FORT WORTH | Development Updates

[KevinFromTexas]

I would be very surprised if they didn't turn the lights back on. The company that designed the lighting scheme for the building won an award for their design with it. They're also the company that designed the lighting for the Frost Bank Tower in Austin. In fact, both buildings were also designed by the same architect (Duda/Paine).

[Atomic Glee]

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Creating a plaza for the Cultural District.

The area shown in the red circle above is the subject in question - as part of the Museum Place development, a public plaza is will be constructed at the reworked intersection of West 7th Street and Arch Adams. How can a plaza occupy the middle of a street? Read on and find out - it's an interesting bit of urban design.

The problem is thus - how to create a large public space in the development, while not taking too much room from the buildings themselves? You could certainly close off a street to do so, but you'd have to close off a smaller street, and it's likely to be too out-of-the-way to get much use. No, the plaza needs to be the heart of the development. That means 7th Street - but you can't permanently close off 7th. It's too crucial to the connectivity of the area. A way had to be found to create a large public space that could be closed for events but left open to car traffic the rest of the time - while still slowing traffic enough that people would not feel intimidated by the sometimes speedy pace of cars on 7th.

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Finally, an ingenious solution was devised. The 7th & Arch Adams intersection (which is being radically reconfigured - the curved portion of Arch Adams that runs alongside the existing 7-Eleven is going away, to be replaced by a mixed-use building. Instead, the small offshoot of Arch Adams further west, in front of the new 7-Eleven Corner Store/condo building and Village Homes townhomes - will become the new Arch Adams) will become the plaza. It'll be a wider open space surrounded by mixed-use structures and retail, giving a constant human presence (making people feel safer due to having "eyes on the street"), and still creating a comforting sense of enclosure being surrounded by 4-8 story buildings. The traffic calming design and plaza design are actually the same - the intersection is being raised up, and paved with rougher brick & stone. This creates an unending pedestrian design - the intersection is at curb height, so the transition from sidewalk to plaza to sidewalk is unbroken - and by creating a rougher surface and a noticeable height difference, it helps to slow traffic on 7th as well.

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Using techniques such as these, the streets can become truly multipurpose - even on normal days, cars will travel more slowly through the area and make pedestrians feel more comfortable. The buildings that set back a bit add to the plaza's space. For special events, the plaza could easily be blocked off completely to make a total pedestrian space.

It's an interesting bit of urban design, and it's good to see developers thinking outside the box a bit to create unique and inviting spaces for the Cultural District.

[tjh1]

That is very innovative! The Cultural District is going to be a prize urban neighborhood.

[Atomic Glee]

Latest shots of the Omni:

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[KevinFromTexas]

Great shots. That 2nd one especially. Good angle.

[JJG]

Nice pics.
I'd be even better if the Southwestern Bell Building wasn't there.

[Atomic Glee]

Another tower has been announced for downtown.

Trinity Terrace, the retirement condo development on the river in west downtown, has announced the construction of a third tower, which will join its old original Terrace Tower and still under-construction City Tower. The next tower, to be called River Tower, will also feature a top-floor restaurant. In addition, Trinity Terrace will be constructing brownstone-style townhomes to go along with the River Tower, adding another type of residential to their portfolio.

No word just yet on height - the City Tower has topped out at sixteen stories. It will be interesting to see what direction Trinity Terrace will take with their new tower.

[tjh1]

^^^From what is sounds like in the Dallas Business Journal, City Tower already has a waiting list. Can anyone confirm this? I've been wondering how sales were going on that property.

[Austin55]

will Pier one have a name change?

[Atomic Glee]

will Pier one have a name change?

Yes, as far as I know.

[Atomic Glee]

The modern Flatiron style building at Museum Place is now going vertical.

[tjh1]

^^^It will be 3 floors, is that correct?

[Atomic Glee]

Four stories, with ground floor retail. Rumor is a sushi place, but not confirmed yet.

[Atomic Glee]

The new TCC campus continues its steady progress on the downtown side.

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The college has now applied for the permits to build on the other side (Uptown/TRV side) of the river.

[tjh1]

^^^Despite the economic controversies surrounding this campus, i'm super psyched its coming to downtown. I think it will add to the pedestrian activity.

[Dallascaper]

The new TCC campus continues its steady progress on the downtown side.

The college has now applied for the permits to build on the other side (Uptown/TRV side) of the river.

Atomic Glee, do you know if the new TCC campus is going to block the Trinity Trails? I hope not.

[Atomic Glee]

Atomic Glee, do you know if the new TCC campus is going to block the Trinity Trails? I hope not.

It will not. The trails will just run under and around them.

[Atomic Glee]

Trinity Terrace City Tower finishing up. We'll be getting another tower and townhomes from them next:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2351/2410871036_a1107016f2_o.jpg

[KevinFromTexas]

That's a decent looking building.

[Austin55]

Yeah,looks great. Always nice to we one finish. I love how Fort Worth is sticking mostly with more classy buildings, unlike glassy stuff with lots of metal n stuff. We really have a defined style here.

