When did the dog days of summer skip the puppy stage of gradual heat increase and jump right into the lap of hot, hot, hot?
I happen to subscribe to virtually all theories of climate change and global warming. But let’s put aside for the moment the vexing problems of fossil fuels and auto emissions (have you been on I-35 during rush hour or even West Seventh Street at noon or 5 p.m.?) and the looming threat of population growth and density, and let’s agree on this: June never seemed so hot in Fort Worth, Texas.
The furnace heats we are experiencing with temperatures already soaring to 100 degrees and above can bring us to our knees – or at least to a comfortable perch in some air-conditioned refuge.
Why do we subject ourselves to such misery? Because there’s no better place to live.
On June 27, the Business Press honored 19 area residents who work in the “C-Suite,” the corporate shorthand term for that enclave of the business world where executives boasting the word “chief” or some lofty equivalent in their titles ply the craft of business leadership. Our honorees reminded us why folks willingly endure the annual discomfort of sweltering summers when they replied to a newsroom questionnaire that asked, among other intrusions, what they like to do in their spare time (even though a glance at their extensive work accomplishments and civic activities might make a reasonable person wonder if they have “spare time.”)
The honorees graciously answered the question and more than a third said they love Clearfork, the retail and residential oasis developed on the property where cowboys and cattle once roamed the legendary Edwards Ranch. The cowhands who drove herds to market along the historic Chisholm Trail might have a hard time relating to the marvels lining the opulent aisles of Neiman Marcus or to elegant restaurants with $125 steaks on the menu.
One of the honorees on hand for the C-Suite awards luncheon at the Fort Worth Club was Johnny Campbell, CEO of Sundance Square. He has overseen the remarkable and impressive redevelopment of downtown, an achievement capped with the completion of Sundance Plaza just a few years ago.
Campbell’s projects are prime examples of why folks move here, stay here, and love Fort Worth. While many respondents to our questionnaire cited Clearfork as their top leisure-time love, an equal number said they love visiting downtown and Sundance Square – the restaurants, stores and world-renowned gems of the city such as Bass Performance Hall.
People love the new and the sparkly, but also treasure the old. Many said they like living here because of our rodeo and stock show, unique experiences for sure.
As Fort Worth grows, it continues to evolve. The completion of Dickies Arena, a multi-use entertainment facility in the Cultural District west of downtown, will add yet another dimension to life here. The arena will offer a world-class venue for sporting events and concerts, and the rodeo in the new building will be spectacular – a joining of the “old” with the new, the past with the future.
By the end of this year, we’ll be able to jump on the TEXRail train and travel from downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport. Also on the horizon is the promise of high-speed rail, which will revolutionize transportation across North Texas and beyond.
Never mind the summer heat, even as the heat arrives seemingly hotter and earlier than ever. We can take the heat because visionary leaders and a forward-looking populace combine to make Fort Worth a city for the future, giving us a quality of life that allows us to progress and to enjoy the progress we have made.
Richard Connor is president and publisher of the Fort Worth Business Press. Contact him at rconnor@bizpress.net