The Trinity River Vision — Fort Worth’s plan for an urban oasis — got a huge boost recently when Congress approved $526 million in funding for the first phase of the innovative project.
KERA explains how the vision, slated for north of downtown Fort Worth along the Trinity River, will tap federal funds to re-route a section of the river for flood control.
Stakeholders built a Trinity River bypass channel model the size of a football field to test its plans for the big undertaking.
Once the flood concerns are addressed, the city wants to create Panther Island — a mostly privately economic development effort to create a massive housing and mixed-use entertainment and recreational district.
The Panther Island project would blast open development on a whopping 800 acres of land that connects downtown Fort Worth to the city’s cultural district and the Stockyards, according to the Trinity River Vision Authority, an organization responsible for implementing the Trinity River Vision. A total of five different entities are involved in this massive, multiyear flood-control and economic development effort.
PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT
Panther Island Project Map (Click for full size view)
Creators envision a pedestrian-friendly development for live, work, and play that will seamlessly integrate waterfront recreation along the Trinity River.
TRVA estimates that public improvements related to Panther Island will virtually double the size of downtown and generate more than $600 million in economic development activity during the first decade alone. It’s expected to create 16,000 jobs, over 10,000 housing units and 12 miles of waterfront land for private development.
The project is modeled after Granville Island in Vancouver, British Columbia, a vibrant mix of parks and shops along the waterfront. Stakeholders built a Trinity River bypass channel model the size of a football field to test its plans for the big undertaking.
The project should make the Trinity River a welcoming waterfront area for the entire North Texas region. Although it will take many years to take shape, some work has been under way for awhile with the construction of three the Panther Island Bridges. Work on the bridges is scheduled to be completed in 2018.
BEST “BIG IDEA”
Panther Island was voted best “Big Idea” at the Urban Land Institute’s Impact Awards in 2015. For this award, ULI North Texas sought innovative ideas with the potential to positively impact the quality of life in the North Texas region.
GALLERY
Three bridges are currently under construction over dry land, in anticipation that they will someday span a 1.8-mile (3 km) channel off the Trinity River, according to reports from Urban Land Institute.
[Renderings: Courtesy of Trinity River Vision Authority ]
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R E A D N E X T
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans Wednesday to spend $403 million on the final design and build of a 1.5-mile flood-control bypass channel, which will reroute part of the Trinity River near downtown Fort Worth—and create Panther Island. Fort Worth hopes the 800-acre island will become a massive housing and mixed-use entertainment and recreational district, connecting downtown Fort Worth to the city’s cultural district and the Stockyards.
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Powered by the sun and the river's current, two Trinity River Waterwheels will be able to capture tons of floating pollution daily—keeping the waterway pristine as it flows through Fort Worth. The city council voted Tuesday to accept private donations to support the initiative. One official says the results will be "astonishing."
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A group of industry, nonprofit, and governmental organizations—including Texan by Nature, Molson Coors, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper—have formed the Texas Water Action Collaborative to improve the water quantity and quality of the Trinity River.
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The Water Cooler at Pegasus Park—the largest shared nonprofit space in Texas — is a place designed to accelerate impact, together. From Big Thought to SVP Dallas to The Trust for Public Land, the 15 ‘exceptional nonprofits' were picked after an application process last summer. They’ll join Water Cooler's five founding tenants.
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The automaker brands will sponsor the Marcus Graham Project's annual iCR8 Boot Camp for three years starting in 2022—the organization's 15-year anniversary. The bootcamp will provide real-world exposure and experience to diverse marketing and media aspirants, helping them bolster meaningful industry careers.
