The Omni’s expansion plans, shown here in renderings, would involve 400 additional rooms + meeting space extending closer to West Lancaster Avenue.
| Courtesy of Omni Hotel Fort Worth
The southwest quadrant of downtown has many established tenants — like the Eldon B. Mahon US Courthouse, which has resided downtown since 1934, and St. Patrick Cathedral on Throckmorton Street, which was completed in 1888.
As part of our ongoing series about the future of downtown, we’re taking a look at a few of the changes on the horizon in the quadrant that runs from Seventh Street to Lancaster Avenue north to south + Houston Street to Burnett Plaza east to west.
Nathan Frankel Electric Supply is being converted into the second Dogtopia location in Fort Worth, offering daycare, boarding, and spa treatments. Dogtopia should be open by November, if not sooner.
City offices are relocating from the current City Hall at 200 Texas St. to the former 20-story Pier 1 Imports headquarters along the Trinity River. Offices are expected to be fully transitioned by this fall. Recently, an interim location for the downtown branch of the Fort Worth Public Library opened inside the current City Hall, which is ultimately slated for a $30 million renovation to house the Fort Worth Police Department Central Patrol division.
While construction has yet to begin, The Omni Fort Worth Hotel is on track for a $217 million expansion, adding a second tower with 400 new hotel rooms + meeting space. The expansion will take over a current Tarrant Community College administration building.
The restoration of the Sandman Hotel continues, following the January on-site explosion. A full reopening timeline has not been set, but the hotel owners said they’d be “receiving detailed drawings” of areas that still need to be repaired soon.
Asked
Which side of downtown do you frequent most?
A. South B. North C. I don’t go downtown that much these days
Mini Golf | Wednesday, July 10 | 2-3 p.m. | Benbrook Public Library, 1065 Mercedes St., Benbrook | Free | Here’s one to check off the summer bucket list: play mini-golf inside a public library.
Yachtley Crew | Wednesday, July 10 | 8 p.m. | Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall, 122 E. Exchange Ave., Ste. 200, Fort Worth | $12.50-$25 | Add a modern spin on 1970s yacht rock to your Wednesday evening.
Thursday, July 11
Maker of the Month | Thursday, July 11 | 5-7 p.m. | Toro Toro, 200 Main St., Fort Worth | $15 | Enjoy the signature cocktail featuring spirits from a local distiller with a food pairing.
Gilded & Glamorous | Thursday, July 11 | 5-8 p.m. | Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth | Free | Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the “Moving Pictures” exhibit to learn about classic Hollywood, iconic fashion + film history.
Friday, July 12
Celebrity Chef Dinner & Fundraiser | Friday, July 12 | 6-8 p.m. | Taste Community Restaurant, 1200 S. Main St., Fort Worth | $150-$750 | Chef Jon Bonnell of Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Waters Restaurant, and Buffalo Brothers will prepare a multi-course menu.
Silverada | Friday, July 12 | 10 p.m. | Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth | $18-$28 | The band formerly known as Mike & The Moonpies heads to the world’s largest honky-tonk.
A new 94-unit housing complex called Clifton Riverside is set to open northeast of downtown later this year with mix of affordable and market-rate apartments. Located on a former nightclub site, the project comes from eight different funders and organizations, including Fort Worth Housing Solutions.
Closing
Latin-inspired street food spot Boca 31 is closing on Friday, July 19. Named after the Spanish word for “mouth,” the restaurant had been at the intersection of Rosedale Street and 8th Avenue. Stop by for one more delectable Cuban sandwich.
Fort Worthian
Carlo Capua, Chief of Strategy and Innovation for the city of Fort Worth, has been named national chair of the Sister Cities International Board of Directors. Capua began his involvement with the program at age 14, which led him to study Japanese while attending TCU.
Plan Ahead
WineHaus is hosting a Sardinian wine flight night on Thursday, July 11, 6-10 p.m. No RSVP necessary — just show up and taste. WineHaus owner Robyn Davis recently went to Italy, and came back with some wines for Fort Worthians to sample.
Answered
Last week, we wrote about the growth of north Fort Worth’s food scene, then asked you how often you head there. Over 43% of respondents told us they live north of town and thus are there often. Haslet represent. Only 5 of the 72 respondents chose the “Where exactly is north Fort Worth?” answer.
Ranked
Perhaps a bit oddly, lawn services company LawnStarter ranked 500 cities in the US in terms of quality barbecue + and Fort Worth finished No. 32. Shoutout to our sister publications KCtoday and DALtoday — Kansas City ranked No. 1, and Dallas placed No. 21.
Pets
Fort Worth Animal Care and Control renamed its Code Red list to Urgent Placement Pets. The new name better conveys the pets’ urgent need for foster homes and adoption. Bonus: Find your new fur-ever friend today.
Sports
Is the biggest brand in the Big 12 now West Virginia University? Who’s to say? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Big 12 with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Try This
Enter: The Shops at Willow Park, your newest shopping, dining, and lifestyle destination. From retail therapy to brunch with friends, this community hub brings big-city amenities to a neighborhood full of small-town charm. Pro tip: Don’t miss the entertainment options, like live music performances, at The District.*
Finance
Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*
Civic
What’s next for the Worth Heights grain silos?
The 100-year-old Worth Heights grain silos may be demolished
The grain silos are located at 3700 Alice St. and were built in the 1920s. | Photo by FTWtoday
Between 1924 and 1926, the Fort Worth Elevator & Warehouse — better known today as grain silos — was constructed at 3700 Alice St., along the then-Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad tracks. In the 1940s, smaller office buildings were added the Worth Heights site.
That was then, this is now.
The silos have not been in use for over two decades, and in March, the city’s Building Standards Commission declared the grain silos to be “substandard and hazardous.” Now, a demolition permit has been issued for one part of the 2.9-acre site, with four other permits pending.
If fully approved, the demolition would be classifed as a hazardous demolition. There is only a set amount of money currently allocated in the 2025 city budget for hazardous demolitions, so additional money would need to be found to complete the full demolition.
The Buy
The Buy 7.10.24 (Affiliate)
Cozy Earth’s Bamboo Viscose Sheet Set, so you can enjoy soft, luxurious sheets that also keep you cool. How you know they’re good: The sheets were featured on Oprah’s 2018 Favorite Things list.
Unique experience alert: You’re probably most familiar with the Bass Hall stage in terms of watching performances, but this Sunday, July 14 at 11:30 a.m., you can do a 60-minute yoga class on the same stage that “Hamilton” is performed upon.
The event is 18+, and free if you’re already a member of Bass Hall’s Young Patrons Club. For non-members, tickets are $25.
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