[tjh1]

^^^I agree! I know some people who complain that the city doesn't look "modern" enough. I love FW's style that accentuates the city's historicity. I think it creates an interesting urban center that is more than just a bunch of tall buildings that scream "look at me!!!"

[Atomic Glee]

The third Trinity Terrace tower, River Tower, will also be sixteen stories (just like City Tower) and will be built at the northwest corner of 10th & Fournier. This indicates that the small office building at this site will be demolished. River Tower will be right next to the 7th Street bridge over the river and just across 7th from the Cash America tower.

Another sixteen story tower for that area, and right across from Cash America's, will make a nifty gateway into downtown from the 7th Street bridge.

City Tower opens in June, and River Tower will start construction not long after. City Tower is sold out and River Tower already has a 75 person waiting list.

[Dallascaper]

It will not. The trails will just run under and around them.


That is a relief - thank you.

[Atomic Glee]

The Oleander Place Townhomes in the Near Southside at Adams & Oleander are already framed up to the third floor.

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[tjh1]

^^^The Near Southside is turning into a quality, organic urban neighborhood. I look forward to watching it grow.

[Atomic Glee]

Caceria Building progress in downtown. Really shaping up nicely now. Love the detailing.

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[tjh1]

^^I really dig this building. It is excellent infill! Any word on potential retail tenants? I just hope it is not another bank.

[KevinFromTexas]

Gorgeous. And this building goes against the grain that small buildings have to/should be cheap. We've seen a bit of that in Austin and I have to say I'm not too happy about it. This is a gem. I'm jealous!

[Atomic Glee]

The Omni:

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[tjh1]

Lookin' good

[KevinFromTexas]

Nice. I love the color of the glass.

[Atomic Glee]

Another demolition at Museum Place - this building has fallen to make way for the Aloft Hotel:

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[Atomic Glee]

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I have had an opportunity to tour the completed Kress Building Lofts downtown in the historic 1936 five & dime store building. The building's new owner is once again leasing the apartments, and is considering adding a rooftop deck and other amenities. To view more photos and read the details, check out my post at Fort Worthology:

http://fortworthology.com/2008/04/30/urban-home-tour-kress-building-lofts/

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[Atomic Glee]

A higher construction photo of the TCC campus from a friend who lives in The Tower:

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[tjh1]

^^^Great shot!

They are about to begin work on the other side of the river, is that correct?

[Atomic Glee]

^^^Great shot!

They are about to begin work on the other side of the river, is that correct?


Yes, they're working through the permitting process right now to build on the other side of the river.

[Atomic Glee]

Another Oleander Place update - installing windows & such on the first four units, and they appear to be getting ready to pour foundations for the next phase:

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[Atomic Glee]

SoSeven progress:

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[Atomic Glee]

Starting construction this fall - The Stayton At Museum Way. Three 11-story retirement condo towers, part of the SoSeven mixed-used development I updated everybody on above.

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[Austin55]

any news on Pier 1's new name?

[tjh1]

^^^I like the Stayton renderings.

[Atomic Glee]

While we're at SoSeven, time for a Museum Place update down the street:

One Museum Place getting its facade and window frames. For the uninitiated, this building will be ground floor retail, office space above, and topped by two floors of condos:

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The Museum Place "Flatiron" rises across the street. This building will be ground-floor retail with office space above - and yes, the billboard should be coming down soon:

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This lot, stretching along Arch Adams from Camp Bowie to 7th, will be home to the new Aloft Hotel:

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The realignment of Arch Adams north of 7th is now underway. The current Arch Adams north of 7th (which curves around to meet up with Arch Adams south of 7th) will be removed, and the old street right-of-way will actually be within a new mixed-use building. The small side street in front of the new 7-Eleven Corner Store/condos and the Village Homes townhomes will be the new Arch Adams north of 7th.

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The 7-Eleven Corner Store/condo building is getting its finishing touches. I figure the new store will be moving in pretty soon.

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[Austin55]

Cool,thanks. hows Omni doing?

[John R]

The Omni is moving up. They have now installed glass on the curved wall on the base of the building. Unfortunately, I was downtown this afternoon without my camera. I'm sure that either Atomic Glee (Kevin) or myself will get updated photos posted here soon.

[Atomic Glee]

A few recent shots of The Carnegie:

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[Austin55]

Cool! thats a jewel for sure. Im gonna email the architect and tell him to come back:tup: :haha:

also,(sorry for asking so many times) any news on pier 1's new name?

[Atomic Glee]

also,(sorry for asking so many times) any news on pier 1's new name?

I've heard a rumor - "Chesapeake Plaza," and the building will be relit June 9th. Again, just a rumor.

[Atomic Glee]

Newest rumor from the Trinity Bluff development - the little cheapo convenience store next to the Palisades townhomes, the one known by its sign reading "Fried hicken," has been bought by developer Tom Struhs. A 7-acre mixed-use development is planned for the site, featuring residential units, a hotel, and ground-floor retail. An official announcement will be forthcoming, apparently - perhaps within a few weeks.

