Like selling off an antique, Fort Worth officials are trading in something old and well-loved for the opportunity to get something new for the city.
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A plan to turn the 7.4-acre site of the Montgomery Street Antique Mall and an adjacent vacant lot into a 12-story hotel and mixed-use development got zoning approval from Fort Worth City Council this week. In addition to the hotel, the project at 2501 and 2601 Montgomery St. will include retail space and a separate multifamily building.
Developer Phoenix Property Co. and property owner Montgomery Corner LLC met with stakeholders along Montgomery Street prior to the zoning hearing, according to council member Macy Hill, who expressed her excitement about the planned redevelopment, according to the Fort Worth Report.
The approved zoning would also allow a brewery/distillery at the property in the city’s Cultural District, but the developer told the Fort Worth Zoning Commission last month that there weren’t plans for that use.
No one spoke in opposition of the zoning change during the council meeting, but fans of the Montgomery Street Antique Mall have been outspoken on social media about their displeasure. Calling the move a "terrible decision" by council, Fort Worth Report reader Drew Slate criticized the planned mixed-use development at an "already busy intersection."
"If you live between Montgomery and Clover, you better start packing b/c you are about to be pushed out," Slate wrote on Facebook. "I was told about 10 yrs ago this was coming and here we are."
The developer has had discussions with the Texas Department of Transportation about getting improvements made to the intersection of Interstate 30 and Montgomery Street where the hotel will be located.
Management for the Montgomery Street Antique Mall did not immediately reply to a request for comment and has not yet announced whether the business will relocate or close. The more than 60K SF antique mall has been in Fort Worth's Cultural District for more than 30 years and also houses The Secret Garden restaurant.
The zoning for more than 83 acres along Montgomery Street was also changed by council to allow intensive commercial use. The strip, most of which is on the west side of Montgomery Street, includes retail shops, churches and industrial buildings.
Fort Worth’s downtown area also has redevelopment plans on the docket.
Dallas-based Dart Interests scooped up four parcels totaling 4.6 acres late last year with plans to "enhance vibrancy" in the area. Fort Worth has more than $2B in downtown development on the way, including work that will reimagine Panther Island as a mixed-use waterfront district.
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