Master plan unveiled for Stockyards redevelopment

Stockyards Master Plan

The master plan for redevelopment of the Fort Worth Stockyards was unveiled Tuesday at a meeting of the Historic Stockyards Design District Task Force that attracted about 100 attendees.

No building models were presented, but Craig Cavileer of Majestic Realty said there are no plans to take down any of the existing buildings.

Cavileer, who presented the plan, said repairs are planned for the Scale House, Auction Barn, mule barns and cattle pens.

The number of cattle pens will be reduced, but the exact number has not yet been determined, he said.

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There are currently 72 cattle pens within the Stockyards.

Other plans include the expansion of Exchange Avenue, the addition of a festival area and new developments in the Marine Creek District.

Marine Creek District will include a waterfront property, as well as hotel, restaurants, retail and concert area.

The festival area will be used for special events such as concerts. There will also be room for shops, restaurants and parking.

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The Fort Worth City Council approved the $175 million Stockyards redevelopment in 2014. Majestic Realty will be heading the project along with the Hickman family, which owns 70 acres in the Stockyards.

The Historic Stockyards Design District Task Force is charged with developing design guidelines and standards for new development, including the Majestic-Hickman project. The standards will not apply to existing property, nor will the ordinance deal with historic preservation, much to the dismay of some task force members who believed that was what the council asked them to accomplish.

The redevelopment has received criticism, however, as some worry that the Stockyards will lose its historic character. Some of those sentiments were expressed by the public during the meeting.

Back in June, the National Trust for Historic Preservation stated in a press release that “insensitive development threatens this historically significant place.” The organization listed the Stockyards among its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

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Hoping to clear up misunderstandings regarding the project, the Stockyards Heritage group posted a YouTube video stating “myths” and “facts” about the redevelopment on Friday.

The next public meeting of the Historic Stockyards Design District Task Force will be held at 6 p.m. July 22 at the Cowboy Hall of Fame, 128 East Exchange Ave.

Click through the slideshow below to see the current state of some of the structures Majestic and Hickman hope to repair. Photos courtesy of Majestic Realty.