[Atomic Glee]

Also, ground has broken and work is getting underway on West Bend, the project that will redevelop the site and surroundings of the River Plaza office tower on University across from University Park Village (right between the museums and TCU) into a mixed-use, more urban development. Pics and such to come.

[John R]

Omni Hotel:

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/omni-const-sw.jpg

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[KevinFromTexas]

Sweet.

[tjh1]

^ Great pics of the Omni!

[Austin55]

I love the "now selling luxury condos!!" sighn,it kinda made me chuckle.

good job!

[cowlvr389]

hey austin...i still dont get it..........................

[cowlvr389]

o btw hows ur leg?

[Atomic Glee]

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Above, the big building of the development, One Museum Place, is getting more glass installed as its facade installation continues. This building will be home to ground-level retail, office space, and condos on the upper two floors. Below, a close-up of some of the facade work, showing the brick and granite that will make up the majority of this side of the building:

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Meanwhile, across the street:

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The new “Flatiron” style building is about to head upwards towards its final height. The small triangular building will be ground floor retail and office space.

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On the next block, crews are grading and prepping the site of what will be the development’s Aloft Hotel, which should be similar in height to One Museum Place and will likely feature Aloft’s distinctive roof treatment. The Aloft will, like every building in the development, feature ground-floor retail.

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Adjacent to the Aloft site, the pace is picking up on the realignment of Arch Adams Street. Arch Adams will now no longer connect straight through the site, as it does now; rather, it will shift over and run in front of the 7-Eleven Corner Store/condo building shown in the photo and the Village Homes townhomes already in place. The former alignment of Arch Adams will be closed and torn out, and a mixed-use building will run from the new Arch Adams alignment all the way over the old alignment and over the site of the current 7-Eleven store. This small map view shows the new alignment of the street and the presence of the mixed-use building in the old right-of-way, along with the large public plaza that will be created where the alignment shifts:

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Last, but not least:

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Facade work is at last underway on the new Post Office between University and Bailey. The new Post Office, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Philadelphia firm of Venturi, Scott Brown, and Associates, will feature a large mural on ceramic tiles of a thunderstorm rolling across the prairie on the side facing the big intersection. This side will also be the site of another public plaza, and the tornado-bent steel beams that stood on this site since the 2000 tornado will be reinstalled in the plaza as a piece of sculpture. The bent poles have been seen on the construction site again recently as time nears for them to be put back in place.

[Atomic Glee]

West Bend is a new mixed-use infill project that has just started construction on University Dr. about midway between the museums of the Cultural District and TCU. It is across University from University Park Village. West Bend will add upgraded office space, a hotel, and ground-floor retail to the site that currently is occupied by one restaurant and the River Plaza office tower and its associated oceans of parking. The renderings and site plan below depict the initial phase of construction, and I'd imagine they could infill some more at a later date. Residential may also be added later on as well. Retail is in new infill buildings and retrofitted to the River Plaza tower.

One cool aspect of the design is the way it is embracing its riverfront site. New connections between West Bend and the Trinity Trails will be built, and retail will front the river and trails as well. This means direct access for pedestrians and bicyclists enjoying the Trinity Trails. It's a great touch, and one I hope to see lots more of in the coming years as the TRV starts to influence more thinking.

This is the site as it existed before construction began:

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And these are the renderings of the completed development:

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Here is the site plan, including some tenant names:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3169/2564922518_512597580c.jpg

Tenant names listed on the site plan are:

Silver Fox (existing)
Swoozie's
Anthropologie
J. Crew
Bebe
Lulu Lemon
Eddie Bauer
Modia
Fig
Cru
Sur La Table
Fossil
Lucky
Brighton

The project is under construction now. As things progress, I will grab some photos. The development will have 90,000 square feet of specialty retail and restaurants, 122,600 square feet of Class-A office space, a 140 room lifestyle hotel, and potential residential.

[Atomic Glee]

Chesapeake Energy has relit their newest purchase, the former Pier 1 tower - now Chesapeake Plaza:

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[Austin55]

Yay!

[tjh1]

I like the West Bend development, but i wish that there was a building with retail fronting University instead of surface parking. Perhaps that could be the site for future residential?

[tjh1]

AG, do you have any info on the apartments going up behind University Park Village on Rogers Rd?

[Atomic Glee]

Preliminary pricing for the condos atop One Museum Place (the big Museum Place building):

1/1 885 sq. ft. from $292,900
1/1 1,151 sq. ft. from $386,900
1/1 1,239 sq. ft. from $415,900
1/1/Den 1,258 sq. ft. from $393,900
1/1.5/Study 1,514 sq. ft. from $553,900
2/2 1,654 sq. ft. from $542,900
2/2 1,687 sq. ft. from $499,900
2/2 1,750 sq. ft. from $597,900
2/2 1,814 sq. ft. from $589,900
2/2/Study 2,394 sq. ft. from $799,900
2/2/Study 2,379 sq. ft. from $805,900
3/2.5/Den 2,591 sq. ft. from $899,900

One Museum Place condo amenities include:

Fitness center
Rooftop heated pool and spa
Rooftop lanai with fireplace and stainless steel grill
Social room with catering kitchen and entertainment pit
Courtyard Zen garden
Concierge
Secured parking
Secured lobby
Viking stainless steel appliances
Hans Grohe faucets and bath fixtures
Kohler commodes and sinks
Custom crafted cabinetry in 3 styles
Granite countertops (kitchen and bath)
Porcelain tile kitchen backsplashes, tub, and shower surrounds
Porcelain floor tile in kitchens and baths
Designer selected carpet
Optional: wood flooring, gas fireplaces

[Atomic Glee]

Go go gadget Flatiron:

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[tjh1]

^^^Looking good!
Is it just me or do the upper floors tilt out slightly over the street? Very cool.

[John R]

The upper floors on the south side of the building do tilt out slightly over the street. The building was intentionally designed that way. I think the idea is to reflect the Modern Art Museum to the street.

[Atomic Glee]

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/modernstreetcar2.jpg

The proposed modern streetcar circulator for central city Fort Worth has been slowly weaving its way through city corridors, quietly but steadily picking up steam as enthusiasm for the proposal grows. Yesterday morning, Dana Burghdoff of the city's Planning and Development Department gave a presentation to the city council on the proposal, and Fort Worthology friend Andy Nold was there. Here are his impressions of the presentation:

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She presented some of the discussion outlined in the Streetcar White Paper and recommended that a committee be formed comprised of 15 members with 1 each appointed by city council members and 7 appointed by the mayor. The committee would be tasked with determining whether the city should pursue design and construction of a modern streetcar circulator system, how to fund it, and what should be the initial route. Burghdoff suggested that appointees should be in place by the end of the month and the committee should deliver its final report in 6 months.

The council members' comments were generally positive, although there were several misconceptions about the proposed system:

-The mayor suggested that the Phoenix Light Rail was supposed to be running by their Superbowl game but was still unfinished. It seems like comparing apples to oranges when comparing light rail construction to streetcar construction.

-A comment was also made about the number of businesses shutting down because of light rail construction in other cities. Once again, probably not a valid comparison.

-One of the council members complained that the streetcar would take a lane of traffic and therefore the study would need to find additional right-of-way to regain a lane for automobile traffic. Fortunately, upon completion of construction, the streetcar can share the lane with automobile traffic, so the lane is not lost.

-Some of the council members suggested that the study needed to look closely at connecting with other cities and being a regional effort. I think this idea is losing sight of the purpose of the streetcar circulator, which is to complement the Commuter Rail which is the regional rail transit mode selected by Tarrant County, the T and Fort Worth. The streetcar paid for and developed by the City of Fort Worth is for circulation in Fort Worth only and while it will interchange with the regional system, it should not bear the burden of being regional or connecting to other cities. Can you imagine sitting on a streetcar going 35-40 mph from Downtown Fort Worth to the east side of Arlington?

It is heartening to see the City Council addressing the issue. It was also almost flabbergasting to hear fiscal conservative Chuck Silcox say that we needed to "start planning where to put these rails". Joel Burns was solidly behind the effort and emphasized that the Tacoma route that served 200,000 riders when it was served by a bus saw ridership jump to 900,000 riders annually after the line was converted to streetcar. Nobody wanted to go crazy shouting "If you build it they will come", but the phrase was mentioned and Silcox suggested that with the price of gas it wouldn't be too hard to draw riders to it.

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My comments on the things Andy heard from various city officials:

- Mayor, the Phoenix Light Rail line is nothing like what Fort Worth would be doing. Fort Worth is proposing a streetcar circulator, not a dedicated right-of-way heavier light rail line. The streetcar is much faster (and less expensive) to construct and really doesn't have a lot of similarities in design or functionality to a light rail line.

- Again, businesses shutting down due to construction should not be an issue. Light rail construction is much more disruptive than streetcar construction - a modern streetcar line can take as little as a block a week.

- One of the council members is wrong, of course. The streetcar would *not* take a lane away from automobile traffic. It would share the lane with it. No additional right-of-way is needed at all. (Let's stop thinking only about the well-being of cars, by the way.)

- The council members suggesting connecting the streetcar with other cities into a regional effort are very misguided about what this system is and what it is for. This is not a regional light rail system like DART's - this is a streetcar circulator for central, urban Fort Worth. It will absolutely work with regional systems in terms of transferring from one to the other, but this is designed to move people around and between urban Fort Worth neighborhoods, not move them from city to city.

- I too am very surprised to hear Silcox being so bullish on the system. I knew Joel supported it, and I know he'll do what he can to promote it. Very encouraging to hear support from the notorious Silcox, though.

[Atomic Glee]

My latest Omni photos:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2592807146_dd51ebd265_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3227/2591968833_f3b296b9ff_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2592807444_0e66b07029_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2592807550_8fddd061cf_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2591969297_6a3eac4492_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2591969399_7079dbe880_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3282/2591969469_eb06310688_o.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

The Lofts of St. Mary's will be getting underway soon in the Near Southside. This project will transform this 1951-vintage church gymnasium in Fairmount:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2604466793_bb941eb286_o.jpg

Into this, a half office, half live/work loft development called the Lofts of St. Mary's. The developer will be marketing the spaces for lease and possible sale. 1st floor office space will be from 1400 square feet to 7500 square feet. Upper space will be available from 1400 square feet to 9000+ square feet and will be highlighted by clear span space, raised vaulted ceilings with natural lighting. The live/work spaces will be approx. 1200 square feet plus a garage.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/2586367563_b7796daba2_o.jpg

The developer is local company Square One Development, and the architect for the redevelopment is local architect Ames Fender.

[tjh1]

^^^Interesting readaptive use. I like it!

[John R]

I realize this is a construction update thread, and slightly off-topic, but I did want to say that the North Central Texas Council of Governments released their 2008 population estimates, and for the first time, the city has passed the 700,000 mark. The actual population estimate for 2008 is 702,850.

[Austin55]

I realize this is a construction update thread, and slightly off-topic, but I did want to say that the North Central Texas Council of Governments released their 2008 population estimates, and for the first time, the city has passed the 700,000 mark. The actual population estimate for 2008 is 702,850.

Not of topic atall! any news flyies here.(or,if Kevin lets it:D )

Ok,but this is kinda off topic. Some of you may know that Im a 14 year old Architect wannabe,And I felt like desighning something for Fort Worth so if I ever become an architect I can build it. So I know it doesnt really belong here,But I just wanted an opinion from Fort Worthians:)

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/yy-1.jpg

I just want a quick opinion from you guys,Hope its alright:) thanks

[Austin55]

Ill be Downown and TCU and a Lexus Dealership tommorow,Ill return with some pictures.

as if anyone cairs,wow I cant even spell it right,Im not even gonna try


Fun stuff
Updates:

Demolition of the structures in the way of the TRV's new bypass channel begins by the end of this month. We are finally about to see dirt turning!

The new TCC Campus is moving along steadily on the downtown side. Here's a great photo from The Tower by Fort Worth Forum member monee9696:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2592951428_6333097344.jpg

And here's one from the Fort Worth Business Press:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2592118875_d032b1d87e_o.jpg

We at Fort Worthology have been able to obtain a much bigger and clearer rendering now. This looks like a fantastic development:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1323/953110911_e1df48f26a_o.jpg

Figured I'd start a thread for the striking new Tarrant County College campus in downtown Fort Worth, since construction has now started on the project.

The new downtown TCC campus is one of the first phases of the massive Trinity River Vision/Uptown Fort Worth project, which will see the city and the Trinity River radically altered. The TRV will rework the river with a new bypass channel, urban canals, and a downtown lake, all of which will facilitate the removal of the current levees in downtown and allow true waterfront development. It will double the size of the downtown area and create two new islands. The TRV's master planner is the (very underrated, IMHO) Bing Thom of Vancouver, and thus far he has also designed the new TCC campus and the three new bridges to be built for the project.

Here are some renderings of Bing Thom's striking TCC campus design. The campus sits on both sides of the river. On the tall bluffs of the south bank, the campus buildings cantilever out from the cliff face, and a pedestrian bridge links these buildings to the rest of the campus on the north bank. A water feature will run from the south side in downtown across the pedestrian bridge to the north side.

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tccdowntown1.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tccdowntown2.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tccdowntown3.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tccdowntown4.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tcc1.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tcc2.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tcc3.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tcc4.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tcc5.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tcc6.jpg

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tcc7.jpg

And here's a shot of construction:

http://www.fortworthology.com/blogpics/tccbuild1.jpg

And here is an overview of what the Trinity River Vision and Uptown Fort Worth will look like in the future with the channel, canals, and lake in place, and some development that follows the new Uptown Urban Guidelines:

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trinityrivervision1.jpg

The TCC campus can be seen spanning the river near the bridge in the upper left of the colorized section.

I'll keep the forum up-to-date on the progress of the TCC build. Bing Thom has really made something cool and unique here, I think, and we in Fort Worth are proud to have him doing so much in our city.

EDIT: Some more images and background info on the TRV, for those unfamiliar with the project. Here are some renderings of Bing Thom's plan for the TRV:

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv1.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv2.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv3.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv4.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv5.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv6.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv7.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/trv8.jpg

And here's a great summary, from Bing Thom's web site:

"BTA was retained by the Tarrant County Water District to work with the team updating the Trinity River flood control system. The design brief was to prepare a framework plan and urban design standards for the Trinity Point lands in Fort Worth, Texas. The site is adjacent and north of the downtown core. This project was initiated by the strong desire of the community to reconnect their city with the Trinity River. This connection has been hampered by the fact that the Trinity River has a wide flood plain and as such the community has largely abandoned the waterfront.

