commercial corridors revitalization strategy:...

Commercial Corridors Revitalization Strategy: Final Report of the Commercial Corridors Task Force

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

June 2002

Dear Reader,

A community’s central city is a barometer of its overall economic well being. Regional and localchamber of commerce executives, economic development specialists, and industrial recruiters have foundtime and again that projects are often won or lost based on one single criterion – the physical conditionand economic health of a community’s core. A vibrant central city significantly increases employers’ability to attract and retain a high-quality work force – whether or not the business is located in the core –thereby minimizing turnover and associated personnel costs. City officials have found that bond ratingcompanies often include the economic prosperity of the central city as one criterion they consider whendetermining a city’s bond rating.

Throughout the country, public and private entities are participating in the revitalization of their centralcity and the commercial corridors within them. In a report prepared for the American Public PowerAssociation, several utility companies explained the basis for their participation in central city revitaliza-tion efforts, citing the following: a thriving central city is a good recruitment tool for industry; central cityenhancements stimulate the economy and adds jobs; economically, everyone benefits from a healthycentral city; a viable central city infrastructure is essential to economic development in the whole area; abetter central city increases tourism in the area; and, the central city is a good investment. Cities through-out the country that have undertaken similar efforts have found that benefits to the community are multi-faceted and multiplying. Specifically, quality-of-life is enhanced, the number and diversity of job opportu-nities are increased, and dollars are invested. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation,every dollar a community spends on central city revitalization brings in $30 in new investment.

The City of Fort Worth is committed to a revitalized central city. On behalf of the citizens of FortWorth, we want to thank all those individuals who have dedicated themselves to advancing this commu-nity goal. In addition to the many business and neighborhood advocates who attended meetings, partici-pated in surveys, and shared their insights and direction, the Commercial Corridors Task Force providedleadership to the process. The contributions of all these individuals and the organizations they representhave been invaluable.

Thank you again,

Ralph McCloud

Chair, Commercial Corridors Task Force

COMMERCIAL CORRIDORSTASK FORCE

Council MembersRalph McCloud, Chair

Wendy DavisBecky Haskin

Jeff Wentworth

Business and Neighborhood LeadersReby Cary

Wanda ConlinMonnie Gilliam

Cathy HirtTerry Montesi

Antonio MoralesPhillip Poole

Rob Sell

Project TeamLeland Consulting Group

Bill CunninghamAnne Ricker

HNTB Urban Design and PlanningRick Leisner

Bo SunRich Wilson

Yolanda Wilson

InterStar Marketing & Public RelationsReba Henry

City of Fort Worth TeamFernando Costa

Christine MaguirePenny McCookChad Bowman

City of Fort Worth Planning Department i


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Fort Worth Vision and Strategic Goals 3Purpose and Background 4

Commercial Corridors 5

The Study Area 6

Central City Commercial CorridorRecommendations

Revitalization Principles and Strategies 9

Standard Strategies 11

Implementation to Date 13Suggested NEZ Boundaries 15

Village Plans

Village Selection 19Village Plan Format 21

Historic Handley 23

Oakland Corners 29

Polytechnic/Wesleyan 35

Evans & Rosedale 41Magnolia 47

Hemphill/Berry 53

Trinity Park 59

West 7th/University 65

Camp Bowie/Hulen 71

Ridglea 77Berry/University 83

Paddock Bend 85

Mercado 87

Lancaster Avenue 89

Glossary 93

City of Fort Worth Planning Department iii

West 7th and University looking east, 1938.

Hemphill at Magnolia, looking south, 1939.

I N T R O D U C T I O N


3City of Fort Worth Planning Department

During the summer of 2001, the Fort Worth City Council conducted a strategic planning process – “to

deal proactively with the many opportunities and challenges facing the community.” The process resulted

in a clear and concise statement about “where the Council wanted the City to go” over the next five years,

as well as “to stimulate a broader discussion of the important issues facing Fort Worth now and in the

future.” The Commercial Corridors Revitalization Strategy directly supports the community vision and

strategic goals identified by the City Council.

Community Vision

By the year 2020, Fort Worth will be com-monly recognized as the most livable city inTexas. Residents will be able to enjoy FortWorth’s friendly atmosphere and the opportuni-ties that are associated with a growing economyand diverse community. Fort Worth’s publicschools will produce well-rounded citizens and askilled workforce to fill high-paying jobs inlocal businesses. Fort Worth’s environmentalquality also will be superior, meeting the highestnational standards.

Strategic Goals

• Become the nation’s safest major city.

• Create a cleaner and more attractive city.

• Diversify the economic base and create jobopportunities.

• Revitalize central city neighborhoods andcommercial districts.

• Promote orderly growth in developing areas.

• Ensure quality customer service.

FORT WORTH VISION AND STRATEGIC GOALS


4 City of Fort Worth Planning Department

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Commercial districts located on commercialcorridors are reemerging as regional destinationsin cities throughout the nation. In virtually everystory of success, redevelopment and newdevelopment within these districts has been theresult of nurturing and growing each diversesegment of the local economy, eliminatingbarriers to investment, and marketing positivechanges through an overall image of vitality.

