147 replies to this topic

[jmcgee]

FWTV has two spaces currently.  A larger space in the library building and a smaller space at current CIty Hall.  That space has two control rooms and tech room.   That is the space that is being provided at new City Council Chambers. Not the larger space that has the studio remote equipment storage, staff offices, Master Control facility.

[Austin55]

The library has officially been sold: https://news.yahoo.c...-213909240.html

[elpingüino]

This Fort Worth Report article suggests that the new development on Third Street could still house the library.

Residential, office, retail expected to fill former downtown Fort Worth library space

As we saw in the listing last year, FW required the development to include a new space for the library for several years. This article says the requirement limited some potential buyers but Dart Interests was on board with the library space. The local VP of JLL said "We don't know if that's what the city wants to do, but that's an available option."

[Presidio Interests]

If the financial resources available to create the new public library are insufficient to create something excellent, it seems wise to consider a two-step solution:

Step 1: Immediate/near term:  create new downtown library in an existing building, maybe within 200 Texas City Hall building.

Step 2: Longer term: save/raise the funds, design and create an excellent long-term library. 

 

The long-term library could very well be on the old City Hall property.  Assuming the City is obligated to keep using the 200 Texas St. property for public/civic use, that building or site seems like it could accommodate a combination of scenarios and uses including:

- library in existing structure

- library in new addition to existing structure [would likely require removal of part of existing structure]

- library in a new free-standing structure [would require removing part or all of existing structure]

- park/garden space [including rooftop if retain existing structure]

- complimentary City office uses possibly including police admin office

 

The old City Hall seems like an opportunity to add new park space.  Depending on how the building and site are used would drive how much park space would be possible.

 

I do think the old City Hall could be retrofitted for a good library, but I'm struggling to picture an excellent one in there. 

If we put the library in the existing building, both the northern and southern ends of the site could accommodate new small park spaces.

 

If we are eventually able to design and fund a truly excellent Downtown Library + other uses, the bar would be high to justify the additional expense and building sacrifice, both architecturally and historically.

In my opinion, when someone tears down a good or significant building, they have a responsibility to replace it with something better and more significant.  The bar would be pretty high for the old City Hall.

 

Still, I can imagine new, extremely well-designed library + other uses built on the northern half of the site.  The building would be roughly 4-5 floors tall with high floor-to-floor heights and abundant natural light.  The upper floors would have outdoor terraces with heavy vegetation.  All or some of the terraces would connect downward with a series of wide, cascading stairs and planted terraces.  Those stairs and terraces would ultimately flow into a park space on the southern half of the site.  The stairs and terraces should be inviting so a lot of people elect to climb them and use them to sit, talk with friends or read, all overlooking the park space.

[Crestline]

I do think the old City Hall could be retrofitted for a good library, but I'm struggling to picture an excellent one in there. 

 

I agree it could be retrofitted for a good library, but why not also an excellent one? Does the 200 Texas old City Hall building lack the raw square footage to be an excellent library, or is the existing floor plan incompatible somehow?

[Austin55]

Just a few hours left of the "old" library. I stopped by for one last visit earlier this week.

 

[Austin55]

End of an era. 

 

[steave]

Maybe what FW could do is either lease storefront space or put a small library in an existing city building downtown. Like the little UP library that is in North Park Mall. That would give the CBD a library, technically, and more or less make that matter over with. And also fill some downtown space with a live activity.  I dunno, what would it cost to expand the Northside or SW library? It seems like it would be better if a more accessibly located library that could attract more patrons could become functionally the new central library.

 

Another thought is they are spending a lot of money to redo the community art center. There's space in front of the parking garage, which is IIRC free and available to patrons when there isn't a Dickies Arena event and is empty most of the time. A library there would fit the new vision for what libraries are supposed to be as physical books become less important. It would compliment and synergize with the arts center and everything else in the immediate area perfectly. I'm imaging something like a two-story glass box facing Gendy Street with a bright, colorful kids space with stuff for them to climb on, and then study areas and materials shelves on the floor above. On the garage side there would be a bunch of rooms.

