Demolition of the 1950s-era J.A. Cavile Place public housing community is underway and will continue through March. The construction area is closed to pedestrian traffic.
Midwest Wrecking Co. of Texas will work with prime contractor 1 Priority Environmental Services LLC to clear the landmark red brick buildings from the 22-acre site off Etta Street, south of East Rosedale Street. The property is the future home of three phases of mixed-income, modern housing called for in the Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative, the City of Fort Worth said in a news release.
Known for its red brick buildings, Cavile’s 300 units were home to generations of southeast Fort Worth families. All Cavile residents relocated to homes of their choice as of June 30, and the property closed. Former residents have the right to return to the community as new housing comes online over the next several years.
The Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan calls for modern apartment complexes to be built in six phases, a new community hub and an aquatics center. Construction of the first development, the Cowan Place senior living community, is scheduled to begin in spring 2021 at Rosedale Street and Stalcup Road.
The Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative is a collaboration among Fort Worth Housing Solutions, the City of Fort Worth, Fort Worth ISD, McCormack Baron Salazar and Urban Strategies Inc. with support from numerous area agencies.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Fort Worth Housing Solutions and the City of Fort Worth a $35 million grant in April to seed revitalization of the neighborhood.
The Cavile demolition marks a historic moment in Fort Worth and a shift toward the de-concentration of poverty, said Lachelle Goodrich, Fort Worth Housing Solutions director for the Choice Neighborhood Initiative.
“We’re creating the foundation for a stronger neighborhood with better housing and greater opportunity for residents,” she said. “Change is about to come.”