14 replies to this topic

[Austin55]

As there's only a month left before the New Year, I was interested to look back on 2013 and see what all had changed. Overall, it's been a great year with new landmark buildings, places to gather, and ways to get around and enjoy our great city. 

Here's the list I've come up with (pardon any absences, and point them out and I can add them up.)

 

Downtown

 

-Completed projects

Sundance Plaza

The Westbrook Building

The Commerce Building

Land Title Block restoration

Jett Building restoration

City Place
JFK Tribute Plaza

-Renovation, additions, and restorations

Del Frisco's patio

Hogan Office Supply Building

-Under Construction

The Cassidy

New Civil Courts Building

Star Telegram Building restoration

City Place South tower renovation

-Projects anticipated for 2014 

Hunter Plaza restoration

Lancaster Mixed use project

Sundance expansion (?)

-Buildings Lost

Former Civil Courts building 

Saviano's building

Grove and Weatherford building

 

Near Southside

-Projects completed

Phoenix Apartments

Cooks Office and garage

JPS park

-Renovation, additions, and restorations

Supreme Golf Warehouse lofts

-Under Construction

Magnolia retail strip restoration

Harris ER expansion

-Projects anticipated for 2014 

Victory Medical Center

South Main complete streets

-Buildings Lost

Medical Arts tower

John Peter Smith hospital extensions

 

Cultural District

-Projects completed

Renzo Piano addition, Kimball

Museum Place phase 2

New 7th Street bridge

White Buffalo apartments

Lancaster Place apartments

-Under Construction

So7 Phase 2

-Projects anticipated for 2014 

Linwood park townhomes

Museum Place phase 3

New Will rogers arena (?)

Left Bank

FWISD arts school (?)

 

Near Northside/Panther Island

-Projects completed

Coyote Drive-In

Panther Island Ice

Panther Island Pavillion

Lincoln Bluff

-Renovation, additions, and restorations

Getzander House

Knight's of Pythias lofts

-Projects anticipated for 2014 

Trinity River Vision continued
The Bluffs residential tower (?)

 

TCU

-Projects completed

Marion Hall and Edward Clark Hall

Taco Bell

-Projects anticipated for 2014 

Daniel Meyer Coliseum 

School of music

Reese-Jones Hall
Campus garage

 

 

Elsewhere and City wide

-Projects completed

B-Bike bike share

Clearfork Pedestrian bridge

Travis Avenue Baptist Church

Berry St. WalMart

-Under Construction

Chisholm Trail hwy

-Buildings Lost

Dillow House

-Projects anticipated for 2014 

Edwards Ranch

Waterside

[prideftw]

The city has done a lot this year. I just still wish the city would work on the skyline( taller buildings lol). I cant wait to see Fort Worth this time next year.

[ramjet]

Hey Austin, that's a terrific list.  Very impressive.  You might want to add to the Southside or TCU list the significant addition to the Travis Avenue Baptist Church campus on Berry Street which was opened recently.  And while it's a bit controversial, the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market is the most significant retail addition to that part of town in a while.  I'd also add Renaissance Square in Southeast Fort Worth.  (The latter two may have opened in 2012, not sure.)  Planned for in 2014 is the renovation of TCU's Daniel Meyer Coliseum.  And does anyone know when the Edwards Ranch and Waterside developments in southwest Fort Worth plan to break ground?

[Austin55]

@ Prideftw- definatly had hoped to be able to add a real skyscraper to the list, either for this year or next. Would be great to have something just around 200-300 feet, modern (unlike the Carnegie) and preferably resi. Like this or similar. 

@Ramjet-added it up, thanks!

[prideftw]

@ Prideftw- definatly had hoped to be able to add a real skyscraper to the list, either for this year or next. Would be great to have something just around 200-300 feet, modern (unlike the Carnegie) and preferably resi. Like this or similar. 

@Ramjet-added it up, thanks!

