Fort Worth: Omni Fort Worth Hotel (Conv. Ctr.) (447 FT. / 33 ST.)

[Fort Worthology]

Fort Worth is finally coming out! I always adored Fort Worth but I hope it doesn't turn into Dallas part two. I wish you would photograph some of the other great projects going on there, too!

I do. :)

http://fortworthology.com

I try to post about 'em on here sometimes, but I'm usually busy enough filling my own site. :)

[rosewood]

I see that! What an absolutely fabulous site! It is now in my bookmarks and will be viewed often. I just love Fort Worth and you are documenting it in such a beautiful way. Bravo, darling!

FYI, even though it is ridiculous, I kind of love the cowboy, oil catting image of that gas drill going up right in the middle of it all. The visual is vintage Texan, I am sure you can appreciate that even though its a bit much and soooo close to that wonderful conversion.

Any, I just adore your website! Thank you for sharing.

Rosewood.

[Dallascaper]

Images from yesterday:

http://www.farscapefantasy.com/DFW/Nov07/Omni1.jpg

http://www.farscapefantasy.com/DFW/Nov07/Omni2.jpg

http://www.farscapefantasy.com/DFW/Nov07/Omni3.jpg

[gc]

very nice progress.

[Tnekster]

Anybody hear what Mayor Mike Moncrief said about the Barnett Shale opportunity that will be bringing FW billions of dollars over the next few decades? He said he is looking forward to the day everyone refers to this area as FWD, not DFW.

[vman]

Anybody hear what Mayor Mike Moncrief said about the Barnett Shale opportunity that will be bringing FW billions of dollars over the next few decades? He said he is looking forward to the day everyone refers to this area as FWD, not DFW.
and then maybe people might know what city he's the mayor of. I'm sure he gets tired of going out of state and saying "I'm the mayor of Fort Worth" and getting the "Where's that?" or "That's near Dallas, right? response.

[Fort Worthology]

Recent pics:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2283/2046174134_2c1457dfa3.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2039/2046174352_ba92b27795.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/2046175082_fab0566f04.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/2045384247_d10f3bdbfb.jpg

New parking garage crane:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2063/2045385333_e143d3478e.jpg

[Fort Worthology]

Latest shot - with most of the steel framing on the lower levels done, they're really moving on the tower portions and some facade materials are going up now as well.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/2115490451_ca60cbb58a_o.jpg

[NThomas]

Latest shot - with most of the steel framing on the lower levels done, they're really moving on the tower portions and some facade materials are going up now as well.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/2115490451_ca60cbb58a_o.jpg

I guess in Fort Worth this is build out...lol jk

[Fort Worthology]

I guess in Fort Worth this is build out...lol jk

Uh, okay.

[Fort Worthology]

Latest pics - the Omni is really starting to move now.

View looking south on Houston Street:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-1.jpg

The quasi-related new city parking garage (which will be un-garagey and feature ground-level retail) is starting to rise:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-2.jpg

Prep work for the Convention Center side's facade is underway as the rest of the building rises. The corner there will be glass clad, as will the curved steel beams of the ballroom:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-3.jpg

The ballroom frame and part of the hotel tower:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-4.jpg

The first parts of the glass curtain wall are now going up on the Houston Street side:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-5.jpg

The glass has already given us a cool new reflection view we've never seen before - the Convention Center's corner tower on Houston Street reflected in the glass:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-6.jpg

Closer view and detail of the glass:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-7.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-8.jpg

View of the Throckmorton Street side. On the left, the first part of the hotel's facade is going up, along with some glass. If you look at the rendering:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/92/264058625_4204a5d6dd.jpg

...you can see how the glass condo tower is partially surrounded by hotel towers and rises from them.
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-10.jpg

Hotel facade work:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-11.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-12.jpg

Here we see the hotel glass going up, and the facade. This portion of the facade is concrete panels with limestone trim, as seen on the lower level there:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-13.jpg

Closeup of limestone trim:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-14.jpg

Hotel glass:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-15.jpg

Limestone:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-16.jpg

Looking from Throckmorton towards the Convention Center across the new garage:
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/omni-17.jpg

[jsoto3]

Looks great! Thanks for sharing the photos. Please keep them coming as the project progresses. Ft. Worth is putting Dallas to shame with its convention facilities.

[elmstreetdallas]

Wouldn't it just be better to say "Nice job Fort Worth!" rather than criticize Dallas?

[I45Tex]

Wouldn't it just be better to say "Nice job Fort Worth!" rather than criticize Dallas?

It distracts attention from the Gaylord stuff on which the mid cities are beating the both of them.

