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Housing Authority Celebrates Transformation of Historic Knights of Pythias Building - June 4

June 3,2014

Grand Opening of Knights of Pythias Building Marks New Era for Structure as Affordable Housing Complex 

FORT WORTH, TX – The Fort Worth Housing Authority (FWHA) is joining several community leaders to dedicate the historic Knights of Pythias building in Downtown Fort Worth as the newest affordable housing option in the Hillside area.

Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. executives, HUD officials and local business and community leaders will come together on Wednesday, June 4, at 10:30 a.m. at 303 Crump Street to dedicate and tour the 18-unit rental housing structure, which is known as the Knights of Pythias Lofts.

“DFWI is proud to have played a role in making this development happen,” said Andy Taft, President of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. “Our goal of adding more affordable housing to downtown has reached another milestone in this partnership with the Housing Authority.”

Prior to being acquired by FWHA, the 87-year-old Knights of Pythias building, which once was a vibrant staple in the Rock Island Bottoms area of Fort Worth in the 1920s–1940s, had been vacant and in poor condition for several decades. Financing for the building’s reconstruction includes Community Development Block Grant funding from the City of Fort Worth and a loan from Houston-based CommunityBank of Texas. The total project cost is $2.4 million.

“The dedication of this building marks the next step in the continued revitalization of the city’s Near East Side,” said Brian Dennison, FWHA’s Vice President of Development and Asset Management. “FWHA is proud to have played a major role in this process and is eager to continue to be a proactive partner in the revitalization of the eastern end of downtown by creating more affordable housing options for citizens who want to live in this area. Returning this beautiful structure to its former glory is an example of FWHA’s commitment to stabilizing, strengthening and preserving neighborhoods in the City of Fort Worth.”

FWHA develops, owns and operates quality affordable and accessible housing that provides assistance to citizens of Fort Worth utilizing various federal, state and local programs. Currently, FWHA owns 1,145 public housing units, 3,126 affordable housing units, and 525 market-rate units; administers more than 6,100 housing vouchers; and operates 2 homeownership programs.