You are so right that building is beautiful

[RD Milhollin]

The city has done a lot this year. I just still wish the city would work on the skyline( taller buildings lol). I cant wait to see Fort Worth this time next year.

 

Obviously the city is not going to BUILD a skyscraper, and by this I mean the municipal government. The city government also cannot FORCE anyone to build a skyscraper. But assuming that a skyscraper is deemed by city leaders to be a good and desirable thing, what would you suggest the city government do to encourage those who build these buildings to build one in Fort Worth? Please keep in mind the financial condition of the city government at this time so as to make this a practical and reasonable suggestion.

[cjyoung]

@prideftw I think a lot of people want to see the Fort Worth skyline grow, especially considering the almost unlimited growth in places like uptown Dallas and much smaller places such as Bellevue, Washington. 

 

@RD Milhollin I don't think @prideftw meant that the city government should build a skyscraper.  What the city could do is market itself in a more appealing way than just "cowboys and culture" IMHO. We need to attract, grow and retain more businesses and as much as that marketing campaign has been successful, I don't think it's attractive to a company based in San Francisco, Chicago or New York looking to relocate or build a branch office.

[johnfwd]

Austin55, nice research.  Three biggest downtown disappointments for 2013 and beyond, in my opinion:  Lancaster retail-residential project, the T&P warehouse, and the historic public market building.  And...whatever happened to the third tower that Trinity Terrace was planning to construct?

[Austin55]

Lancaster is supposed to break ground Jan 1st, and the public market is in the pipeline for restoration for sure. To me, the Stayton replaced Trinity Terrace in spirit.

T&P warehouse though...

[John T Roberts]

The restoration of the Public Market is not scheduled to start until the restoration of the Old Star-Telegram Building is complete. 

[lcbrownz]

Security is kind of tight at the old Star-Telegram building. I was taking photos of the renovation (last month) and a Morningstar Partners security guard approached and asked me what I was doing. I explained I was taking photos of the building I used to work in and he informed me the Star-Telegram didn't owned the building anymore and to move on.

[gdvanc]

Move on? Or what? Were you on the sidewalk?

[John T Roberts]

Which sidewalk were you on?

[johnfwd]

Pleased to hear about the Lancaster development, the public  market, and the third Trinity Terrace tower.  Public market, especially, because of its historically ornate architecture of the early 20th century.  Yes sir, then there's the T&P Warehouse, an eye-sore with promise but getting to be the decades-old joke and embarrassment for downtown Fort Worth.  In the past I've suggested a public petition to force the city council to jawbone the owner into action, at least, or if its some road construction project holding up its rehabilitation then hold a public hearing to find out why the stalemate!

 

Here's my New Year's resolution from a legal standpoint (which I'm entitled to thanks to the Texas Supreme Court):  No in-depth legal research here, but the courts have been accepting more takings cases involving quasi-public private ventures based on the rationale of economic development benefiting the public  My suggestion is that the city move forward with condemnation proceedings (yes, I know the historical designation status may be a stumbling block) on grounds that this monumental eye-sore is standing in the way of economic development of the south downtown area...because of its size, prominence and location.  After all, we're not talking about a one-story stick-in-the mud!  I feel sorry if the  owner is hamstrung by inaction beyond her control, if that is the hang-up.  In moving for condemnation that city wouldn't order demolishing of the structure but the threat might get this blighted embarrassment off square one.  There may be other avenues, including a forced sale in a partition suit with the possible appointment of a receiver.  I would like to see this  building restored before the turn of the next century, since I won't be around by then of course.

[Austin55]

If all goes well, three city projects should move ahead in the next few months, Hunter Plaza ("First of the year") Lancaster Mixed use ("January 2014")  and South Main CS ("Early 2014")

We'll see how it goes. I have high hopes for all three, some of the most exciting upcoming projects in FW. Be sure to keep a close eye on the sites  in the next few days.