As varied as the markets are within thesedistricts, so too are the solutions to theirchallenges. A community cannot rely on a singleeconomic engine to propel its future; neither canit rely on a single project. Forming and advanc-ing the development agenda requires a keenunderstanding of the goals and aspirations of thecommunity, the realties of the marketplace, thepeculiarities of the political landscape and theconstraints of local public and private resources.With this understanding, a community ispositioned to establish action and investmentpriorities. The City of Fort Worth has sought toachieve this end through a process whichinvolved educating stakeholders, soliciting theirinput, identifying barriers and designing aprogram of actions to move the communitytowards a vision.

PURPOSEThe City of Fort Worth seeks to revitalize its

central city and commercial corridors bypromoting redevelopment in mixed-use growthcenters – districts that are compact, contain amix of land uses, and give emphasis to pedes-trian and transit access. Encouraging newinvestment to develop a mix of land uses in an

environment that promotes pedestrian and transitaccess and that creates a unique sense of placehas been identified as the central goal in therenaissance of these mixed-use growth centers.The Commercial Corridors RevitalizationStrategy provides the direction to move thisvision towards reality.

BACKGROUNDAs detailed in the City’s Comprehensive Plan,

many of Fort Worth’s older commercial areasdeveloped along corridors, linear in shape andlocated along arterial streets. Today thesecorridors tend to be characterized by segregatedland uses, many curb cuts, inconsistent signageand expanses of impervious surfaces, includinglarge parking lots in front of commercial struc-tures. This condition has been exacerbated by anhistorical movement of higher-income popula-tions out of the central city.

The newer suburban shopping centers and thebig-box developments attracted their dollars,leaving the linear commercial corridors andcommercial districts within Loop 820 (beltwaythat denotes the limit of the central city) unable tomaintain their economic viability.

Recognizing the importance of a healthycentral city, the Comprehensive Plan recom-mends policies and strategies to promote revital-ization of central city commercial corridors.

Mayor Kenneth Barr, in January 2000,established the Commercial Corridors TaskForce. The mission of the Task Force is “tocreate economic development opportunities inselected commercial corridors that can be

measured by increases in employment, tax base,and business growth and quality-of-life improve-ments, particularly in low and moderateincome areas.”

The Task Force was given the responsibilityof coordinating commercial corridors revitaliza-tion efforts including prioritizing the commer-cial corridors, creating redevelopment plans forfive high priority corridors, seeking resources toimplement the plans, and generally addressingrevitalization issues facing all central-citycommercial corridors.

As one of its first tasks, the Task Force, withinput from a broad range of civic leaders,prioritized 31 central city commercial corridorsbased on a preliminary review of economicbarriers and development opportunities on eachcorridor. The result was the identification of fivehigh-priority corridors for which conceptualredevelopment plans would be developed. TheCity was awarded a grant from the FederalHighway Administration through the Transpor-tation and Community and System PreservationPilot Program in September 2000 to be used tofinance development of the plans and futureefforts of the Task Force.

After reviewing proposals from severalconsultant teams, the Task Force selected theLeland Consulting Team, consisting of LelandConsulting Group, HNTB and InterStar.


5City of Fort Worth Planning Department

The first task of the Commercial Corridors Task Force wasto identify and assign priority to commercial corridorslocated in the central city. City staff identified 31 corridors,based on three criteria:

• Corridors must be located along a designated arterialstreet;

• Corridors must be one mile or greater in length; and

• Corridors must be characterized by predominantly com-mercial land uses.

Given the large number of corridors and limited Cityresources, the Task Force asked staff to analyze the corridorsaccording to criteria related to economic distress anddevelopment potential. Based on this analysis, the TaskForce assigned priority to 15 corridors. In an effort to furtherconcentrate revitalization efforts, the Task Force thenassigned top priority to five corridors: East LancasterAvenue, East Rosedale Street, Hemphill Street, WestSeventh Street, and Camp Bowie Boulevard.

In addition to the five commercial corridors selected bythe Task Force, the City Council had previously assignedpriority to Berry Street, North Main Street, and the Down-town portion of Lancaster Avenue. In 1998, the City allo-cated capital improvement bond funds to these three corri-dors, and has subsequently secured significant amounts offederal and state funding to provide streetscape and land-scape improvements. Maps and information on thesecorridors can be found in the Village Plans section of thisreport on pages 83-89. Full reports for these corridors can beobtained from the Planning Department in City Hall.

COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS

Central City Commercial Corridors


6 City of Fort Worth Planning Department

The study area for the conceptual redevelop-ment plans includes five high priority commer-cial corridors. These are the areas targeted bythe City Council, Commercial Corridors TaskForce, and City of Fort Worth ComprehensivePlan for investment and future revitalizationefforts. Although there are 26 other viablecorridors that were peripherally the subject ofthis analysis, this initial effort focused on thecorridors and villages considered to have themost immediate potential for development orredevelopment, and those that can providetemplates for future projects.

Ten opportunity investment areas, or “vil-lages,” within these five high priority corridorswere evaluated and village plans prepared foreach. The specific villages selected forevaluation in this report are shown in the mapto the right. All but the Historic HandleyVillage are located inside Loop 820.

In addition, information on the Berry/Univer-sity village on the Berry Street corridor, andthe Mercado and Paddock Bend villages on theNorth Main Street corridor is included in thisreport.

THE STUDY AREA

1. Historic Handley

2. Oakland Corners

3. Polytechnic/Wesleyan

4. Evans & Rosedale

5. Magnolia

6. Hemphill/Berry

7. Trinity Park

8. West 7th/University

9. Camp Bowie/Hulen

10. Ridglea

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