Downtown Fort Worth

Last updated
Downtown Fort Worth
Central business district
Downtown Ft Worth.jpg
Downtown Fort Worth Skyline
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Downtown Fort Worth
Coordinates: 32°45′18″N97°19′48″W / 32.755°N 97.330°W / 32.755; -97.330
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
StateFlag of Texas.svg  Texas
County Tarrant County
City Fort Worth
Website www.dfwi.org

Downtown Fort Worth is the central business district of Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Most of Fort Worth's tallest buildings and skyscrapers are located downtown.

Contents

Attractions

Sundance Square

AMC Theatre in Downtown Fort Worth (currently unoccupied) Ft W snap 02.jpg
AMC Theatre in Downtown Fort Worth (currently unoccupied)

Sundance Square began as an effort by Sid Bass to revitalize downtown Fort Worth in the early 1980s. At the time, downtown Fort Worth was in decline due to suburbanization. There were many empty gaps between existing skyscrapers and historic buildings that resulted in a pedestrian-unfriendly atmosphere. During many trips to New York City, Bass was fascinated with the urban atmosphere with retail shops, restaurants, office buildings, and museums all working together to form one cohesive experience for the public. He did not want to relocate his business to New York City so he brought a little of New York City to Fort Worth. He employed Thomas E. Woodward, AIA, of Woodward & Taylor Architects, a Dallas architectural firm to design Sundance Square because of his experience with historic structures and commercial buildings. Lewis Faulkner, AIA was the Project Architect and Manager for Woodward & Taylor. Woodward & Taylor placed the Knights of Pythias Building on the U. S. Department of Interior's list of Historic Buildings & Places.

Today, Sundance Square is a pedestrian-friendly cluster of blocks in a portion of downtown Fort Worth that features bars, restaurants, museums, theaters, and retail. It also has offices and residential units. Most buildings in it are either historic or reconstructed, with two modern skyscrapers designed by Paul Rudolph, architect, and a hotel being exceptions. Sidewalks in it are paved with brick. Lewis Faulkner, AIA

Parks and plazas

Fort Worth Water Gardens Fort Worth Water Gardens 2003.jpg
Fort Worth Water Gardens

Sundance Square Plaza is a 55,000 square foot plaza spanning two city blocks within Sundance Square. IT features four large Teflon umbrellas, a permanent stage built into the Westbrook building, jetted fountains that illuminate at night, various other fountains, and a pavilion that can be rented. It is bookended by two office buildings: The Westbrook and The Commerce. [1]

Fort Worth Water Gardens - A 4.3-acre (17,000 m2) contemporary park, designed by architect Philip Johnson, that features three unique pools of water offering a calming and cooling oasis for downtown patrons. It was used in the finale of the 1976 sci-fi film Logan's Run . (In mid-2004 it had to be closed due to several drownings. It reopened after preventive measures had been installed.)

Arts and culture

Bass Performance Hall Bass hall.jpg
Bass Performance Hall

Bass Performance Hall - Bass Hall is the permanent home to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and Cliburn Concerts.

Convention Center

The Fort Worth Convention Center includes an 11,200 seat multi-purpose arena.

Notable buildings

The Tower, formerly the Bank One Tower, was severely damaged by a F3 tornado on March 28, 2000. It was converted into a residential tower in 2005. Before the redevelopment, it was covered in plywood and metal panels, and considered to be demolished. It now has a new facade and a new top feature that makes it the fourth tallest building in the city.

City Center Development features two twin towers, the 38-story D.R. Horton Tower (1984) and the 33-story Wells Fargo Tower (1982). From the top, they are shaped like pinwheels.

The Hilton Fort Worth opened in 1921 and is where U.S. President John F. Kennedy last stayed before he was assassinated in Dallas.

Government and infrastructure

Fort Worth City Hall is located at 200 Texas Street and was constructed in 1971. The previous building to house those functions in located at 1000 Throckmorton Street and is now known as the A.D. Marshall Public Safety and Courts Building. [2]

The Fort Worth district of the United States Army Corps of Engineers is downtown.

The United States Postal Service operates the Downtown Fort Worth Post Office at 251 West Lancaster Avenue. [3]

The Texas Second Court of Appeals is in the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Downtown Fort Worth. [4]

Tarrant County Courthouse stands at the north end of Main Street. It has been remodeled over the years.

