‘One of a kind waterfront.’ Here’s the new vision for Fort Worth’s Panther Island
March 7,2024
See full Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Harrison Mantas here.
A new plan for Panther Island calls for more open space and public access to the shoreline that will be created by a bypass channel and series of canals.
It will also be a “one of a kind waterfront district” that celebrates Fort Worth’s diverse communities and serves as an economic driver for the city.
The plan is part of a new framework created by consultant HR&A Advisors of Dallas that was unveiled Tuesday to the Fort Worth City Council and Tarrant Regional Water District Board. The report is meant to serve as a guide to the city about how the man-made island north of downtown Fort Worth should develop.
While nothing is set in stone, the plan gives a broad framework on development. It follows a year in which previous plans were studied and six meetings were held with residents.
The island is a byproduct of the 1.5-mile channel being built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The channel will connect two sections of the Trinity River north of downtown as a way to improve the city’s flood protection.
Congress approved $526 million for the project in 2016, but disagreements with the Trump administration over the project’s feasibility held up funding until the November 2021 passage of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enabled the Army Corps to allocate $403 million toward the project in January 2022.
Construction of the channel is scheduled to begin in 2025.
The channel will create two islands connected by an extension of White Settlement Road on the northeast end of the roundabout where it intersects with North Henderson Street. The extension could be called Panther Boulevard, according to the plan, although no decisions on renaming have been made.
The north island, which contains buildings like the old power plant and Panther City Brewing, will have roughly 192 acres for development, while the south island, which contains the Charles H. Hawes Athletic Center, will have roughly 51 acres for development.
The report breaks the land that will be developed and into four zones.
Zone one, which is roughly west of North Commerce Street and south of Northwest Fifth Street, is ready for development.
Zone two, east of North Commerce Street and south of Northwest Seventh Street, will become available for development after the city of Fort Worth expands a sewer main.
Zone three, west of North Commerce Street and north of Northwest Fifth Street, will become available for development after an inter-island canal network is developed.
Zone four, which consists of the entire south island and the areas occupied by earthen levees , will become available for development after the project is finished and the levees are removed.
The city of Fort Worth, in collaboration with the Tarrant Regional Water District, will still need to hold a series of meetings to update its zoning codes that will set the rules when it comes to what can be developed on the island. The city is beginning its search for a consultant to advise on that process, assistant city manager Dana Burghdoff said.
Right now, Panther Island is just a place you drive through to get somewhere else, HR&A executive Cary Hirschstein told the water district board Tuesday. This development has the potential to connect all these areas of the city, he said.
Hirschstein laid out six principals that should guide the island’s development.
The island should be a one of a kind waterfront district, a haven of diverse parks and green space, a mixed-use neighborhood designed to build community, a regional destination, a celebration of Fort Worth’s diverse heritage and an economic driver for the city, he said.
The report also calls for an increase in the amount of open space. The roughly 50 acres should be distributed throughout the island, which will allow the city to turn it into parks, playgrounds or other forms of public meeting areas.
Water board president Leah King asked the consultants why acreage should be set aside for open space rather than just getting top dollar by selling off all the land.
HR&A managing partner Aaron Abelson pointed to sections of the report that showed land surrounding open space increased in value. The land surrounding Klyde Warren Park in Dallas increased by 40% after the park was developed, according to the report.
Ableson also acknowledged feedback from the public that development on Panther Island be equitable and benefit the surrounding neighborhoods.
The report highlights a comment from one of the public feedback sessions which expressed fears the development will displace residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The report suggests setting aside space for local businesses, prioritizing local contractors and helping small businesses grow, so they can partner with the city on the project.
The report also suggested setting up a program to help residents in gentrifying areas stay in their neighborhoods through affordable housing requirements and expanding the city’s priority home repair program.
The city’s consultants noted this report is just the first step in what could be a decades long project to develop the island. They recommended the city continue to engage with the public to get as much buy-in as possible.
King thanked the consultants, noting that while many may want to see the island develop quickly, the city and the water district need to take time to get the development right.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker echoed King’s sentiments in a city press release, saying it is important to have community voices at the table to guide the island’s development.
Speaking at a council work session Tuesday, Parker said she was optimistic about how positive the report was. While the island will have the biggest impact on the city’s urban core, she noted Panther Island has the potential to be transformational for the whole city.
Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens, who referenced her time working in San Antonio as both a broadcast journalist and city communication’s director, quipped she was looking forward to sticking it to that city’s river walk.
The city plans to schedule another community meeting in the coming weeks. The water district posted the full 306 page report at PantherIsland.com Tuesday afternoon.
Location Mentioned: Panther Island Pavilion