Fort Worth (Tarrant Co.) – Fort Worth hopes to reinvent and greatly expand its urban core by redefining its relationship with the Trinity River and transforming a rundown industrial district into a mixed-use residential and retail center blessed with riverside parks and green spaces.
The Trinity River Vision Authority has worked on the concept for decades, and now parts of it are finally being realized. However, the total concept is vast in its scope and significant segments are at present unfunded.
However, there are an estimated 600 construction jobs per year for the life of the Central City project alone. Contractors are encouraged to register into the TRV Vendor Database and seek bid opportunities.
The Texas Department of Transportation has begun construction of the bridges that must go over the bypass channel once it opens. Concrete forming begins this month for bridge sections that will connect Henderson Street, White Settlement Road and North Main Street. The bridge construction is the first major project related to Trinity River Vision and will be completed in late 2017 and early 2018.
Integral to the project is the concept of doing away with the flood control levees to make the river more accessible for pedestrian activities. However, the Trinity caused catastrophic flooding in the days before the levee system and retiring it would require a 1.5-mile bypass that would have to be built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Consequently, the revitalization projects are a partnership between local government entities and the federal government.
The flood control portion is anticipated to reach completion by 2023. Once the flood control system is reconfigured and the brownfields of the industrial region surrounded by the West Fork Trinity River are cleaned up, city leaders would market the region to developers.
About 800 acres of underutilized land would be accessible for development, enough land to double the size of downtown. The area has the potential to provide 10,000 housing units and 3 million square feet of commercial, retail and educational space.
In addition, there would be lands in the flood plain. Groups like Streams and Valleys Inc. and the Tarrant Regional Water District have worked for enhancements of the river’s ecosystem. The Trinity River Vision Authority hopes to see that work continue on this stretch of the Trinity.
The bypass, once completed, would cut off two sections of this inner city zone from the rest of town, creating two islands that have been named Panther Island/Central City. Panther Island will provide 10 miles of pedestrian trails, linking neighborhoods and cultural amenities. The green spaces will provide residents and visitors places to picnic, canoe and kayak. In addition, there will be dense retail and entertainment areas where visitors can shop, eat and enjoy nightlife.
One of these outdoor spots already exists—Gateway Park. The park is due for revitalization. Part of the master plan is to restore its ecosystem and provide numerous recreational opportunities. With over 1,000 acres, Gateway will become the largest urban programmed park in the area.
Cost for the river bypass, cleanup and other expenses is estimated to total $910 million. Funding sources include:
- Fort Worth: $26.6 million
- Tarrant County: $11 million
- Tarrant Regional Water District: $64.4 million
- Tax increment financing district: $320 million
- Texas Department of Transportation/North Central Texas Council of Governments: $66.3 million
- Army Corps of Engineers: $411.6 million
- Federal economic development/housing: $10 million
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adolfo@virtualbx.com