[RD Milhollin]

I am still trying to figure out why the former city hall building would not make a great central library. There is great access, parking available close by at the west Convention Center garage, good potential future street-level transit east-west along 10th/9th streets and north-south along Throckmorton/Jennings. Presumably there is sufficient high-speed internet access for public computer stations, lots of reinforced floors once containing filing cabinets in office/cubicle space on several floors for book collections and reference, an excellent auditorium for library sponsored lectures and presentations, and space for a gallery to host traveling exhibits of interest to the public. Not sure if there would be additional space for the collection that used to be in Fire Station #1 adjacent to one of the Bass Sundance Towers parking garages. Once the clutter is cleared out the ground floor the old city hall is striking in it's design, If I remember correctly from before the city tried to centralize departments there. I think the indoor fountain was removed several years ago... From the design I would guess the building is naturally shaded from sunlight, that is good for books and for cooling bills. Mature trees surround the building... What am I missing?

[JBB]

They have already made other plans for the space.

[Austin55]

I am still trying to figure out why the former city hall building would not make a great central library. There is great access, parking available close by at the west Convention Center garage, good potential future street-level transit east-west along 10th/9th streets and north-south along Throckmorton/Jennings. Presumably there is sufficient high-speed internet access for public computer stations, lots of reinforced floors once containing filing cabinets in office/cubicle space on several floors for book collections and reference, an excellent auditorium for library sponsored lectures and presentations, and space for a gallery to host traveling exhibits of interest to the public. Not sure if there would be additional space for the collection that used to be in Fire Station #1 adjacent to one of the Bass Sundance Towers parking garages. Once the clutter is cleared out the ground floor the old city hall is striking in it's design, If I remember correctly from before the city tried to centralize departments there. I think the indoor fountain was removed several years ago... From the design I would guess the building is naturally shaded from sunlight, that is good for books and for cooling bills. Mature trees surround the building... What am I missing?

 

I've been back and forth on this in my head. There are a lot of pros and cons.

 

+ You'd save the Edward Durrell Stone building, an nice piece of period architecture from a famous architect of the time.

- You'd save the Edward Durrell Stone building, which is brutalist and has other, similar issues that 500 W 3rd has (old, flooding, poorly laid out). 

 

+ You are re-using an existing building, which would save taxpayer dollars.

- You aren't developing the site to a higher, more tax generating use. BUT, you evidently couldn't anyway, as the land would go back to the feds first. Also, PD is going to use the building anyway. If there's room, why not bring in library too?

 

+ Renovation to a library would likely be a fairly quick process. The downtime without a downtown library presence would be great reduced. 

- The library isn't getting a new, built to fit space that it probably deserves. However, a new building would come at great expense vs. renovating 200 Texas St. 

 

+ The library would share the building with the PD

- The library would share the building with the PD

 

It'd be plenty big, maybe too big. But it is a kinda groovy space and like RD mentioned has a lot going for it already.

 

[RD Milhollin]

They have already made other plans for the space.

There is a long recent history of poor decisions made by the Fort Worth City Council regarding the police. Does anyone here really think this is a good location for a central police headquarters? If yes, why? Why did the city council think this was the best and highest use? Knee jerk at best, IMO. May be a good argument for either adequate pay for existing mayor/council form of government (keep them on the job) or an even better argument for stronger professional management via city manager and staff. Police tactical capability needs to be dispersed around the areas deemed highest potential risk or highest potential target zone. Administration can be housed anywhere, literally, given modern communications capabilities. Dispersed, redundant, flexible, agile.. those are the key words that should be heard rather than centralized and hardened. Again, unless I am missing something pretty obvious the city council is not putting much thought into these decisions recently, or are being led around by old-school police leaders. Not surprisingly, and certainly not the first time....

[Crestline]

How certain are we that the city wants to put a central police headquarters in the old city hall building?

[JBB]

100% according to a post in the City Hall thread indicating that the plan to do so was approved in January 2022.  That doesn't mean that there might not be space for a library too, but moving the central division headquarters there gives them plenty of cover to keep it out of that building.

 

I agree that moving the police division headquarters is ill-conceived and unimaginative and I would contend that their entire real estate plan starting with the move to the Pier One building is an absolute mess.  It's all been done in the name of consolidating valuable real estate and it does very little of that.  Sure, moving the police division gets them out of expensive lease space and the library sale brings a nice infusion of cash (that doesn't cover either the renovations to the old city hall or the cost overruns on the new one).  And selling the library didn't really consolidate any space and came at the expense of a city service that had some value.

[Austin55]

How certain are we that the city wants to put a central police headquarters in the old city hall building?

$30.2 million percent sure: https://communityimp...lice-employees/

[Crestline]

$30.2 million percent sure: https://communityimp...lice-employees/

 

Ah, okay, it's a done deal then. This article states that the police "project involves the second and third floors, which represents approximately 200,000 square feet of space" but that the ground floor "of city hall could be programmed for other city functions that would benefit from a downtown location." I think a new central library should be larger than the ground floor of old city hall, and so old city hall should be off the table for library use.