The historic struggle of how to connect with the river while maintaining safety from flood conditions was solved when BTA proposed the idea of building a bypass channel. This channel will divert the occasional flood waters away from the development lands. With this concept a 500 acre development site was created adjacent to the downtown and the river. This concept has transformed the community's relationship to the Trinity River and activities are being created to make the river an active player in the City's life.

The new site plan creates in excess of 20 km of accessible waterfront and trails. This waterfront system is centered by an urban lake that will be surrounded by housing, retail, cultural and entertainment facilities, educational facilities, and civic functions. The lake will become a new public open space encouraging people to come down to the waterfront. The historic Trinity River bluff will be preserved as a natural park for all citizens to enjoy.

The new development site will be home to approximately 25,000 residents. The site will have complete mixed-use neighborhoods with parks, amenities, schools, services, retail, etc. in order to be true homes for families. These neighborhoods will compliment the adjacent downtown commercial and entertainment core. By placing such a large group of people within walking distance of the core there will be a reduced dependence on the automobile. Sustainable strategies such as local storm water retention, low impact landscaping, dense land use development, waste water recycling will also be implemented in the plan."

It's actually quite far along - as I stated above, we will be seeing buildings demolished for the bypass channel in two months or less, and the actual construction of the channel will be underway shortly thereafter. Dirt will be turning immanently. Here's the timeline I've been given for the infrastructure:

2000: Trinity River Vision Master Plan drafted
2003: TIF District created; Plan adopted by City
2004: Preliminary Trinity Uptown design completed
2004: Federal funding authorized
2005: Initial federal funding appropriated
2006: Receive Record of Decision from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
2006: Final design and engineering of bridges and roadways
2008: Design and start construction of bypass channel
2010: Upper West Fork mitigation
2012: Modify University Drive
2012: Construct and install isolation gates
2013: Construct Samuels Avenue dam
2014: Extend White Settlement Road
2015: Excavate interior water feature

So, the whole infrastructure project will be complete by 2015. Private development will be up to developers, of course, but the first two associated with the project - the Trinity Bluff neighborhood and the LaGrave Field mixed-use project - are both a go. Trinity Bluff is moving very well - they have built a 300+ unit apartment building and several blocks of townhomes, are building a luxury condo midrise, and are about to add about 800 more apartments and townhomes. The LaGrave Field project, as noted, has grown from 36 to 70 acres and will be underway before the end of the year.

Here's some random images I've collected:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2497954422_35bb1467c2.jpg

This graphic shows some of the green features of the project:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/2497879906_9dd7bd005d.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2284/2497879462_264452157f.jpg

Some cross-sections for the planning geeks among us:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2039/2497027651_8511488475.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2155/2497855704_05b1ea4610.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/2497027489_232d231f3b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/2497855556_c4ccf3764e.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2497027369_9af519b97e.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2497854990_3de4236d5c.jpg

This graphic shows the four neighborhoods designated for Trinity Uptown:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2497027043_992b2c9473.jpg

The North Neighborhood will be identified primarily with the mixed-use development on the North Main Street corridor. This neighborhood will have great views of the bluffs and Downtown. It will have unique frontages on the bypass channel, the river, and the canals. In addition, the activities surrounding LaGrave Field will also add to the character of this neighborhood.

The Southwest Neighborhood will predominantly be a residential neighborhood with a variety of different housing types. The main commercial mixed-use corridor here will be White Settlement Road (with neighborhood support retail throughout, as in all neighborhoods). The central park in the heart of this neighborhood will be urban in character, be accompanied by a new elementary or high school, and be surrounded by canals and six-story buildings. The "point" created where the bypass channel diverts from the old river course will have distinctive views of Downtown and the Cultural District.

The Southeast Neighborhood will be closely associated with the new Tarrant County College Downtown Campus and its activities. The college buildings will be closely integrated into the geography of the bluff and will provide a physical link between Downtown and the river. A large central park space will be accompanied by a new elementary or high school. On this neighborhood's east side, the old river channel will widen to support a variety of waterfront uses like houseboats.

The Urban Lake Neighborhood will be a focal point for the entire Trinity Uptown site and as a result it will be a regional attraction. The Lake will be surrounded by a mix of uses including institutional and cultural facilities. This neighborhood will have easy access and great views of Downtown. The historic TXU Power Plant buildings will be preserved to become distinctive landmarks next to a large lakefront plaza and boardwalk. Also, given the ease of water access, this area will support a wide range of water-based activities.



Go Kevin!