Economy

Downtown Fort Worth is the central business district of the city, and is home to many commercial office buildings, including four office towers over 450 feet tall. [5]

Radio Shack has its headquarters in Downtown Fort Worth. [6] In 2001 Radio Shack bought the former Ripley Arnold public housing complex in Downtown Fort Worth for $20 million. The company razed the complex and had a 900,000 square feet (84,000 m2) corporate headquarters campus built after the City of Fort Worth approved a 30-year economic agreement to ensure that the company stayed in Fort Worth. The company sold the building and, as of 2009, had two years left of a rent-free lease in the building. The company intended to make $66.8 million in the deal with the city. By 2009 it made $4 million; by 2009 the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that the company was considering a new site for its headquarters. [7]

Downtown Fort Worth is also home to the headquarters of Pier 1 Imports, [8] XTO Energy, [9] and TPG Capital. [10] [11]

Transportation

Tandy Center view from Belknap Tandy center ftw.jpg
Tandy Center view from Belknap

Downtown Fort Worth is well-served by controlled-access highways, with freeways and parkways converging upon downtown from seven different directions: I-35W from the north and south, I-30 from the east and west, SH 121 from the northeast and southwest, and US 287 from the southeast. [12] Other highways that serve the downtown area include Bus. US 287 (Commerce / Houston Streets), SH 199 (Henderson Street), Spur 280, and Spur 347 (Belknap / Weatherford Streets).

The primary mass transportation hub of Tarrant County is Fort Worth Central Station, located in the eastern portion of downtown at the intersection of Jones Street and 9th Street. About two dozen bus lines operated by Trinity Metro converge at this hub, as well as the Trinity Railway Express and TEXRail commuter rail lines. Bus service from Trinity Metro is free within certain downtown boundaries. [13] The T operates a downtown bus circulator known as Molly The Trolley, which uses a bus designed to look like a historic trolley. [14]

In the future, a 27-mile commuter rail line called TEX Rail will be built from downtown Fort Worth to Grapevine and DFW Airport. [15]

The Tandy Center Subway, based in the Tandy Center (now known as City Place), operated in Fort Worth from 1963 to 2002. The 0.7 mile (1 km) long subway was the only privately operated subway in the United States.

The Trinity Trails is a network of over 35 miles (56 km) of pedestrian trails along the Trinity River branching from downtown.

Education

College and Universities

The University of Texas at Arlington offers several undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the historic Santa Fe Freight Building downtown. [16]

The Tarrant County College Trinity River campus is located in downtown, along with the Tarrant County College District administrative offices. In 2008 the Tarrant County College District purchased the former Radio Shack headquarters, built only four years earlier in 2004. [17]

The Texas A&M University School of Law campus has been located in downtown at its since 1997. [18] On August 12, 2013, the school and campus were purchased from Texas Wesleyan University by the Texas A&M University System for $73 million. [19] The school is a unit of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, with 452 students, as of 2018. [20]

Primary and Secondary Schools

Public

The Fort Worth Independent School District provides public education for children who reside downtown, and has one school (Nash Elementary) downtown. [21]

Library

Fort Worth Library operates the Central Library at 500 West Third Street at Taylor Street. The library opened in 1978, and an expansion was completed in 2000, making it one of the largest public libraries in Tarrant County. [22]

Logan's Run , a 1976 science fiction film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Michael York was shot largely in Fort Worth, including locations such as the Fort Worth Water Gardens. The Water Gardens also appear in another science-fiction film of the period, The Lathe of Heaven (1980).

The interior of St. Patrick Cathedral was filmed for the 1990 comedy film Problem Child .

The exterior of the Tarrant County Courthouse was used frequently in Walker, Texas Ranger .

Urban neighborhoods surrounding downtown

Fort Worth has several other urban neighborhoods in close proximity to the central business district.

Stockyards District

Fort Worth Live Stock Exchange (postcard, c. 1908) Fort Worth Live Stock Exchange (1908).jpg
Fort Worth Live Stock Exchange (postcard, c. 1908)

The Fort Worth Stockyards, north of downtown, offers a taste of the old west and the Chisholm Trail at the site of the historic cattle drives and rail access. The district is filled with restaurants, clubs, gift shops, and attractions such as the twice daily Texas Longhorn cattle drives through the streets, historic reenactments, the Stockyards Museum, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and Billy Bob's, the world's largest country and western music venue.

Cultural District

The Cultural District is west of the West Seventh District and Downtown, and is home to many Fort Worth museums, such as the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, among others. The district is also home to Will Rogers Memorial Center, which hosts the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

West Seventh District

"West Seventh" can refer to the gentrifying neighborhood along West 7th Street between the Cultural District and downtown, the mixed-use development within the district, or the street itself. [23] Most gentrification in the West Seventh District has happened south of West 7th Street.

Near Southside / Medical District

The Near Southside is an urban neighborhood just south of downtown. [24] Many Fort Worth hospitals are in this district, including Baylor All Saints Medical Center, Cook Children's Medical Center, Texas Health Harris Methodist, and JPS Health Network, among others. [25] Most pedestrian activity in the Near Southside takes place along Magnolia Avenue.

Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University is Fort Worth's most prominent university. The 325-acre campus is southwest of the Near Southside and downtown. Neighborhoods surrounding the university are predominantly made up of historic single family homes. In recent years, demand for more student housing has resulted in many historic houses being torn down for larger houses designed to accommodate large numbers of students, upsetting many existing residents. [26] Nightlife options and restaurants geared to students can be found along University Drive and Berry Street. [27]

Panther Island

The Trinity River Vision Authority, Tarrant Regional Water District, City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Streams & Valleys Inc, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are cooperating in an effort to redevelop Panther Island, an 800-acre area north of downtown along the Trinity River. [28] [29] The first part of the redevelopment plan calls for infrastructure improvements and flood protection. The second part calls for mixed-use development and sustainable growth along the Trinity River, which would result in a vibrant urban neighborhood.

Panther Island is home to several attractions, including Coyote Urban Drive-In Movie Theater, Panther Island Pavilion, and LaGrave Field (former home of the Fort Worth Cats and Fort Worth Vaqueros FC). [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Worth, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly 350 square miles (910 km2) into Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise counties. According to the 2023 United States census estimate, Fort Worth's population was 978,468, making it the 5th-most populous city in the state and the 12th-most populous in the United States. Fort Worth is the second-largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, which is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States, and the most populous in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas County, Texas</span> County in Texas, United States

Dallas County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 U.S. census count of 2,613,539, making it the ninth-most populous county in the country. Dallas County is included in the Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area—colloquially referred to as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Municipal expansion within Dallas County has blurred the geographic lines between cities and between neighboring counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grapevine, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Grapevine is a city located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States, with minor portions extending into Dallas County and Denton County. The population was 50,631 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 46,334 in the 2010 census. The city is located in the Mid-Cities suburban region between Dallas and Fort Worth and includes a larger portion of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport than other cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Metro</span> Transit agency for Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas

Trinity Metro is a transit agency located in and serving the city of Fort Worth, Texas and its suburbs in surrounding Tarrant County, part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Since 1983, it was previously known officially as the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA), and branded itself as The T. As of January 29, 2018 the Board of Directors has voted to rebrand bus services as Trinity Metro, replacing the previous and long standing name. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 5,717,800, or about 17,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Worth Central Station</span> Intermodal station in Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth Central Station is an intermodal transit center in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. It serves two commuter rail lines, two Amtrak intercity rail lines, and Greyhound intercity bus. It also serves as the main transfer center for Trinity Metro, Fort Worth's public bus system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T&P Station</span> Terminal commuter rail station in Fort Worth, Texas

Texas and Pacific Station, commonly known as T&P Station, is a terminal Trinity Railway Express and TEXRail commuter railroad station is located at 1600 Throckmorton Street in Fort Worth, Texas, on the south side of downtown. It is the current western terminus of the TRE commuter line, and is located near the Fort Worth Convention Center, the Fort Worth Water Gardens, Sundance Square and Tarrant County government facilities. T&P Station features free parking which can be accessed from West Vickery Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handley, Fort Worth, Texas</span>

Handley was a town in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is located between downtown Fort Worth and Arlington along State Highway 180, and includes the Central Handley Historic District. It is now a part of Fort Worth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Downtown Miami</span> Neighborhood in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami, Florida, United States. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District, Brickell, the Historic District, Government Center, the Arts & Entertainment District, and Park West. It is divided by the Miami River and is bordered by Midtown Miami's Edgewater, and Wynwood sections to its north, Biscayne Bay to its east, the Health District and Overtown to its west, and Coconut Grove to its south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Fort Worth, Texas</span>

The history of Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States is closely intertwined with that of northern Texas and the Texan frontier. From its early history as an outpost and a threat against Native American residents, to its later days as a booming cattle town, to modern times as a corporate center, the city has changed dramatically, although it still preserves much of its heritage in its modern culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundance Square</span> Central entertainment district in downtown Fort Worth, Texas

Sundance Square is the name of a 35-block commercial, residential, entertainment and retail district in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Named after the Sundance Kid in western folklore, it is a popular place for nightlife and entertainment in Fort Worth and for tourists visiting the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. It is owned by Fine Line investments, a division of billionaire Ed Bass's investment funds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Austin</span> Neighborhood in Austin, Texas

Downtown Austin is the central business district of Austin, Texas, United States. The area of the district is bound by Lamar Boulevard to the west, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the north, Interstate 35 to the east, and Lady Bird Lake to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F. W. Woolworth Building (Fort Worth, Texas)</span> United States historic place

The F.W. Woolworth Building is a historic department store building located in Sundance Square section of downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The building served as a retail location for the F. W. Woolworth Company from 1926 to 1990. It now houses other tenants including a JoS. A. Bank Clothiers store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knights of Pythias Building (Fort Worth, Texas)</span> Historic place in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

