With the opening of Tarleton State University’s newest Fort Worth campus on the horizon (September 2019), residents and visitors will need a way to get to and from school, along with accessing the houses and all the other developments popping up in the Rock Creek Ranch area.
So, at its Tuesday meeting, the Fort Worth City Council adopted a resolution determining the costs of certain public improvements to the area, the focus being roadways, to be financed by Public Improvement District No. 17.
They also called for a public hearing on the proposed project at the June 5 council meeting.
The estimated total cost is $5.67 million. The general nature of the project includes roadway improvements, and costs related to the creation and administration of the district.
The roadway improvements will benefit only the Western Improvement Area of the district and are separate special assessments from those previously levied to pay the costs of certain water and wastewater improvements benefiting the entire district.
“I’m very proud of the work we’ve done to make it a reality. It’s a perfect example of growth paying for growth,” said District 6 Council Member Jungas Jordan, in whose district the property lies. “The reason it became so attractive is the Chisholm Trail Parkway. That’s my pride and joy.”
Walton Development Company donated 80 acres of land to Tarleton State University on which to build the new campus in a key spot on the Chisholm Trail Parkway and construction is already underway. Jordan said when the school opens in the fall of 2019 it will have around 2,900 juniors and seniors supplied by the Tarrant County College system.
“They’re already talking about a second building. Their long-term goal is around 10,000 students,” he said. “One of the things Walton recognized early on is education plays a key role in quality development.”
Walton has also donated 12 acres to the Crowley School District and ground was recently broken on a new elementary school near Tarleton.
Jordan said the district is one of only two capital PIDs (Public Improvement Districts) in which the city has entered, the other being the Walsh Ranch Development. A Public Improvement District is a defined geographical area established to provide specific types of improvements or maintenance which are financed by assessments against the property owners within the area.
“It really is a partnership between Walton, Tarleton and Fort Worth, and we’re very excited,” said Walton President John Vick, a Fort Worth native who graduated Southwest High School.
Walton has already developed and sold 169 single-family lots in the district. Vick said a second phase of 233 lots are scheduled to be delivered to builders in the third quarter of 2018.
“I think this property is important because of the Chisholm Trail Parkway, and it’s important we have a development that supports why it’s there,” Vick said.
“I will also commend the Walton folks for understanding they are building on a beautiful prairie,” Jordan said, noting they’ve also put in a new park.
“It’s always great to see your home prosper,” he said.
The boundaries of the district encompass approximately 1,756 acres, and the
district is generally located along both sides of the Chisolm Trail Parkway south of McPherson Boulevard and north of FM 1187.