Public Improvement District, updated design standards on the horizon for Panther Island

Officials with Fort Worth, the Tarrant Regional Water District and real estate firm Seco Ventures are in talks to create a maintenance improvement district “Panther Island” project..

The creation of the public improvement district will focus on maintaining public waterways, island streets, safety and landscaping, Assistant City Manager Dana Burgdoff said during an Oct. 24 Trinity River Vision Authority board meeting. The agency coordinates activities between state agencies and conducts risk assessments for a $1.16 billion federal flood control project.

Upon completion in 2032 Flood control project in the central part of the city will create a 1.5-mile man-made bypass that will reroute the Trinity River and create an island between downtown Fort Worth and the Northside. The water district is handling the local elements of the flood control project and is working closely with the US Army Corps of Engineers, while the City of Fort Worth has taken the initiative for economic development along the anticipated riverfront area.

The majority of the proposed district public works budget will go towards clearing garbage from canals, providing flood protection and maintaining water quality. Officials are currently working on a draft petition to present to private landowners in the Panther Island sector and obtain their signatures. One petition will be based on the value of the property on the island and the other will be based on the ownership of the territory.

Most of the land in the Panther Island project is owned by government agencies, namely the water district. Since the project began in the early 2000s, the water district has acquired hundreds of acres of former industrial land near the bypass and spent more than $43 million in cleanup efforts.

Officials are looking to put the Seco-initiated petitions on the agenda for the April City Council meeting, where council members will either approve or reject the creation of the district. If approved, the district would be adopted by fiscal year 2026. The county’s budget and funding will be available on October 1, 2026.

The water district has extended its contract with consultant HR&A Advisors to “flesh out” the idea of a proposed governance structure to manage Panther Island development, according to Burgdoff and Kate Beck, the water district’s program director. The idea of public improvement of the neighborhood arose after the consulting company presented a new road map of economic development for Panther Island in March.

Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council leaders have expressed interest in having the improvement district act as a “property owner-driven organization” to protect those who live on and use the island, Beck said Thursday.

City officials are also studying code updates based on the 2006 form for the Panther Island project.

Form-based codes address neighborhood design standards, including building heights, street types, the visual representation of building facades, and the shape and mass of buildings relative to each other. For example, Stockyards approved form-based code in 2017 preserve historic design elements in the region.

The major changes to the code would include the addition of overlays, or buffer zones, to ensure that developers building on land on the periphery of Panther Island do not interfere with the construction of a bypass or other issues related to the flood control project.

As part of the Panther Island upgrade, adjacent and exterior overlays were added to the main construction site to accommodate future waterfront development. (Photo courtesy | Tarranta Regional Water District)

The proposed peripheral areas would include the area where University Road and Jacksboro Highway intersect. Officials do intend to closure of six lanes on University Street therefore, the roadway can be raised 10 to 15 feet to allow floodwater to flow under the street.

Overlays were also proposed for the northeast areas bordered by Samuels Avenue and Northside Drive, and southwest of the original Panther Island project, near Parkview Drive.

The Livable Plans and Codes consultant’s recommendation prompted Fort Worth and the water district to minimize block sizes and promote the island’s envisioned urban development model after the existing flood levee system is removed.

Officials will continue to review how two-thirds of the island will be zoned residential, taking into account height restrictions for offices and hotels. The proposed code update would include potentially raising the height limit for eight-story buildings to a maximum of 20 stories, Beck said.

In January, the district and city management plans to hold a two-day seminar on updating the code. The updated code is expected to be formally adopted in late spring or early summer next year after the draft is reviewed by stakeholders including the Urban Design Commission, City Council, Zoning Commission, Trinity River Vision Authority board members and the water district board. , – said Beck.

Nicole Lopez is an environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at [email protected].

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of board members and financial sponsors. Learn more about our editorial independence policy here.

Related