75 replies to this topic

[John T Roberts]

It would be nice for ground floor retail to follow.

[JBB]

It's not mentioned in the article, but Bud Kennedy has insinuated on social media that rising downtown parking costs are a factor.  If you've followed any of their writing staff since they unionized, you know that's a hot button issue.  I'm not real sure how that really played into their decision since it's leans heavily on the idea that most of their staff is working remotely.

[AndyN]

There was a hot take letter to the editor in the Fort Worth Weekly suggesting that Panther Island/TRVA offices should do the same (move back into the TRWD palace on Northside).

 

https://www.fwweekly...taxpayer-money/

[Crestline]

Star-Telegram is moving out

 

https://www.star-tel...e260817202.html

 

Interesting quote from the article: 

 

 

The Star-Telegram plans to move to a new office that is more appropriate for a hybrid workforce, an office that is designed to support shared workspaces and plenty of collaborative spaces for its newsroom employees, Coffman said.

 

Makes me wonder whether the Fair/Star-Telegram Building interiors can be redesigned to have the same hybrid workforce appeal. 

[Jeriat]

It's not mentioned in the article, but Bud Kennedy has insinuated on social media that rising downtown parking costs are a factor.  If you've followed any of their writing staff since they unionized, you know that's a hot button issue.  I'm not real sure how that really played into their decision since it's leans heavily on the idea that most of their staff is working remotely.

I thought that was just Sundance Square.

(And I may be a little *too* hopeful, but if that's the case, maybe it could start shifting downtown to be more pedestrian/transit centric and less car centric.)

[Austin55]

Around 2018 or so I had pretty good info that a hotel was being scouted on the upper floors of the building. It would have been fairly sizable, I think 400 rooms and I want to say it was planned to be a Marriott Westin. 

[steave]

It goes against orthodox urbanist thinking, but realistically a city like Fort Worth might need a kind of TEMPORARY cheap or free downtown parking for downtown to remain competitive and viable. Maybe subsidizing low cost parking could be done in conjunction with loosening parking requirements for new developments - basically the city would operate free parking lots and garages on top of leased private land,but whenever said block gets replaced by a building then those spaces go away and aren't replaced. There would be a kind of parking pass lottery system for workers and residents and then first come first serve free/cheap parking for visitors and customers. While the supply of parking spaces remains high relative to the amount of downtown activity this means availability of spaces will be high. If downtown ever regains its footing and doesn't need this arrangement anymore then competition for parking passes and people willing to pay for a private lot would mean the free market handles the rest.

 

I see it as being a short term measure once a positive feedback loop emerges, which is to say downtown becomes favorable enough for people to willingly pay more for parking and also for enough residential development to emerge in downtown that you've got a daytime non-commuter population and also more transit connections are warranted. If downtown stubbornly doesn't budge on parking costs, then it's very easy here in North Texas to just find office or retail space out of downtown closer to 99% of your employees or customers who will only ever drive and already live in the suburbs anyways.

 

I foresee that to compete with work from home arrangements, office real estate and companies that insist on employees being in the office that aren't situated in truly vibrant and cool urban cores(like, say, Manhattan) will have to make commuting as easy and quick as possible. You won't be able to force workers to spend 45 minutes in a car or hassle with a bus or train and pay to park just to go to an office in a dead downtown in a city like Fort Worth. That's going to be the stone cold truth.

[elpingüino]

It's not mentioned in the article, but Bud Kennedy has insinuated on social media that rising downtown parking costs are a factor.  If you've followed any of their writing staff since they unionized, you know that's a hot button issue.  I'm not real sure how that really played into their decision since it's leans heavily on the idea that most of their staff is working remotely.

I looked up the rates for the Oil & Gas/Star-Telegram Building's garage, and it's $173 per month for non-tenants. https://signup.plati...inglocator.html I don't know how tenant/owner negotiations work, but even if tenants get a 25% discount, that's still upwards of $130 per month per employee. And if the cost is passed down to the employee, that's like getting a $1,500-$2,000 pay cut.

[Stadtplan]

 

It's not mentioned in the article, but Bud Kennedy has insinuated on social media that rising downtown parking costs are a factor.  If you've followed any of their writing staff since they unionized, you know that's a hot button issue.  I'm not real sure how that really played into their decision since it's leans heavily on the idea that most of their staff is working remotely.

I looked up the rates for the Oil & Gas/Star-Telegram Building's garage, and it's $173 per month for non-tenants. https://signup.plati...inglocator.html I don't know how tenant/owner negotiations work, but even if tenants get a 25% discount, that's still upwards of $130 per month per employee. And if the cost is passed down to the employee, that's like getting a $1,500-$2,000 pay cut.

 

 

I don't think these current S-T job postings really highlight the office location downtown, working condition, hybrid, work from home or paid parking:

 

https://jobs.jobvite...hy/job/oHRUhfwt

https://jobs.jobvite...hy/job/odu6gfwN

https://jobs.jobvite...hy/job/ocw8ffwP

 

This former employee review is a bit old (pre-COVID), but it does mention employees having to pay for parking:

[Doohickie]

 

Star-Telegram is moving out

 

https://www.star-tel...e260817202.html

 

Interesting quote from the article: 

 

 

The Star-Telegram plans to move to a new office that is more appropriate for a hybrid workforce, an office that is designed to support shared workspaces and plenty of collaborative spaces for its newsroom employees, Coffman said.

