already.. wow how cool.

[JBB]

Here's a working link to that story:

NBC 5 story

(The period at the end of your sentence is messing up the link.)

That's great news. I haven't been to the botanical gardens in several years.

[cberen1]

Here's a working link to that story:

NBC 5 story

(The period at the end of your sentence is messing up the link.)

That's great news. I haven't been to the botanical gardens in several years.

I think you mean "bOOOOtanic" garden.

[Joshw]

I love the botanic gardens, especially the japanese gardens. I proposed to my wife there, like many people have. Awesome place.

[ron4Life]

Have anyone heard anything else about this major Master Plan and maybe taken a photo here are there?

[ron4Life]

Sooo... no photos of its progress? no?

[Volare]

At the May 21, 2013 City Council meeting, the following passed unanimously:

 

M&C G-17903 - Authorize Acceptance of a Donation from the John Tinsley Estate, via the Fort Worth Botanical Society, Inc., for the Restoration of the Rock Springs Garden Located in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden at a Value of $2,200,000.00, Authorize the Acceptance of a Monetary Donation from the Fort Worth Botanical Society, Inc., in the Amount of $41,231.00 to Fund the Salary and Benefits of a Gardener, Authorize the Naming of an Area at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as the Victor and Cleyone Tinsley Rock Springs Garden, Authorize Waiver of Permit Fees and Adopt Appropriation Ordinance

[Volare]

Groundbreaking Tomorrow!

 

http://fortworthtexa...mpaign=CityNews

[Austin55]

NBC reports that the Gardens are contemplating an admission fee.

 

http://dfw.cbslocal....rth-texas-park/

[John T Roberts]

Yes, they are contemplating an admission fee, and several other changes.

[Doohickie]

Put a collection box (including epay options) in the garden and ask for donations.  I bet they'll make their money.  Signs like, "Enjoy your visit here as much as a latte'?  Show us some love with a donation!"  Stuff like that.

[BlueMound]

Botanic Garden Growing ?
http://www.fwweekly....garden-growing/

[BlueMound]

Interesting that the owners of the antique mall hired an imminent domain attorney.

[John T Roberts]

I thought it was interesting, as well.

[JBB]

Task force considering revenue opportunities for the gardens, including an admission charge

 

http://www.star-tele...e205877204.html

 

Most troubling info in that article is the $15 million in repairs they've been sitting on.  Accountability is just another word in the dictionary for the CoFW. 

[Austin55]

How on earth do some flowers and trees and grass rack up $15M in maintenance?

[txbornviking]

The gardens are a great asset for the city. I'd hate to see an admission fee, especially one as high as $12 for adults and $8 for children. This would simply make the gardens inaccessible for many families. In Ft. Worth approx 26% of children grow up on poverty. That means for a large swath of the city this current public space would no longer be open for them. A family of four (2 adult, 2 children) being forced to spend $40 to visit what was a free public space turns what is currently a great outing whenever the mood strikes to something only accessible as a "special outing." 

 

Trying to raise approx $3.7million in additional revenue, I'd rather pay an additional $1/mo on my property tax or water bills.

[JBB]

How on earth do some flowers and trees and grass rack up $15M in maintenance?

I'm assume you're joking and I haven't had a chance to dig any deeper, but I'm guessing the deferred maintenance involves infrastructure and not routine maintenance. Given that the conservatory is in such bad shape that it's not usable, that's likely where the problem starts. Again, where's the accountability in letting it get that bad?
 
 

I'd hate to see an admission fee, especially one as high as $12 for adults and $8 for children. This would simply make the gardens inaccessible for many families.

I was a little taken aback by the fee starting that high, but it's in line with other cultural facilities around town (do a little research, it's eerily similar to one nearby) and likely in line with what they need to get a handle on the negligent maintenance issue.
 

I'd rather pay an additional $1/mo on my property tax or water bills.

I'm on my city's parks board and we have a similar donation option. It was great when every household was automatically enrolled and there was an opt out option. That was eventually determined to be illegal, so everyone was removed and it became an opt in option. The education process to get people to opt in is grueling and it's taken years to get it back up to even a third of households being enrolled.

Soliciting pledges from locals that support the other cultural institutions in town would be great, but the only way it would work would be to completely turn management over to a private non-profit and get things as far out from under the city bureaucracy as possible. Think about it: would you give the city any more of your money given their track record?

[John T Roberts]

I attended the Public Meeting of the Botanic Garden Task Force this evening.  The $15M immediate dire need was stressed and many people speaking reiterated that if we don't find a way to come up with the funds, the gardens will disappear.  The public officials also stated they are seriously looking at a $12 entrance fee for adults, $8 for children, and $9 for seniors. 