[DalMac]

FortWorthology, I really appreciate your updates!

[gc]

awesome.

[vman]

Wouldn't it just be better to say "Nice job Fort Worth!" rather than criticize Dallas?
Is FW really beating Dallas in the "Convention Businesss"( by sizes of conventions and economic impact)? I've never thought so. And I love the hotel, but I've always thought the convention center redo is god awful. It looks like a huge surburban high school attached to a UFO from a 1950's sci-fi movie.

[Fort Worthology]

A significant milestone has been reached - the hotel portion is topping out. They are working on the final level of the hotel (you can see from the photos that the floor-to-ceiling height is greater on this floor than the other hotel floors). Once this is complete, the condo portion of the tower will rise from the rest to the final height of 34 stories.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2090/2257870894_0043ef828f_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2257074375_548cf8fe7b_o.jpg

In another note, they are now installing glass on the condo tower portion of the building.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2002/2257074271_a5953f6020_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2257074463_edca872c20_o.jpg

[Sky Time]

I always look forward to seeing your updates on this.

[Fort Worthology]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2410041007_64502b16d1_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2410870262_3287c33427_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/2410870516_f9c65a5a2b_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/2410041763_cde6d7edee_o.jpg

[Sky Time]

thats a big glass wall

[gc]

Not sure what everyone else thinks about this, but I really think this thing is looking good. It fits in perfectly with FW.

[DalMac]

^It's my favorite building of the DFW boom.

[gchrisbailey]

Well, this building just raises the stakes for Dallas...when (and if) they build the Dallas Convention Center Hotel, it will have to top this one (height and style)

[vman]

Well, this building just raises the stakes for Dallas...when (and if) they build the Dallas Convention Center Hotel, it will have to top this one (height and style)

That won't be hard to do. :2lol:

[mrowl]

Well, this building just raises the stakes for Dallas...when (and if) they build the Dallas Convention Center Hotel, it will have to top this one (height and style)

so instead of 100 rooms empty everyday, there will be 500 in dallas? :2lol:

[Fort Worthology]

Back in November, it had been announced that there were already 80,000 room hours booked through 2015. I think the Omni is going to do very good business.

[cowboyeagle05]

Back in November, it had been announced that there were already 80,000 room hours booked through 2015. I think the Omni is going to do very good business.

For their size of Omni Hotel and convention center I wouldn't be surprised. The Fort Worth market is vastly different than the Dallas monolithic convention center market and hotel business.

[Sky Time]

Hotel bookings hit all-time high after only 7 months
BY ANDREA AHLES
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER


S-T/ROSS HAILEY
The Omni Fort Worth has already altered Fort Worth's skyline. It is being built across the street from the convention center and is expected to open in January.

Seven months and $2 million later, the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau is turning the city into convention heaven.

More than 162,000 room nights have been booked for meetings in anticipation of three new or renovated hotels surrounding the downtown convention center being completed in the next year, bureau President David DuBois said Tuesday.

The hotels, including the Omni Fort Worth, which is expected to open in January, are adding more than 1,000 rooms to the downtown area. And although that means there are more rooms to fill with visitors, DuBois said the bureau has attracted large state and national conventions that had not been able to come to Fort Worth before.

"Sixty percent of our year is done, and we've already exceeded in bookings what we did in our best year ever, in a 12-month period," said DuBois, who briefed the Fort Worth City Council on the bookings Tuesday.

Getting ready

Last year, the bureau got the city to invest an additional $2 million into its annual budget so it could hire five convention salespeople, an assistant for them and an Internet marketing manager.

Their goal was to book 250,000 definite room nights, which is 100,000 more than the city has ever booked.

DuBois said he has set a high goal because, with new and renovated properties opening this year and next, his staff had more hotel rooms to fill.

This year, the Hilton Fort Worth will complete its $14 million in renovations, and the Sheraton Fort Worth, with 430 rooms, will reopen. In January, the Omni Fort Worth across the street from the convention center will open to host its first convention.

'A lot more attractive'

With hotels, restaurants and shopping all within walking distance of the convention center, Fort Worth is becoming more attractive to meetings that need 1,000 to 2,000 hotel rooms for participants.

"All six downtown hotels are either freshly renovated or brand-new construction," said Larry Auth, director of sales and marketing for Omni Fort Worth. "Fort Worth has a clean, crisp new look, and meeting planners are taking hold of that."

When it opens in 2009, the Omni will have seven restaurants ranging from a Starbucks to a Bob's Steak and Chop House. It will also assume the catering functions for the convention center, giving meeting planners a one-stop shopping experience, Auth said.

