If There’s An Adaptive Reuse Capital, It May Be Fort Worth
August 20,2024
See full Forbes article by Jeffrey Steele here.
When moving from an old economy to a smart, high-tech future, do cities have to give up their past? Fort Worth, Texas has answered that question with a resounding ‘No.”
As Panther City segues from an oil-focused city to a metro in the vanguard of sustainable energy, it is finding ways to honor its legacy through adaptive reuse of century-old assets. The multiple hotels repurposed from venerable office buildings are proof of that.
“The City of Fort Worth is a prime location for developers to consider adaptive reuse due to its rich history, distinct visual character and supportive community,” says Farukh Aslam, chief executive officer at Sinclair Digital Services, Inc., one of the guiding forces behind the conversion of the historic Sinclair Oil Building into a hotel called The Sinclair.
“Despite being the 13th largest city in the country and growing, it remains devoted to maintaining its charming small-town, community feeling.”
Adds Andy Taft, president of Downtown Fort Worth Inc.: “[A] nation-leading growth rate and 40 years of careful planning to create a beautiful, walkable downtown has created high demand for real estate in the center city. Many of its premier historic buildings have remained in use, are well-maintained and are perfectly located for adaptive reuse.”
The Sinclair
In an ideal example of past meeting future, the landmark building constructed in 1929 for Sinclair Oil Company offices has been repurposed as the world’s first all-digital hotel. Featuring digital showers, presence sensors and smart electric mirrors, The Sinclair has been carefully converted by local developer Aslam. Much of the original architecture has remained intact at this 164-room luxury hotel in Fort Worth’s Sundance Square.
The Kimpton Harper Hotel
Built in 1921 as the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank Building, the 24-story building showcases a design by local architects Sanguinet & Staats. After serving for a while as the offices of XTO Energy, the structure was converted into a 226-room hotel featuring trendy rooftop bar and an acclaimed Italian culinary program. A downtown tax district provides The Kimpton Harper Hotel with $650,000 for restoration, including building façade maintenance, utility upgrade expenses and streetscape improvement.
Sandman Signature Hotel
Oilman, rancher and capitalist W.T. Wagoner developed this Sanguinet & Staats-designed 20-story building originally known as the National Bank of Commerce. When completed in 1920, it stood among the tallest towers in the Southwestern U.S. In its new incarnation as The Sandman Signature Hotel, the building will showcase its historic exterior, ornate lobby entry, vaulted towers and banking hall with teller cages when it reopens next year.
Hotel Dryce
Not every adaptive reuse hotel in Fort Worth has an earlier office building in its lineage. This 21-room adaptive reuse hostelry from Fort Worth developer Jonathan Morris represents the transformation of an historic dry ice factory located in the city’s Cultural District. The establishment features a chic lobby bar-café intended as a gathering place for both visitors and city residents.
Widely varied artwork ranging from photography to feltwork pays homage to the both the city’s earthy past and the artistic enclave encircling the hotel. A tailor-made playlist sets the musical vibe, pouring out tunes from Fort Worth products Curtis Mayfield, Leon Bridges and others.
“Historic buildings create visual interest and a diversity of experiences that would be largely unaffordable or difficult to achieve with new construction,” Taft says. “Ornate facades, beautiful historic interiors, more economical floorplates, generous windows and pedestrian orientation all combine to create an atmosphere that connects us to our past and offers something different than what we see in modern buildings.
“Placed within the context of a modern, walkable downtown, these buildings anchor the city to its past, add a sense of romance and wonder to the urban fabric and ensure an authenticity that cannot be created in a ground-up suburban ‘replicity,’ no matter how elegantly or ornately designed.”
Locations Mentioned: Kimpton Harper Hotel, Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel