New Hotel in Cowtown's Stockyards

[gc]

I just saw on NBC5i news that Amerisuites will soon begin construction on a five story 102 suite hotel in the Stockyards with a western theme. Does anyone have any additional info on this announcement? John T?

[psukhu]

I just saw it on WFAA. They said it would be adjacent to the visitor's center.

There is a smalll ferris wheel on the lot right now.

They plan to break ground within 90 days.

[procyon88]

102-room hotel planned in Stockyards


FORT WORTH - Four acres of mostly vacant land -- now home to a metal-roofed pavilion and a playground -- will be turned into a $7.1 million, 102-room western-style AmeriSuites hotel in the heart of the historic Stockyards, developers said Tuesday.

The project, which calls for construction to begin on the 5-story hotel within three months, will fulfill a longtime goal of Stockyards developers to have a "family-friendly" hotel in the area.

"This is a labor of love for us, six years in the works," Stockyards Station General Manager Gary Brinkley told a City Council committee Tuesday. "The solar system has finally lined up for a hotel in the Stockyards."

Stockyards developers are asking the city for a tax abatement worth nearly $330,000 over the next six years to help reduce the costs of building the project partially across a flood plain.

A public hearing on the abatement is planned for Feb 3. The City Council could vote on the proposal as soon as Feb. 10.

Called AmeriSuites Historical Stockyards, the hotel would be built behind the Stockyards visitors center on the south side of East Exchange Avenue and could open for business early next year, Brinkley told the council's economic development committee.

The development has been promoted largely by Fort Worth businessman Holt Hickman, who with his partners owns 108 acres in the Stockyards Historic District.

The proposal comes nearly a decade after Hickman announced plans to build a hotel and casino on a different side of the Stockyards if casino gaming became legal in Texas. Those plans fell apart when a move to legalize gambling failed.

"I'm very excited about this and I think it's going to be fantastic for the city," Hickman said. "The Fort Worth Stockyards is our history -- a vital part of the city.

"We're constantly working in the Stockyards to make this a better place in the city."

Under the proposal, the hotel would offer mostly suites -- suitable for families and business travelers -- for about $90 a night, said Tom Kirkland, whose TEKMAK Development Company is working with Stockyards Station Hotel partnership on the project.

Plans include offering guests an elaborate continental breakfast, and encouraging them to go throughout the Stockyards area for lunch and dinner.

"We want this to be pedestrian-friendly," Kirkland said. "We want people to park their cars when they check in and have that be the last time they need them."

Building the hotel along a flood plain, however, tacked an additional $750,000 onto the cost, officials said. Builders will need to build a retaining wall, elevate a floor seven feet and encapsulate an elevator.

Under the abatement proposal being considered by the city, the partners would need to meet certain requirements to receive the tax breaks. Among those requirements are the creation of 32 to 35 jobs, of which 80 percent would be filled with central-city residents.

Developers would also be required to invest $6.3 million in real and personal property, use Fort Worth contractors for at least 35 percent of the investment and hire local minority and women-owned contractors for at least 25 percent of the investment.

The project also would be required to spend at least $550,000 a year, of which at least 60 percent would be spent with Fort Worth suppliers and 25 percent with local minority and women-owned suppliers.

The project would require relocation of the pavilion and playground area to another north side site.

City Councilman Jim Lane, whose north side district includes the Stockyards, said the hotel is a long-needed development.

"We've dreamed and talked about this for years," Lane said. "This would help complement the tourist industry and make the Stockyards more of a destination point."

The hotel would be built through a partnership with Stockyards Station and Kirkland's TEKMAK Development Co. The architect is the Schwerdt Design Group; civil engineers are Kimley-Horn and Associates and the contractor is Hillcrest Development.

"This is a family-oriented facility that can attract small meeting groups," said Tom Higgins, director of the city's economic and community development department. "It's something we don't have right now."

http://www.dfw.com/images/dfw/startelegram/news/909995-321381.jpg

STOCKYARDS STATION
An artist's drawing shows the 5-story, 102-room western-style hotel planned for the Stockyards. Developers are asking the city for a tax abatement worth nearly $330,000 over the next six years to help reduce the costs of building the project partially across a flood plain.

[tamtagon]

I'm glad there is so much activity in Fort Worth. I do not regularly visit the Fort Worth Forum, so I've got the perception that big building projects (new & redevelopment) in FW was practically at a standstill for years until 3 substantial projects in 2003. It's an exciting time (for a geek like me) in Fort Worth.

Is there a noticable cycle in developments in FW? Hopefully, downtown FW will growth as a job center and residential location will be spurred on by the current projects. The overall prosperity of the DFW market place benefits from the largest possible number of job available in FW central business district.

[John T Roberts]

I don't think there has really been a noticable cycle in the construction projects. Over the last few years, there has been a mix of office, residential, retail, etc.

Garrett, as for this particular hotel, I don't have much information about it. I know that five years ago, my firm was interviewed for providing architectural services for it. However, the project died for a while, and we were out of the running. Now it appears as if it has been resurrected.

[psukhu]

I heard of a plan to connect the Stock Yards to DT FW via light rail. Anybody know anything about this?

[John T Roberts]

The connection was proposed in the first plan for a starter light rail system in Fort Worth. When financing was further examined, the leg from DT to the Stockyards was eliminated, leaving the route from the Cultural District through DT to the TWU campus as the proposed starter system. The plan was turned down for federal funding, so the planners are now rethinking the entire light rail proposal. The City Council has decided to shift its interests to expanding commuter rail at the current time.

[Arch-Image]

I have been hearing some quiet rumors that this Hotel may be back on the boards, anyone heard anything?