A series of community meetings about plans for the $1.16 billion Panther Island project in Fort Worth wraps up this week with meetings on Thursday (Sept. 28) and Saturday (Sept. 30).
Residents are encouraged to RSVP online and participate in a survey. A Spanish translator will be present at the Sept. 30 meeting. Information for Spanish-speaking residents is available online.
Thursday’s meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Tarrant County College, Trinity River Campus, 300 Campus Circle. Saturday’s meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at Artes de la Rosa, 1440 North Main St.
The meetings are targeted to residents and businesses adjacent to the long-delayed Panther Island development but are open to all.
Partners participating in the Panther Island project, including the city of Fort Worth and the Tarrant Regional Water District, have hired the consulting firm of HR&A Advisors to update a long-term development plan originally adopted by the city in 2004.
HR&A recently released a preliminary report on the project, the first of three the consulting firm will produce to shape the vision and development strategy for the 800-acre island that will be located north of the Tarrant County Courthouse.
The critical reason for the project, officials say, is flood control. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use federal and local funds to design and dig a channel that will allow rerouting of a 1.5-mile section of the Trinity River to prevent future flooding.
The channel will carve out the island, ushering in the opportunity for waterfront development of commercial, retail and multi-family properties.
The consulting firm’s final report is expected to be completed by December.