[elpingüino]

It's looking like the new location will be the ground floor of 100 Main Place. Goes before City Council on Tuesday.

Star-Telegram, Here's where the new downtown Fort Worth library location could be

[txbornviking]

It's looking like the new location will be the ground floor of 100 Main Place. Goes before City Council on Tuesday.

Star-Telegram, Here's where the new downtown Fort Worth library location could be

 

I don't like the idea of the downtown library being a “neighborhood library experience.” I REALLY hope this is a stop-gap until a true central library for downtown can be created (and our city leadership should make it a priority to be done in 3-5yrs).

IMO the downtown library, the central branch, should be a showcase of what libraries can do. A Meeting Place for the public. A place to store AND access historical records. A place to inspire a love of learning.

 

As with a city hall, a central library should serve as a focal point for the larger community. There is just SO MUCH that some really great cities are doing to reimage central libraries in the 21st Century (see Calgary, see Helsinki) and yet here we are downgrading a public amenity (as we have done with public pools, the botanic garden, the replacement of the Seminary library branch with a glorified mall kiosk, etc)

(to be honest I think the La Gran Biblioteca addition to La Gran Plaza can be a cool ADDITION to the library system but it should NEVER have been viewed as a replacement for a neighborhood library, even one "across the street.")

[Austin55]

Man, what a bummer....

 

Here's a little more from the M&C:

 

he City of Fort Worth (City) and Pescador Partners,LTD (Landlord) have been in discussions and are in agreement for the City to lease 5,015 square feet of space on the ground floor and 3,371 square feet of space in the basement located at 100 Main Street, 76102 located at the intersection of Main Street and Weatherford Street, across from the Tarrant County Courthouse for the new downtown library location. The City's Library Department, with assistance from the City's Property Management Department, have come to an agreement with Landlord on the following lease terms as follows: The terms are as follows: Term length of 123 months (3 months plus ten (10) years) with the estimated lease commencement date of October 1, 2023 and lease expiration date of December 31, 2033. Provide for two (2) five (5) year lease renewal options at the end of the primary lease term.

City will be responsible for the proportionate share of the building’s used electricity which will be a pass-through cost separate from the Rent for the Leased Premises which will be approximately $1.50 per square foot for the first year of the term. For every year thereafter throughout the term, electricity expenses will not exceed 15% of the per square foot amount from the prior year. If for any given year throughout the term the pass-through electricity expenses will exceed 15% of the prior year’s per square foot electricity cost, the parties may agree to amend the Lease to reflect the additional cost.

The Security Deposit due to Landlord by City at the beginning of the Lease will be one month's base rent from Year 1 amounts.

The base rent and utilities reflect below Fair Market Value for like properties in the Fort Worth Central Business District.

The Landlord has agreed to install a new entrance door from the street at the Landlord’s expense.

As a requirement by Landlord, City will be responsible for paying a proportionate share of the cost for the installation by Landlord of an elevator key pad system which will be utilized by each of the tenants in the building. The City's proportionate share of these costs will be an upfront amount of $5,000.00 to be paid at the beginning of the Lease.

Tenant improvements to the Leased Premises will be at the City's expense which are estimated to be approximately $130,000.00. City plans to utilize existing job order contracts for the finish out of the Leased Premises. Funding for the tenant improvements will be from the proceeds of the sale of the old downtown library which will be appropriated in a separate M&C.

As an additional requirement under the Lease, City will be responsible for providing security guard services for the Leased Premises during Library hours which will include making exterior passes around the building during that same time frame.

Funding will be budgeted in the Library Department's Other Contractual Services Account within the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2024.

 

https://fortworthgov...C6-BDD14E0D707B

[Jeriat]

It's looking like the new location will be the ground floor of 100 Main Place. Goes before City Council on Tuesday.

Star-Telegram, Here's where the new downtown Fort Worth library location could be

 

Albeit, I had thoughts of this same building (the ENTIRE building) being reshaped and added on to become the new central library, but:

 

It may be coincidental, but they're reading our stuff on this forum, for sure. 

[rriojas71]

Not surprised with the negative views about libraries currently in the political landscape.

[Jeriat]

 

Man, what a bummer....