[JJG]

Not of topic atall! any news flyies here.(or,if Kevin lets it:D )

Ok,but this is kinda off topic. Some of you may know that Im a 14 year old Architect wannabe,And I felt like desighning something for Fort Worth so if I ever become an architect I can build it. So I know it doesnt really belong here,But I just wanted an opinion from Fort Worthians:)

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/yy-1.jpg

I just want a quick opinion from you guys,Hope its alright:) thanks

YES! It would be perfect. BTW, I've got at least 12 skyscraper ideas for Fort Worth, but they're just drawings on a journal.

What did you use ?

[Texas Tuff]

That TRV/Uptown Fort Worth project above looks absolutely AWESOME!! I can't wait to see that all play out and obviously transform that whole area. Chalk one more up for great urban planning.

:banana:

[Austin55]

YES! It would be perfect. BTW, I've got at least 12 skyscraper ideas for Fort Worth, but they're just drawings on a journal.

What did you use ?

Thanks! Hey,Ill start a thread elswhere and give a link soon. You can post your to! im interested.

Google Sketchup. Free,Easy,and has it own SSP forum!:banana: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=159

[JJG]

Thanks! Hey,Ill start a thread elswhere and give a link soon. You can post your to! im interested.

Google Sketchup. Free,Easy,and has it own SSP forum!:banana: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=159

I gotta get Sketchup. I'm an architect major at PVAMU, so I NEED IT.

Thanks.

[Austin55]

Stuff From TCU. this is some plaza that been completly reworked,its all from the sam spot,and it all new - the last 2.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW362.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW371.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW375.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW377.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW379.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW386.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW392.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW395.jpg

This one will go down soon
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW403.jpg

First sighns of demo work

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW407.jpg

[Austin55]

Caceria(?) looks nearly finished.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW517.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW516.jpg

Omni Looking good to

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW497.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW498.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW503.jpg

and a random shot
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/HockeyCarFW573.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

That new campus commons at TCU was actually a parking lot until very recently. Now, it's a large commons, four new residence halls, the new student union, and (shortly) a new academic building.

The United Way Building, a two-story '50s structure at 9th & Commerce in downtown (next to the Convention Center) will be coming down soon. All tenants are out, and a demolition fence is up. No word on what will be replacing it.

[dfwcr8tive]

Last week Tarrant County College decided to ditch the bridge idea and building on the north side of the river, and instead bought the RadioShack Headquarters.

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/722076.html
Posted on Wed, Jun. 25, 2008
TCC to buy RadioShack campus, nix bridge
By SANDRA BAKER and MAX B. BAKER
sabaker@star-telegram.com

The Tarrant County College District abandoned its complex, controversial plan for a downtown Fort Worth campus Wednesday, and instead announced it will pay $238 million to buy the RadioShack headquarters from a German real estate fund.

TCC said it will pay $235 million to KanAm Grund for the Trinity Riverfront property and use it for a new downtown campus. The college district said it will begin an $80 million renovation later this year and plans to start classes in September 2009.

TCC's previous plan called for a downtown campus that it would have built on the north and south sides of the Trinity River, connected by a pedestrian bridge.

But costs for the proposed project had run up significantly. The district said Wednesday it no longer plans construction north of the river, and it's struck the bridge from its plans. The college's controversial plan for a sunken plaza on the south side of the river also is now up in the air.

TCC's chancellor, Leonardo de la Garza, said he'll likely recommend that the college's board abandon the sunken plaza and put the land up for sale.

...

[Austin55]

Kevin-Can yo get some Carniege Updates? it looked nearly done last night.

[JJG]

Kevin-Can yo get some Carniege Updates? it looked nearly done last night.

I think the Carniege is done.... right?

[Atomic Glee]

I will get some Carnegie photos. The building is definitely not done. Most, if not all, of the brick work is done, but crews are now installing the stonework at the building's base and upper floors. The stone base/upper floors are quite ornate and attractive.

[Atomic Glee]

The tornado bent poles are going back in today at Museum Place - here's Jeff W.'s photo:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/2630634933_f25b59c06f_o.jpg

The big metal poles once held a billboard, but were stripped and bent sharply over by the 2000 tornado. They are being reinstalled in front of the new Post Office as a piece of art in the new public plaza. The wall of the Post Office facing the plaza (seen in the background in Tyvek wrap) will be covered with ceramic tiles featuring a large mural of a thunderstorm crossing the prairie and the words "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

[Atomic Glee]

A twilight shot of the Museum Place Flatiron-style building going up:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/2633171608_e68125ba1b_o.jpg

[Mopacs]

Goodness, you've got some talents there! At 14, I was drawing buildings...err stick figures...with MS Paint :) Keep up the good work.

Not of topic atall! any news flyies here.(or,if Kevin lets it:D )

Ok,but this is kinda off topic. Some of you may know that Im a 14 year old Architect wannabe,And I felt like desighning something for Fort Worth so if I ever become an architect I can build it. So I know it doesnt really belong here,But I just wanted an opinion from Fort Worthians:)

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x111/austin5555/yy-1.jpg

I just want a quick opinion from you guys,Hope its alright:) thanks

[Austin55]

Goodness, you've got some talents there! At 14, I was drawing buildings...err stick figures...with MS Paint :) Keep up the good work.