[txbornviking]

I attended the Public Meeting of the Botanic Garden Task Force this evening.  The $15M immediate dire need was stressed and many people speaking reiterated that if we don't find a way to come up with the funds, the gardens will disappear.  The public officials also stated they are seriously looking at a $12 entrance fee for adults, $8 for children, and $9 for seniors. 

 

Things our city has magically found money for:

$18 million in rebates for Ikea in 2017

$145 million tax incentives for Facebook in 2016

$21 million for American Airlines in 2015

$27 million for Cabelas in 2004

 

Things our city can't find money for:

Parks System

Botanic Gardens

Public Transportation

 

While I will admit, many of these projects now pay more in taxes than what was on those sites prior to the deals, the amount of money being "given" away has real consequences.

 

As I've said before the gardens are a great asset for the city and I'd hate to see an admission fee, especially one as high as $12 for adults and $8 for children. This would simply make the gardens inaccessible for many families. In Ft. Worth approx 26% of children grow up on poverty. That means for a large swath of the city this current public space would no longer be open for them. We should not be pursing a course in which our city amenities are only available to those "of means," wherein we become a city further divided.

[renamerusk]

Are there local businesses and foundations who  donate to the gardens?  I hope a gate fee can be avoided or at least kept between $2-5.00

 

One suggestion that might be considered and part of the solution is asking businesses to ask customers to "round up to the next dollar" at checkout and to use the donation to support the Botanical Gardens. 

[John T Roberts]

The Task Force met again yesterday and made the following recommendations that are outlines in a Fort Worth Business Press article.  Below is the link:

 

http://www.fortworth...28575f8527.html

[johnfwd]

I do not object to charging an admission fee to this unique park.  But why didn't the Task Force just recommend extending the current Japanese Garden fees (i.e. $7.00 for adults, etc.) to the other 90 percent rather than increasing them overall?

[txbornviking]

The march towards an admission fee at the Botanic Gardens continues...

https://www.fwweekly...eds-more-green/

[John T Roberts]

Enjoy it for free while you can.

[JBB]

Lon Burnam suggesting that the zoo was better off pre-1991 is an interesting take.

[Big Frog II]

Lon Burnam suggesting that the zoo was better off pre-1991 is an interesting take.

I will have to disagree with him on this.  Our zoo was headed in the same direction as the Botanic Gardens is today.  With the changes in management, it is now one of the top zoos in the country, and one of our biggest tourist draws.

[renamerusk]

Enjoy it for free while you can.

 

 If there is not already a policy in place that grants free admission to public school students, then perhaps 8th Graders on sanctioned field trips to BG could be granted admission at no charge.

[tamtagon]

 

Things our city has magically found money for:

$18 million in rebates for Ikea in 2017

$145 million tax incentives for Facebook in 2016

$21 million for American Airlines in 2015

$27 million for Cabelas in 2004

 

Things our city can't find money for:

Parks System

Botanic Gardens

Public Transportation

 

word

 

Fort Worth also donated to lost cause Radio Shaq once or twice (if you cannot adapt, you stop existing -- why Radio Shack didn't come up with the Batteries Plus idea is just a shame). Such a weird perversion of community involvement when corporate civic duty is heavily expressed in ways that maximum advertising the message of "giving back" and lightly expressed in community service. How much does AA or ATT spend in stadium naming rights? If the corporations and the sport team owners cannot lead the philanthropic community to repair the gifts of previous generations, well then they suck, and we'll just have to get used to the admission fee going toward deferred maintenance for a decade or so rather than improvements and/or expansion of the gardens.

 

I'm also okay with an entrance fee, especially since there is already a park across the street for picnics, frisbee and whatever else. 

[renamerusk]

 

The empty land just north of the antique mall might be perfect for a hotel. They demolished the building there years ago but nothing has ever happened there.

 

At one point the Parks Dept planned that land for Botanic Garden expansion (if they can ever afford it...) but checking TAD it seems it is investor owned at the moment. Either use (hotel or Botanic) would be wonderful for the area.

 

  The sensible solution would be to abandon the Parks Department's earlier plans to expand west and south to Montgomery @ I30 and instead to expand the BG east of University Drive by taking a portion of Trinity Park. 

 

This would allow for : 

 (1) the desired commercial development from I30 to Harley; and

 

 (2) provide for sufficient space for new plantings and more parking.

 

For coupling Trinity Park to BG, a series of earth bridges/tunnels over and under University could be achieved.

 

[Austin55]

The task force will present reccomendstions to the council next week.

[Austin55]

Fee was approved. Only Moon voted in opposition.

[txbornviking]

Fee was approved. Only Moon voted in opposition.

 

[renamerusk]

 

Fee was approved. Only Moon voted in opposition.