 

Here's a little more from the M&C:

 

he City of Fort Worth (City) and Pescador Partners,LTD (Landlord) have been in discussions and are in agreement for the City to lease 5,015 square feet of space on the ground floor and 3,371 square feet of space in the basement located at 100 Main Street, 76102 located at the intersection of Main Street and Weatherford Street, across from the Tarrant County Courthouse for the new downtown library location. The City's Library Department, with assistance from the City's Property Management Department, have come to an agreement with Landlord on the following lease terms as follows: The terms are as follows: Term length of 123 months (3 months plus ten (10) years) with the estimated lease commencement date of October 1, 2023 and lease expiration date of December 31, 2033. Provide for two (2) five (5) year lease renewal options at the end of the primary lease term.

City will be responsible for the proportionate share of the building’s used electricity which will be a pass-through cost separate from the Rent for the Leased Premises which will be approximately $1.50 per square foot for the first year of the term. For every year thereafter throughout the term, electricity expenses will not exceed 15% of the per square foot amount from the prior year. If for any given year throughout the term the pass-through electricity expenses will exceed 15% of the prior year’s per square foot electricity cost, the parties may agree to amend the Lease to reflect the additional cost.

The Security Deposit due to Landlord by City at the beginning of the Lease will be one month's base rent from Year 1 amounts.

The base rent and utilities reflect below Fair Market Value for like properties in the Fort Worth Central Business District.

The Landlord has agreed to install a new entrance door from the street at the Landlord’s expense.

As a requirement by Landlord, City will be responsible for paying a proportionate share of the cost for the installation by Landlord of an elevator key pad system which will be utilized by each of the tenants in the building. The City's proportionate share of these costs will be an upfront amount of $5,000.00 to be paid at the beginning of the Lease.

Tenant improvements to the Leased Premises will be at the City's expense which are estimated to be approximately $130,000.00. City plans to utilize existing job order contracts for the finish out of the Leased Premises. Funding for the tenant improvements will be from the proceeds of the sale of the old downtown library which will be appropriated in a separate M&C.

As an additional requirement under the Lease, City will be responsible for providing security guard services for the Leased Premises during Library hours which will include making exterior passes around the building during that same time frame.

Funding will be budgeted in the Library Department's Other Contractual Services Account within the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2024.

 

https://fortworthgov...C6-BDD14E0D707B

 

Wow.

 

"...City to lease 5,015 square feet of space on the ground floor and 3,371 square feet of space in the basement."

 

"Term length of 123 months (3 months plus ten (10) years) with the estimated lease commencement date of October 1, 2023 and lease expiration date of December 31, 2033. Provide for two (2) five (5) year lease renewal options at the end of the primary lease term."

 

"Tenant improvements to the Leased Premises will be at the City's expense which are estimated to be approximately $130,000.00"

 

 

That's not much better than the situation they just left. 

I do believe they'll build a REAL library some time down the road. I just hope it's not 10 years away. 

[Austin55]

I do believe they'll build a REAL library some time down the road. I just hope it's not 10 years away. 

 

Fort Worth Govt has done a good job at playing their cards close to the vest, being patient and taking advantage of things when they become available - see City Hall or A&M. I wonder if there is something they are waiting on with this. But also, I would not be surprised if there's just not appetite for a "flagship" style central library.

 

Given the 10-year term and options for extending that lease, I get the feeling there won't be a purpose-built library in downtown perhaps ever again. 

[Jeriat]

 

I do believe they'll build a REAL library some time down the road. I just hope it's not 10 years away. 

 

Fort Worth Govt has done a good job at playing their cards close to the vest, being patient and taking advantage of things when they become available - see City Hall or A&M. I wonder if there is something they are waiting on with this. But also, I would not be surprised if there's just not appetite for a "flagship" style central library.

 

Given the 10-year term and options for extending that lease, I get the feeling there won't be a purpose-built library in downtown perhaps ever again. 

 

 

If that's the final case, then I'm disgusted in the decision. 

[Austin55]

I hope I'm wrong!

[Crestline]

How large was the library in its prior downtown location? Wondering how that figure compares to this new location's 8000 square feet.

 

Also, I do like this location for a library—has a chance of activating the block a bit more and getting something bigger built in place of Daiches and the surface parking. 

[JBB]

Central library that just closed is listed as 250,000 square feet in this article on the city's website: https://www.fortwort... than two acres.

 

Of course, not all of that is public space, but yeah, about 30 times larger than the proposed new facility.

[roverone]

This feels like another (for now at least) ebb away from downtown.

 

The pandemic and other changes had a commercial ebbing of things (as was the case for most every city).