While the Omni and the Sheraton provide new competition to older hotels in the market, including the Hilton Fort Worth, formerly the Radisson, the other downtown hotels can provide rooms for large conventions that won't fit under one roof.

"We've become a lot more attractive to a lot of other conventions that we weren't able to get prior to these conversions," said Stan Kennedy, general manager of the Hilton Fort Worth.

Looking ahead

Some of the new convention business includes the Texas Medical Association in 2010 and the Texas Apartment Association in 2011.

The bureau also booked for 2010 the convention of the Army Aviation Association, which came to Fort Worth until it outgrew the city. That meeting uses 2,500 rooms a night, and the group wants to return to the city every four years, DuBois said.

A third of conventions the bureau sends formal proposals choose Fort Worth, he said.

Other positive signs:

The city's room tax is up 13 percent to about $8,000 in the first seven months of fiscal 2008 compared with the same period in fiscal 2007.

The bureau's marketing team has achieved 89 percent of its media value goal of $1.6 million -- the value of mentions of the city in the news media. This was bolstered by coverage of Fort Worth on the Today Show.

The tourism sales staff has developed new golf, shopping and festival packages and are halfway to their goal of booking 2,500 room nights for tourist groups.

Now that his convention sales staff has surpassed the most room nights ever booked for the city, DuBois is putting the pressure on for the second half of the year.

"We're shooting to double," said DuBois, which would add up to 300,000 room nights booked in one year. "But I'm also realistic that as a sales and marketing guy, you're only as good as your last month. The heat is on."

BY THE NUMBERS

Fort Worth CVB

$6.9 million budgeted for fiscal 2008

162,000 room nights booked in the first seven months of the fiscal year

33%of conventions wooed by the bureau choose Fort Worth

13% more room tax has been collected in fiscal 2008 compared with fiscal 2007

NEW HOTEL ROOMS ON THE HORIZON

Three new or renovated hotels will be completed in the next year near the Fort Worth Convention Center downtown.

Omni Fort Worth

Address: 1300 Houston St.Rooms: 607

Meeting space: 68,000 square feet

Amenities: Seven restaurants, a day spa, caterer for the Fort Worth convention center

Status: Scheduled to open in January

Sheraton Fort Worth

Address: 1701 Commerce St.Rooms: 430

Meeting space: 22,000 square feet

Amenities: 8,000-square-foot luxury fitness center and spa, indoor pool and restaurant

Status: Scheduled to reopen in August

Hilton Fort Worth

Address: 815 Main St.Rooms: 294

Meeting space: 24,000 square feet

Amenities: Restaurant, 42-inch plasma TVs in every room, a Hilton Ideation high-tech conference room

Status: Now open; a Starbucks will open in the hotel in August, with room and meeting space renovations completed by then

aahles@star-telegram.com
ANDREA AHLES, 817-548-5523


sounds like a convincing argument for a Dallas Convention Center Hotel.

[Fort Worthology]

My latest photos - the Omni is 11 stories away from completion (seven occupied, four mechanical):

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2592807146_dd51ebd265_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3227/2591968833_f3b296b9ff_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2592807444_0e66b07029_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2592807550_8fddd061cf_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2591969297_6a3eac4492_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2591969399_7079dbe880_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3282/2591969469_eb06310688_o.jpg

[Dbadger]

This is really nice. I haven't gone there in quite some time.
I should go check it out.
I always thought it is a beautiful city.

[gchrisbailey]

Can anyone get a new skyline shot of Fort Worth with this new tower?

[Double Wide]

I hope the Dallas Convention Center looks as good as this.

[TheMapman]

My, Fort Worth, what a lovely convention center hotel you are building

(Meanwhile, on the other side of some mouths...)

Dallas doesn't need a convention center hotel!

[FoUTASportscaster]

So part of your reasoning that Dallas needs one is that FW is building one?

[Spjz]

^I think that Dallas should get a stock yard too, so our Arts and Museum District can smell like poo as well.

[Ersatz]

From my office building in Dallas we can just now see the tower on the west horizon joining the other ones in the distance.

[Fort Worthology]

^I think that Dallas should get a stock yard too, so our Arts and Museum District can smell like poo as well.

How about we have a Fort Worth thread without this sort of stuff? Is that too much to ask?

[TheMapman]

So part of your reasoning that Dallas needs one is that FW is building one?