Why thank you:D

Atomic-Do you still have a render of the flatiron one? i forgot about it.

[Atomic Glee]

Atomic-Do you still have a render of the flatiron one? i forgot about it.

Sure do - it's actually close to the same angle I took that last photo from (I was standing a bit more to the north than the rendering).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/1796705923_1d7186d99f_o.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

Awesome news:

http://fortworthology.com/2008/07/07/amy-mcnutt-planning-citizen-theater-art-house-theater-in-near-southside/

The gist is: Amy McNutt, the creator of the outstanding Spiral Diner vegan restaurant in the Near Southside, is (along with her indie filmmaker husband James) planning to create what is being called the Citizen Theater, a two-screen indie art house movie theater, in the Near Southside. It will be Art Deco in style. There will be two screens with a heavy emphasis on exceptional picture and sound quality playing both first run art house films and repertory films as well as undistributed indie films (but only the best of the best.) They will have a mini-cafe in the lobby serving organic popcorn, wine and beer, coffee and espresso, sodas, juices and smoothies as well as some of the other Spiral Diner goodies (small snack stuff, not full meals).

[tjh1]

^^^This will be awesome for FW! I can't think of a better neighborhood than the Near Southside! I plan on being a frequent patron.

[Atomic Glee]

The Flatiron at Museum Place has now topped out. I saw the flag and pine tree, though they don't show up in this photo.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2657748033_0367ec6d0b_o.jpg

[tjh1]

^Looks good! When are we going to start hearing about retail tenants? I would have thought for sure that we would have after the ICSC conference, but that was almost 2 months ago.

[Atomic Glee]

No idea about the retail tenants thing. A lot of the potential tenants are probably playing all the developments off each other, which might account for the secrecy.

On a related note, J & J's Hideaway closed last night. It will be demolished soon for another part of Museum Place. It will be replaced by a mixed-use building of apartments over ground-floor retail. After the Hideaway is demolished, there will be two more demolitions before that block of Museum Place can go forward: the old United States Post Office across Darcy Street from the Hideaway will be demolished after the new Post Office opens, and then Darcy Street itself will be demolished. An old strip mall that held a Pro-Cuts and Auto Restyling Center on that block has already been demolished.

[John R]

Also, the Massad House is in the way of this development. This home was saved from demolition by John Peter Smith Hospital about 20 years ago and was moved from Jennings Avenue over to 7th Street. Now it is the way of Museum Place and it will either be demolished or moved again to a third location.

[denveraztec]

Just posted some pics of Dallas, had a great time in a great city. Hope you continue to see great things happen in Dallas as well as Fort Worth!

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=154536

Jesse in Denver

[Atomic Glee]

Pearl Real Estate has purchased the former United Way Building downtown at 9th & Commerce:

http://fortworthology.com/2008/07/21/pearl-real-estate-buys-united-way-building-future-home-of-westin/

Pearl Real Estate, who redeveloped the hotel at 5th & Commerce into the Embassy Suites, and who is currently redeveloping the old Care-A-Lot Inn on Lancaster into a Holiday Inn Express, has bought the old United Way Building at 9th & Commerce.

Not necessarily exciting by itself, but when you view Pearl's web site, they have a project listed under "Upcoming Projects" that is intriguing. There's no rendering or any other information, but there is a title: "Westin, Fort Worth," opening "2010." Westin is a hotel chain owned by Starwood Hotels. Starwood also owns Sheraton, W, Aloft, Element, St. Regis, and several other hotel brands.

Westin is Starwood's flagship luxury brand, and targets upscale business travelers...and convention attendees. Putting two and two together, it becomes rather exciting: Pearl has just bought a block right next to the Fort Worth Convention Center, and has a listing of a hotel for Fort Worth that targets upscale convention attendees and which would be in direct competition with, oh, say...an Omni Hotel.

Since they obviously couldn't cram a luxury hotel into the little two-story '50s United Way Building, I'd say we're about to see it come down - and a new Westin might be rising in its place.

[tjh1]

^A Westin would be a great addition to DTFW. That location is promising due to its proximity to the convention center.

[Austin55]

Ohh,nice

[Atomic Glee]

A quick update on the Omni Hotel - it is getting close to topping out. It appears they have completed the 31st floor, which means they have 2 occupied levels and four mechanical levels left to go. I have been busy and don't have a recent photo, but here is an image from the Omni's construction web cam this morning:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2695161391_fbdbed02d7_o.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

A bit of breaking news: Globe St. is reporting that the United Way Building will be coming down, and Pearl will be building a 150-room Hampton Inn on the site:

http://fortworthology.com/2008/07/23/unite...th-hampton-inn/ (http://fortworthology.com/2008/07/23/united-way-building-to-be-demolished-replaced-with-hampton-inn/)

I wasn't too far off. Will be interesting to see what they come up with for a design. Wonder if the Westin is still planned at some date.