Plans for a new downtown Fort Worth library have changed as city officials now plan to construct a new building instead of using a previously purchased building at 512 W. Fourth St., which will be repurposed as a community arts incubator.
Further evaluation of the property, which was acquired on Nov. 20, 2024, continued after the purchase. City officials said that a number of findings led leadership to determine that the location wouldn’t be the best choice for a modern public library.
“In addition to expert architectural and design assessments, we’ve continued to take community input on what Fort Worth residents want in a downtown library,” Assistant City Manager Dana Burghdoff said in a statement. “As residents and advocates continued to highlight needs in the arts community, we realized we were presented with a unique opportunity to pivot on the building’s intended use.”
Pivot to a community arts incubator
The 512 W. Fourth St. building will now become a community arts incubator. Mayor Mattie Parker appointed Bob Jameson, former President & CEO of Visit Fort Worth, to chair a working group made up of Councilmembers Elizabeth Beck, Macy Hill, Deborah Peoples, and Jeanette Martinez, along with a diverse group of community members and stakeholders including Wesley Gentle, executive director of Arts Fort Worth.
Once all the community members are confirmed, the working group will collect public feedback and develop recommendations for how the space can best support Fort Worth’s creative community, the city said. The community arts incubator’s working group is expected to deliver its recommendations to the city council this fall.
Search for library site continues
The city said it remains committed to establishing a modern library downtown, saying a new 20,000- to 30,000‑square‑foot library will be constructed at a yet‑to‑be‑determined site. Property Management and city leadership are currently reviewing potential locations that can accommodate public parking and the amenities residents identified as priorities during community engagement sessions.
Architecture and construction firms will be selected as planning progresses, the city added, with Fort Worth residents having additional opportunities to provide input.
Don’t miss what’s next. Subscribe to Dallas Innovates.
Track Dallas-Fort Worth’s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.
R E A D N E X T
-
North Texas has plenty to see, hear, and watch. Here are our editors' picks. Plus, you'll find more selections to "save the date."
-
Patriotically painted in red, white, and blue, each locomotive features the preamble to the United States Constitution with the words, “We the People,” a circle of stars to honor the Betsy Ross flag, and the words "Freedom and Liberty."
-
was the fastest-growing city in all of the U.S., boosting its population by 24.6%.
-
An autonomous version of Bell Textron's Bell 505 helicopter could one day swoop into battle zones, delivering critical cargo and munitions to Marines on the ground—without putting a single crew person at risk.
-
Quintin Cassady, a former general counsel at Galderma Laboratories, will lead the Dallas law firm's Fort Worth office. He has more than 30 years of experience advising global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and consumer product companies on complex litigation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property strategy, compliance, and corporate growth initiatives, the firm said.
-
“India continues to emerge as one of the world’s most important aerospace markets, and our investment in local infrastructure with licensing enables us to deliver unmatched responsiveness, proximity, and supply chain efficiency for customers operating there,” said Incora CEO David Coleal.
-
As a "monetization engine" for collegiate sports IP, Learfield links more than 12,000 brands and over 1,200 institutions with sponsorship and media solutions, ticketing tech, licensing management, NIL strategy, and AI-enabled data platforming.