 

Makes me wonder whether the Fair/Star-Telegram Building interiors can be redesigned to have the same hybrid workforce appeal. 

 

If there are other issues (such as parking costs), that might be something they say as an excuse, not the real reason.

[Doohickie]

 

It's not mentioned in the article, but Bud Kennedy has insinuated on social media that rising downtown parking costs are a factor.  If you've followed any of their writing staff since they unionized, you know that's a hot button issue.  I'm not real sure how that really played into their decision since it's leans heavily on the idea that most of their staff is working remotely.

I thought that was just Sundance Square.

(And I may be a little *too* hopeful, but if that's the case, maybe it could start shifting downtown to be more pedestrian/transit centric and less car centric.)

 

Now THAT would be ironic:  If it turned out that transit played a major role in revitalizing DTFW / SS, after they squashed light rail.

[Dylan]

Star-Telegram is moving out

 

https://www.star-tel...e260817202.html

 

I hate this news with a passion! I hate that companies are expecting people to work from home. I hate that downtown will (probably) lose even more office space.

[Austin55]

Bluelofts, who are converting the Oil and Gas Building into lofts, have now acquired the Star-T building too. It will become mixed-use.

https://www.bizjourn...r-telegram.html

[John T Roberts]

I hope they go back to the original name, "The Fair Building".

[ramjet]

I walked by this building this morning.  It has some really beautiful details above the ground floor.  I hope they also restore the original "The Fair" facade and bring it to the sidewalk.  This is great news!

 

https://www.fortwort...om/commerce.htm

[rriojas71]

I walked by this building this morning.  It has some really beautiful details above the ground floor.  I hope they also restore the original "The Fair" facade and bring it to the sidewalk.  This is great news!

 

https://www.fortwort...om/commerce.htm

I would be surprised if they didn't restore the original facade... if they don't it would be a bit disappointing.  Making it mixed use is great news though.  I wonder what the uses will be.  Hotel/Residential?  Office/Residential?  Retail/Residential?  or maybe even a combination of 3 or more?

 

I also think that this area of DT is starting to become more lively which I'm excited for because it helps to expand DT beyond the stranglehold Sundance Square seems to have.

[John T Roberts]

It's my understanding that the new owners will be going for the Historic Tax Credits on the project.  With that happening, the State's Historic Preservation Office will probably require a ground floor/base restoration on the exterior of both the Fair and the Oil & Gas Buildings. 

[Austin55]

Here is how the bases of both buildings looked at the time when the Oil & Gas Building was completed in 1952.

 

Source: UTA Library Digital Galleries - https://library.uta....99/20097666.jpg

[John T Roberts]

The following is from the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. website regarding the purchase and plans for the Fair/Star-Telegram Building.

 

https://www.dfwi.org...use-development

[Stadtplan]

The following is from the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. website regarding the purchase and plans for the Fair/Star-Telegram Building.

 

https://www.dfwi.org...use-development

 

Here's the team (I thought for a second it was one of those construction stock image files)

 

Stock image example that always comes up:

[Stadtplan]

I was looking at this sales brochure, and it reminded me that these old office buildings are typically an 8-foot floor-to-ceiling height.  While this seems standard for an office, I guess it certainly plays a role in the feel of a converted residential space.  Perhaps OK in a bedroom or bathroom, this just seems sort of a limiting factor as far as open spaces for cooking / dining / entertaining areas.  I believe when we looked at Deco's floor-to-floor spacing a while back, it was 10'-4" but that would also take into account the thickness of the structure/slab.  I would think even an extra foot or so of ceiling height probably adds a lot to the feel of an apartment.

 

http://www.oilgas-st.../brochure.pdf?2

 

CEILING HEIGHT

Floor to Ceiling: 8’

[Doohickie]

My house has 8 foot ceilings throughout... doesn't feel constraining.  (I personally feel vaulted ceilings are overdone in in newer homes.  It's just unused volume that needs to be heated and cooled.)

[Austin55]

"Own a piece of Downtown Fort Worth's skyscraper, earn income and appreciation"

 

Bringing this over from the Oil & Gas Building thread, but this is interesting in that it denotes a new name for the building: "The Star on 7th"

Also gives a glance at possible floorplans
 

[Stadtplan]

 

"Own a piece of Downtown Fort Worth's skyscraper, earn income and appreciation"

 

Bringing this over from the Oil & Gas Building thread, but this is interesting in that it denotes a new name for the building: "The Star on 7th"

Also gives a glance at possible floorplans
 

 

 

What is interesting is if you notice the crosshatched lines across some of the apartments with the note "Open to Above" along with a staircase, this would suggest they are planning on doing two story loft-style apartments.  I believe this section of the building we're looking at Throckmorton is at the bottom of the page, north is to your right and west is at the top of the page.

 

[John T Roberts]

Nitixope, you have read the plans correctly.  It appears the units are two stories.  North is to the right and Throckmorton is along the building's long side to the east at the bottom.

[Austin55]

That would certianly fix the 8 foot ceiling height, and account for the fairly low unit count (89 seems kinda low to me, but also I don't know how much is remaining as office)