 

We talk about it as the Central Library, but it seems like we have lost some of sense of downtown being the center of the city.  I know it is not too far away, but even City Hall seems somewhat moved-out.  People attending events go to Dickie's Arena.

 

Maybe it would be better to figure out how to build a "Central" library more in the museum district, that area from the zoo and botanic gardens and trinity park and the museums and Dickie's seems more like the centroid of these city things.

 

I know there are clearly still things that draw people downtown, Bass Hall, soon the A&M building(s).  The Convention center will go through a change, but I'm not sure that it will make it feel like more of a central gathering place of citizens.  And there are the restaurants.

 

It does seem with the former tide going out from downtown, new things will come in and take up the space, but I'm not sure a Central Library is one of those.

 

And that is not even bringing up the current negative press about books / librarians / libraries, or the homelessness issues.  Maybe a building in the museum district could re-characterize itself (as many libraries have) as something more than just books, and be a repository of knowledge and history and culture that works along with the museums.

[JBB]

I know this isn't a popular suggestion, but is a full blown central library really a necessity in this electronic age?  When I took classes at UNT Dallas, the campus library wasn't much larger than a classroom.  There were some print reference materials with access points for electronic resources.  Would the money necessary for a large central library on valuable downtown or cultural district real estate be better spent on improving and increasing the number of neighborhood or regional libraries with a focus on print materials for young people, maker and STEM spaces, and access for electronic resources?  Are there opportunites to partner with other organizations like the local colleges/universities and school districts to provide these spaces?

[Crestline]

Central library that just closed is listed as 250,000 square feet in this article on the city's website: https://www.fortwort... than two acres.

 

Of course, not all of that is public space, but yeah, about 30 times larger than the proposed new facility.

 

Got curious about utilization of the 250,000 square feet and went back to our first-page conversations in this thread; here's utilization data from page 40 of the facility plan:

 

 

So maybe the old location is only 10 times larger than the new location, not 30 times; but yeah, I see now that the new location is comically small—I assume there is no way the new location can possibly serve all the functions of the old location. The facility plan I linked above has an extended discussion about the city's desire to achieve 0.3 square feet per capita across all locations in the city, so given how small the new location is the city must have plans for large increases elsewhere.

 

I know this isn't a popular suggestion, but is a full blown central library really a necessity in this electronic age?  When I took classes at UNT Dallas, the campus library wasn't much larger than a classroom.  There were some print reference materials with access points for electronic resources.  Would the money necessary for a large central library on valuable downtown or cultural district real estate be better spent on improving and increasing the number of neighborhood or regional libraries with a focus on print materials for young people, maker and STEM spaces, and access for electronic resources?  Are there opportunites to partner with other organizations like the local colleges/universities and school districts to provide these spaces?

 

In my opinion, libraries as repositories for physical books are still necessary for a few reasons. Generally, I understand it that a large proportion of all physical books have not been digitized, and so an electronic-only library would be incomplete. More personally, I think that electronic data is ephemeral and prone to manipulation—they can turn off the internet, or censor digital books to remove ideas they don't like, but they can never burn all the physical books!

 

And that is not even bringing up the current negative press about books / librarians / libraries,  

 

Where are you seeing this negative press? I haven't seen it. 

[JBB]

Not to take this down a political avenue, but some individuals are focused on keeping material and programming out of libraries that doesn't agree with their values.  The main focus has been on school libraries, but it has spilled over to city run facilities. 

[Crestline]

Not to take this down a political avenue, but some individuals are focused on keeping material and programming out of libraries that doesn't agree with their values.  The main focus has been on school libraries, but it has spilled over to city run facilities. 

 

Oh, right, I guess have seen stories like this about school libraries. In my opinion, all-ages non-school public libraries shouldn't remove any materials from their collections because of political pressure.

[txbornviking]

in which the mayor says maybe, perhaps, in a future bond election (2026 or later) a new true central library can be considered...

 

https://fortworthrep...wnsized-branch/

i don't know, seems odd to say a new library can only be funded by a bond when the old library was sold and those funds could have/should have been earmarked for a replacement...

[Crestline]

It's looking like the new location will be the ground floor of 100 Main Place. Goes before City Council on Tuesday.

Star-Telegram, Here's where the new downtown Fort Worth library location could be

 

Six weeks later, this plan is dead:

 

While the City of Fort Worth is eager to establish a new library location downtown, the search continues for a property that will be the best long-term solution. After preliminary negotiations, the City has notified the property owner at 100 Main St. that they will not pursue lease negotiations further.