No, I don't. But so many people here act as if something that's successful somewhere else shouldn't be copied because then it won't seem original or something. My god, the whole argument isn't anything like "____ has it so we must to". It's about bringing a high quality major project to a part of downtown that has been relatively dormant, about bringing more people into downtown through convention business, about enhancing Dallas' image as a destination, about adding to the skyline, and about 100 other things that have absolutely nothing to do with Fort Worth.

Just because I think that Fort Worth is building a nice hotel and may well show that a convention center hotel can indeed enhance the convention business doesn't mean that's the sole reason I, or anyone else who supports it, thinks it's a good idea.

[FoUTASportscaster]

No, I don't. But so many people here act as if something that's successful somewhere else shouldn't be copied because then it won't seem original or something.

Let's tap the brakes just a little on this. The thing isn't even built yet.

[vman]

How about we have a Fort Worth thread without this sort of stuff? Is that too much to ask?
Fort Worth has a forum if you guys didn't know. But I think he post things on this forum because this forum gets ten times the activity. Nothing wrong with posting where it will be seen. But say anything about Dallas on the FW forum and they freak out. I enjoy the FW posts here though and I hope he keeps them up.

[sterling]

Aside from all this "My high school is better than your high school" mentality, it may come as news to some of you that much of the world views Dallas-Ft. Worth as being the same place. Yes they are two different neighborhoods, but essentially part of the same vast conglomerate, even sharing a vast airport smack dab in the middle of them. Almost seems planned. Gee, even this forum has the title Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum. That seems fairly inclusive of all the territory in between as well. Go figure.

Sure, as a native Texan I know there are a few differences between the western 25 miles of highway frontage and the eastern 25, but could we stop pretending they are India vs. Pakistan? Some of you sound like you'd perpetrate nuclear war over who gets more eventual control over Grapevine.

[Spjz]

...but essentially part of the same vast conglomerate, even sharing a vast airport smack dab in the middle of them. Almost seems planned. Gee, even this forum has the title Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum. That seems fairly inclusive of all the territory in between as well. Go figure.
Agreed, anybody who wants to discuss Fort Worth issues can start an new thread under the appropriate category. I for one would love to see how the Southside area (South Main) is coming along.

Sure, as a native Texan I know there are a few differences between the western 25 miles of highway frontage and the eastern 25, but could we stop pretending they are India vs. Pakistan? Some of you sound like you'd perpetrate nuclear war over who gets more eventual control over Grapevine.Now don't try to take the fun out of it. Stereo types can be good fun as long as things don't get too personal. I enjoy the pretentious metro-sexual v. urban hick jokes.

[Fort Worthology]

Can anyone get a new skyline shot of Fort Worth with this new tower?

Here's a panorama I shot Sunday from the Amon Carter Museum porch. It covers all of downtown, from the river on the north (marked by the courthouse dome on the left) to the railroad on the south (marked by the top of the Texas & Pacific lofts/train station peeking over the trees on the right). I think the Omni's presence in the former hole of the Convention Center/south downtown area is a great start at making downtown look as big as it actually is - with nothing much visible south of Burnett Plaza in most views, it seemed smaller in area than in reality. Click it for the full 6000x1951 resolution version:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2602232682_46ef5f2a1d_b.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2602232682_dbd0bc9c12_o.jpg)

[Ersatz]

Mr. Fortwortholgy,

If one take the train to Forth Worth to see the museums, what station is the closest and how much of a trek is it from the station? Do you know?

[Fort Worthology]

If one take the train to Forth Worth to see the museums, what station is the closest and how much of a trek is it from the station? Do you know?

As the state of rail transit is at the moment, both of the stations (for the TRE) are downtown. One would get off at the Intermodal Transportation Center and catch a T bus to the museums, or one could bike off the train to the museums.

This will be improved a great deal if those of us pushing for a modern streetcar are successful. Give us some time - we're working on it. :)

[FoUTASportscaster]

The number seven T bus will get you to the Cultural District.

[Fort Worthology]

A quick update - the Omni is getting close to topping out. It appears they have completed the 31st floor, which means they have 2 occupied levels and four mechanical levels left to go. I have been busy and don't have a recent photo, but here is an image from the Omni's construction web cam this morning:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2695161391_fbdbed02d7_o.jpg

[John T Roberts]

Here are my latest construction photos of the hotel taken this week:

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/omni-const-sw.jpg

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/omni-const-se.jpg

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/omni-const-ne.jpg

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/omni-const-nw.jpg

[Fort Worthology]

Here's a few shots:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/2699930491_f59636e9bc_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2700745858_faef313d8e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2700745966_dee083153e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2700746064_23d95cffec_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2700746190_e79d71c244_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2700746306_a0a644ab34_o.jpg