CITY & COUNTY
Top city & county stories to watch in 2023
2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE
Two council positions, mayor to be on ballot
TEXRail seeing record numbers
New city hall promises sustainability focus FORT WORTH With an eye on transforming the way services are delivered, the city of Fort Worth purchased the former Pier 1 headquarters at 100 Energy Way to house 22 departments from 14 buildings under one roof. BY MARK FADDEN use of native plants and smart irrigation systems. Infrastructure improvements include low- er- ow plumbing xtures, LED lighting and the use of materials, such as concrete with higher solar re ectance index values, that will reduce the heat island e ect. Michelle Gutt, Fort Worth communications and public engagement direc- tor, outlined the e orts for improvements to plumbing and the types of materials being used. Landscaping is also being looked at for
The Peabody Hotel project delayed again
MEETINGS WE COVER Fort Worth City Council meets at 6 p.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 21.
BY MARK FADDEN
help fund the development of the Peabody Hotel and Convention Center. The city would pay for the convention center, a portion of the parking garage and related infrastructure improvements.
200 Texas St., Fort Worth www.fortworthtexas.gov Keller City Council
ROANOKE The Peabody Hotel’s sixth amendment to a contract gave the developer until Jan. 1 to start construction on the project. How- ever, that deadline was not met. According to City Manager Cody Petree, the city and the Memphis-based hotel is going over the nancing agreement for a seventh time. The plans were originally approved by the council on May 28, 2019, but city sta said the project has yet to come to fruition more than three years later, partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was initially sup- posed to have started construction by April 1, 2020, which was approved in May 2019. In 2021, a Community Impact report, the projected groundbreaking should have happened on March 1, 2022. The hotel project was announced in June 2017. The city agreed to issue up to $30 million in bonds to
BY CODY THORN
BY CODY THORN
meets at 5 p.m. Feb. 7 and 21. 1100 Bear Creek Parkway, Keller www.cityo eller.com Roanoke City Council meets at 7 p.m. Feb. 14 and 28. 500 S. Oak St., Roanoke www.roanoketexas.com Trophy Club Town Council meets at 7 p.m. Feb. 14 and 28. 1 Trophy Wood Drive, Trophy Club www.trophyclub.org Westlake Town Council meets at 3 p.m. Feb. 6 and 27. 1500 Solana Blvd., Bldg. 7, Ste. 7200, Westlake | www.westlake-tx.org Denton County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28. 231 Courthouse Drive, Denton | www.dentoncounty.gov Tarrant County Commissioners Court meet at 10:00 a.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28 | 23100 E. Weatherford St., Fort Worth | www.tarrantcounty.com
TROPHY CLUB Two council members and the mayor are up for election in May in Trophy Club. During the Jan. 10 council meeting, Town Secretary Anita Otterson provided updates on the May 6 election, noting important dates. Mayor Alicia Fleury’s rst term is up, as is Place 1 Council Member Greg Lamont’s term and Place 2 Council Member Je Beach’s term. Lamont is also the mayor pro tem. Fleury garnered 61% of the vote in the delayed 2020 elections. She previously served a term as the Place 1 council member. Each of these positions serve three-year terms. The rst day to le to be on the ballot was Jan. 18, and the last day is Feb. 17. Early voting will run
FORT WORTH Trinity Metro’s TEX- Rail saw an all-time high for monthly riders in December. A total of 61,689 passengers rode the train, the highest number for revenue service since the rail line o cially launched in January 2019. TEXRail ridership to and from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was 28% higher in December 2022 than in December 2021. When comparing the last quarter of the calendar year, total ridership rose 16% for October-December 2022 over the same period in 2021, according to TEXRail. “Our ridership has continued to rebound from the impact of COVID[- 19], and we are so excited to see the TEXRail numbers soar as they did [in December],” said Richard Andreski, Trinity Metro president and CEO, in a press release.
THE PEABODY HOTEL TIMELINE
City leaders are using the move to meet the city’s ongoing sustainability e orts as well. BOKA Powell and Brinkley Sargent Wiginton, two rms selected to redesign City Hall, looked to ensure the city’s sustainability goals are being met. This includes infrastructure, daylighting and dark-sky initiatives; repurposing policies; and the
The Peabody Hotel contract has been amended six times since 2019.
sustainability with native plants that have lower water requirements, large trees to provide shade and a water-based system for irrigation. According to Gutt, the future City Hall will be completed in phases with the tower move-in starting in the fourth quarter of 2023 and conclude in early 2024.
June 2017 May
Project announced
Contract approved by council
2019 April 2020 March 2022
Initial construction date
from April 24-May 2, while mail-in ballots application opened Jan. 1 and must be received by April 25. Election day is May 6 with voting to be held at Trophy Club Town Hall, 1 Trophy Wood Drive, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
New projected groundbreaking
Sept. 2022 Jan. 2023
Council approves amend- ed nancing agreement
N. FOREST PARK DR.
ENERGY WAY
Construction deadline missed
W. 5TH ST.
The new Fort Worth City Hall has parts that are slated to open later this year. (Rendering courtesy city of Fort Worth)
FORT WORTH
SOURCE: CITY OF ROANOKE COMMUNITY IMPACT
Alicia Fleury
N
WESTLAKE 2341 Highway 377 (817) 490-9072 KELLER 101 Keller Smithfield Rd S (817) 482-8295
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