[John T Roberts]

I think they should go back to the idea of placing it within the existing City Hall.

[johnfwd]

I know this isn't a popular suggestion, but is a full blown central library really a necessity in this electronic age?  When I took classes at UNT Dallas, the campus library wasn't much larger than a classroom.  There were some print reference materials with access points for electronic resources.  Would the money necessary for a large central library on valuable downtown or cultural district real estate be better spent on improving and increasing the number of neighborhood or regional libraries with a focus on print materials for young people, maker and STEM spaces, and access for electronic resources?  Are there opportunites to partner with other organizations like the local colleges/universities and school districts to provide these spaces?

This, I think, is the down-sizing trend for all facilities in the new electronic information age.  And, consequently, it probably is more suitable to share space in City Hall or other smaller building.

[TLA]

At this rate, the city should chip into the A&M campus to add several floors to one of the future buildings. Stays downtown and fits well with the educational intent of those blocks.

[Austin55]

Article from DBJ/WFAA with some notes on this project: https://www.wfaa.com...2d-36d874cab2cf

Big takeaways are that 

 

1. Hope to have a design team next year, 18 months to design, groundbreaking is scheduled (tentativly) for 2025 

2. Office would likely need a major relocation to get built

3. Dart looking for more development sites in FW

[txbornviking]

Article from DBJ/WFAA with some notes on this project: https://www.wfaa.com...2d-36d874cab2cf

Big takeaways are that 

 

1. Hope to have a design team next year, 18 months to design, groundbreaking is scheduled (tentativly) for 2025 

2. Office would likely need a major relocation to get built

3. Dart looking for more development sites in FW

 

 

"Since purchasing the site, the firm has made extensive efforts to learn more about the city" is a seemingly worrying statement to me... just seems darn surprising someone who invest so much money into buying a downtown property like the library and it's land AND THEN feel like they need to learn what they want to do with it rather than having a goal already in mind...

[Crestline]

I'm not bothered by the statement. It's a certainty that some mix of residential, hospitality, and office will succeed on that block, so given its deep pockets Dart can buy speculatively before figuring out the winning mix. In the same DBJ/WFAA article, we learn that across town "Hillwood doesn’t intend to build speculative office on the [Oncor lot it just purchased], meaning the developer will wait until it has a tenant lined up before starting construction." So we also see a healthy mix of developer risk appetite between Dart (more aggressive) and Hillwood (more conservative). A very exciting moment for downtown!

[rriojas71]

 

Article from DBJ/WFAA with some notes on this project: https://www.wfaa.com...2d-36d874cab2cf

Big takeaways are that 

 

1. Hope to have a design team next year, 18 months to design, groundbreaking is scheduled (tentativly) for 2025 

2. Office would likely need a major relocation to get built

3. Dart looking for more development sites in FW

 

 

"Since purchasing the site, the firm has made extensive efforts to learn more about the city" is a seemingly worrying statement to me... just seems darn surprising someone who invest so much money into buying a downtown property like the library and it's land AND THEN feel like they need to learn what they want to do with it rather than having a goal already in mind...

 

I hear where you are coming from but maybe learning more has to do with what they actually decide to build there.  Maybe their plan was for (2) 30 story towers and some retail or office, but they want to first see if the trends match their initial vision.  They could be determining if a Hotel will work there or would office be something that is in demand at that time.

 

I think they bought the site because of where it was located and basically it was given away at the price they bought it for.   

[Austin55]

Maybe it can go into the old City Hall?

And it will, at least for an interim period: https://fortworthrep...town-location/?

[Jeriat]

 

Maybe it can go into the old City Hall?

And it will, at least for an interim period: https://fortworthrep...town-location/?

 

To the city:

[TLA]

Since moving to Fort Worth, I've been exclusively accessing the city's library through an app called Libby. I don't say this to make a statement that a physical library isn't necessary. I want a physical library, while understanding it's role is evolving and goes beyond just books on a shelf. Accessing the library's books an audiobooks this way has made a positive impact in my life. Libraries, including ours, have been embracing the digital age. I would like to see our elected officials take a stronger stance on the importance of our library as the public good it is. 

[txbornviking]

1.7million books checked out last year across the library system.

 

https://www.star-tel...6.html?tbref=hp

[elpingüino]

FW Report,
Downtown Express Library is open for business

[JBB]

[jmcgee]

FW Report,
Downtown Express Library is open for business

It's lip service to those who want a downtown library.  Just so they can say they have one.