The Knights of Pythias Building is an historic three-story redbrick Knights of Pythias building located at 315 Main Street in Fort Worth, Texas. Also known as the Knights of Pythias Castle Hall, it was built in 1901 on the site of an 1881 structure, the first Pythian Castle Hall ever built, which had burned earlier the same year. The building housed the city's first offset printing press, and coin-operated laundry. On April 28, 1970, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building is also a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL). In 1981, it was restored and is now part of the Sundance Square area of downtown Fort Worth. The lead tenant in the building today is Haltom's Jewelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reata Restaurant</span> American restaurant

Reata Restaurant is a Texas cuisine-based restaurant and event production catering service. It was founded in 1995 by Al Micallef, now with outlets in Alpine and Fort Worth, Texas. The Restaurant has operated its flagship location in the old Caravan of Dreams building since May 2002. Reata also produces a line of gourmet bakeware and a cookbook – "Reata: Legendary Texas Cooking".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Dallas</span> Central business district and residential area in Texas, United States

Downtown Dallas is the central business district (CBD) of Dallas, Texas, United States, located in the geographic center of the city. It is the second-largest business district in the state of Texas. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop, bounded on the east by I-345 (although known and signed as the northern terminus of I-45 and the southern terminus of US 75, on the west by I-35E, on the south by I-30, and on the north by Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Worth Vaqueros FC</span> Soccer club

Fort Worth Vaqueros FC is an American amateur soccer club based in Fort Worth, Texas, which began play in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in May 2014. The Vaqueros play in the Lone Star Conference of the South Region. The club is based at Farrington Field, a facility owned by the Fort Worth Independent School District. The team's name was announced at the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building on February 13, 2014, after a name the team contest. The team's official logo was selected by the fans then revealed by the team on March 20, 2014. The team played its inaugural 2014 season at historic LaGrave Field but had to relocate in 2015 after the Fort Worth Cats, from whom the Vaqueros had been subletting the field, lost their lease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David M. Schwarz</span> American architect and designer (born 1951)

David M. Schwarz is an American architect. He is the President & CEO of Washington, D.C.-based David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc. and serves as the chairman of the Yale School of Architecture's Dean's Council.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Fort Worth, Texas, United States.

References

  1. ↑ "Sundance Square :: Sundance Square Plaza". Archived from the original on 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  2. ↑ "Fort Worth City Hall - Architecture in Fort Worth". www.fortwortharchitecture.com. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  3. ↑ "Post Office Location - DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH." United States Postal Service . Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Contact Information Archived 2010-01-25 at the Wayback Machine ." Texas Second Court of Appeals. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ GmbH, Emporis. "Fort Worth - Statistics - EMPORIS". Archived from the original on April 8, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ↑ "Corporate Information Contacts Archived 2010-01-03 at the Wayback Machine ." Radio Shack. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Fort Worth-based RadioShack may move headquarters out of town." Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Wednesday November 11, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  8. ↑ "History". Pier 1 Imports. Archived from the original on Dec 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Contact Us". XTO Energy . Archived from the original on Jul 23, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
  10. ↑ Chassany, Anne-Sylvanie (September 29, 2009). "PAI's 'Coup d'Etat' Shows LBO Firms' Feuds Over Power, Strategy". Bloomberg . Archived from the original on Oct 25, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Contact TPG". TPG Capital. Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Worth, TX, The T | Fort Worth Transportation Authority | Fort. "The T - Fort Worth Transportation Authority - Fort Worth, TX - System Map". Archived from the original on 2014-08-31. Retrieved 2014-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Worth, TX, The T | Fort Worth Transportation Authority | Fort. "The T - Fort Worth Transportation Authority - Fort Worth, TX - Molly the Trolley". Archived from the original on 2016-10-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ "TEXRail". Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "About".
  17. ↑ "Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus - Architecture in Fort Worth". fortwortharchitecture.com. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  18. ↑ New dean Fort Worth Star-Telegram (subscription required)
  19. ↑ "Regent gives $1 million to Texas A&M School of Law". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Texas A&M University - 2018 - Standard 509 Information Report" (PDF). Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  21. ↑ "What We Offer - Schools - Downtown Fort Worth". Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
  22. ↑ "Central Library." Fort Worth Library . Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Fort Worth Vacation - Hotels, Restaurants, Maps, Things to do in Fort Worth". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  24. ↑ "Tips Dan Trik Bermain Slot Online". Tips Dan Trik Bermain Slot Online. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  25. ↑ "Southside Guide - Near Southside, Inc".
  26. ↑ "Residents hope overlay will preserve TCU-area neighborhoods".
  27. ↑ "Fort Worth Vacation - Hotels, Restaurants, Maps, Things to do in Fort Worth". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  28. ↑ "Project Partners". Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  29. ↑ "Panther Island Central City" . Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  30. ↑ "Things to do in Panther Island - Fort Worth TX". Archived from the original on 2014-07-20. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
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