 

 

 While it is difficult to take away something that has always been free of charge, it is difficult for the BG to maintain the infrastructure to keep the BG operable.

 

 There are ways to subsidize and to allow certain targeted groups fee admission to the BG.  For instance, free admission for FWISD Eight graders (assuming that the 8th grade is the time that students are being taught horticulture); free admission for veterans on Veteran Day Weekends and Servicemen in Uniform on Flag Day; and seniors from Medicaid facilities (nursing homes), etc. 

 

By enlarge, the general public does have the means to pay an admission fee when it can purchase lottery tickets, cell phones, auto insurance, etc.

 

I support the BG and its effort to maintain and to improve its facilities.

[youngalum]

Well what used to be a lovely way to spend some beautiful weekends several times a year will end for my family.  I'm not cheap, but I'm not going to pay to go visit flowers because the place has been mismanaged and didn't know how to fundraise in Fort Worth

[renamerusk]

Well what used to be a lovely way to spend some beautiful weekends several times a year will end for my family.  I'm not cheap, but I'm not going to pay to go visit flowers because the place has been mismanaged and didn't know how to fundraise in Fort Worth

 

It is done at the Dallas Arboretum---- admission fees.

 

It may be unfair to make those accusations.  The oldest Botanical Gardens in Texas could be showing its age just like an old house.  It is past time to do the rehabilitation by having a user fee. 

 

What is the combined cost of a family to see a movie several times per year?

 

One or two visits a year may be enough by your family and by other families can be a significant help to helping the BG efforts to make needed improvements.

[roverone]

The data is probably available, but it does seem like poor stewardship that some kind of strategy for perpetual care was not in place.  By this I mean that it seems like the inflation in operational costs have surely not outpaced the city's population grown / donors / tax base.  I don't know anything about it, but it seems like people must have made decisions that favored capital intense changes over saving for long term operational expenses.

[renamerusk]

My two day trip to Fort Worth for Thanksgiving.  Beautiful city:

 

 

 Say no more about a user's fee because our Botanical Gardens are the best in Texas.   Worth it!

 

I hope that the BG will eventually expand to include Trinity Park and add more gardens east of University.

[elpingüino]

$550,000 allocated to make the Botanic Garden able to process fees.
https://amp.star-tel...e228749719.html

[Austin55]

From Studio Outside

 

 

 

The Old Garden Road Renovation Project at Fort Worth Botanic Garden transforms an existing vehicular road into a pedestrian promenade that will serve as the central spine for the campus. Maintaining the existing 20-foot width to allow for emergency vehicle access and future tram circulation, the ground plain is designed with a series of textures and materials to reduce the perceived scale of the road and create a more pedestrian experience. Plazas relating to existing gardens and programs in close proximity create moments of pause along the path while the paving materials reference the historic gardens on the site. The pedestrian corridor connects the garden center to the historic rose garden while creating opportunities for future garden expansions and horticultural experiences including the planned Children’s Garden. To allow for evening programs such as the existing concert series ‘lanterns’ that resemble the WPA architecture illuminate the path and the adjoining gardens allowing visitors to see the beauty of the displays from a different perspective.

 

 

 

 

[renamerusk]

Love it!  I wish that a section of  University Drive could be lowered below grade to allow BG to annex a portion of Trinity Park for future expansion.

[txbornviking]

Maybe I'm missing it, but on the site linked, I see not project time table. ie estimated start or completion date.

 

does anyone see what I'm missing?

[Austin55]

Per their social, starting "soon" with completion in the Fall this year.

 

https://www.instagra.../p/CQTyO5MM2EG/

[elpingüino]

Construction on the Old Garden Road renovation has begun. The Texas Native Forest Boardwalk is closed because its entrance is accessed from the part of the road that is closed off.

City of Fort Worth: https://www.fortwort...den-Renovations
Studio Outside: https://www.studioou...-botanic-garden

[Austin55]

The updated Draft Garden Masterplan can be downloaded at the link below

 

https://fwbg.org/about-us/masterplan/

 

[roverone]

I'm only going on this plan drawing and haven't read up on anything, but I do hope they will include something showy there at Montgomery Street, even through it is not the entrance.  The city has spent a lot to make Montgomery nice, and that antique mall area is at the "entrance" of the newly improved street, and it would be nice for it to look like more than the back parking lot -- although it looks well-landscaped in the plan.

[tamtagon]

This may be the best garden in the state! I'm so glad development in the neighborhood didn't damage the place, and from what I can tell, the plan will only make the collection of gardens better.

[txbornviking]

maybe I've missed it, but is there an aspirational timeline for implementation? 

[JBB]

I would assume that is dependent on the money coming together.  

[Dylan]

I'm glad to see they plan to remove cars from the center of the park. I walked on the road that runs through the center of it once. It was awkward.