More West 7th Tenants Announced
by Kevin Buchanan
We’ve heard from Museum Place and So7 recently, and now it’s West 7th’s turn. The new mixed-use urban development currently under construction on nearly six blocks bounded by University, 7th, Morton, and Foch has announced more tenants. Some of them are ones I’ve been hearing about for a while, while some are new. The announced tenants are now as follows:
Movie Tavern (Seven-screen “Premiere” version)
Lucky Strike Lanes
Fort Worth City Market (from the makers of the Dallas City Market)
Fireside Pies
Iron Cactus
Patrizio’s
Tillman’s Roadhouse
Brut
Yofe (a yogurt shop)
Paciugo
Saxby’s Coffee
LA Fitness
Sovereign Bank
Interestingly, Paciugo was listed as a So7 retailer very recently as well. With so many developments happening in such close proximity (West 7th, So7, Museum Place, and Montgomery Plaza all adjacent to each other), it’s to be expected that tenants would be looking at each one of the projects for a home and “playing the field,” so to speak.
West 7th will also be home to a 150-room hotel, though the operator has not been announced (I’ve heard some vague rumors of Element, another Starwood brand with a different focus from the Aloft going in at Museum Place). The hotel will have 20 purchasable condos, while the rest of the development will have 345 apartments as well as new office space.
West 7th is going up now – at least two of the blocks have gone vertical, and preparations are underway on the rest.
UPDATE – Click on through to see some photos of what Lucky Strike Lanes looks like. That Mid-Century Modern look is hot! It’s great to see that some people are building cool bowling alleys again.
42 Comments, Comments or Pings
Pete Wann
I’ll say it before anyone else does: It’s a little sad to see so many out-of-town concepts going in. I take some solace in the fact that they’re only coming from across the river, but it’s still a little disappointing.
Having said that – HOLY F****ING SH*T I’M ALL OVER LUCKY STRIKE LIKE A BAD SUNBURN!!! That place looks cool as hell. Yeah, manufactured, neo-retro nostalgia cool, but still damn cool.
Mar 13th, 2008
Jim Wilson
I’ll second everything Pete said… typed, about Lucky Strike!
Its so cool looking it seems really wrong to call it a “Bowling Alley.” A place for a drink and to hang out until the movie?
Mar 13th, 2008
b
Vomit. Vomit. Vomit.
Fort Worth just lost the ability to say that it is better than Dallas. Nope, we are just Gomorrah to Dallas’ Sodom I am afraid. I have to get out of this place and not look back lest I be turned to a pillar of salt.
Mar 13th, 2008
Kevin
b, I’d really like to know what your problem is with this sort of thing. Pete, for example, had an actual point.
From my perspective, I see increased density and developments like this as a good thing. I’ve explained why many times. Getting more people living in the central city in walkable environments is a good thing in my book. Revitalizing the central city is a good thing in my book. Turning the tide from suburban expansion is a good thing in my book.
You’ve posted something negative about every single one of these 7th Street developments, but beyond little comments like the Sodom and Gomorrah thing, you’ve never actually given a real reason. If you can do so without being obtuse and without calling us “clueless” like last time, we can have an actual dialogue about it.
Mar 13th, 2008
Annie
Agreed!!! So what if many of these new businesses are coming from Dallas–at least they’re coming. It’s about time Ft. Worth enter the 21st century!!! I think it’s great. Not to worry, I’m sure Fort Worth will mange to keep its’ cowtown image as well.
Mar 13th, 2008
Bella
I agree with you Annie!
The Cowtown spirit is alive and well in Fort Worth.
Mar 13th, 2008
Jonathan
I just hope this doesn’t draw everyone away from the nice organic development that is happening on and around Magnolia.
Mar 13th, 2008
Bella
Speaking of other local developments. Has anyone heard more about the development of “Midtown” on the corner of Rosedale and Forest Park?
Mar 13th, 2008
Jonathan
Bella: I heard there is at least one hotel going up at that intersection. Maybe Kevin has more info.
Mar 13th, 2008
Ann
Midtown’s revised site plan was on the agenda yesterday (3/12) of the Zoning Commission and they requested to be continued for 60 days in order to continue their meetings with neighborhoods and those interested before proceeding. They will be on the agenda for the Zoning Commisssion on May 14th with the public hearing scheduled to begin at 10am.
Mar 13th, 2008
Ann
Oh and as far as uses… The original site plan had two hotels on it and a mix of residential, retail and office. I think the new site plan (I’ve only seen a very small reduced size copy of it that is difficult to read) seems to show just one hotel and retail, office, restaurant, coffee with no specific businesses indicated.
Mar 13th, 2008
b
Ok, yes, I will be first to admit I have been nothing but an obtuse cranky, cranky old man. However, I will say for anybody who finds this growth positive hasn’t lived in a 2000-3000 block home west of downtown for more than ten years AND makes less than six figures. Getting priced out of your beloved neighborhood by gentrification and homogenization leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.
This area has long been a funky mix of residential, random industrial and of course Fred’s. In other words a great place to ride a bike to get your stuff done. As it stands now, before any of these major works are complete, it has become a major cluster F. I just see all of the soul being ripped out of the near west side and it leaves a hole in my heart. The white flight of the 1980s has been replaced with a studio apartment mentality that leaves a bit of a whole in my heart that reminds me of when Fort Worth embraced true mixed use development. The most cohesive neighborhood in Fort Worth is Linwood. Kids still play in yards there without worry. It will be gone soon, don’t worry.
A former commenter in an earlier post about the monstrosity that is going up at 7th/Camp Bowie/University said what neighborhood, it was just a couple bars, a barber shop etc. Well that would be a place that had local institutions such as the Wreck Room, 7th St Barber shop and others. I.E. a neighborhood. It is being replaced by a multi-million dollar development where someday you might be able to tug an ear at a chain restaurant bar.
Where some see progress I see an intact urban community being ripped apart. Long term residences getting priced out of their homes is not a happy thing
This was a pretty fast non-composed response. But that is my take. I will try to be less obtuse in the future. After all, I think there needs to be an open dialog, although it is already too late.
Mar 13th, 2008
Walton
I must admit that I’m conflicted. I want the urban development, the walkable environments but I much prefer the organic growth like Magnolia that Jonathan mentioned. I guess you can’t have that type of environment everywhere. Magnolia is a neighborhood, while this is a commercial development. I don’t know if that makes sense, maybe they are the same thing just taking very different paths to get there. I know this would have more appeal to me if it had a good share of FW businesses but at least many are local metroplex. Again, very conflicted here.
Mar 13th, 2008
SteveB
I’m a little conflicted as well. One one hand, I remember talking to Matt, proprietor of the Shamrock about how he had to install gates to block the entrance to his wife’s adjacent law office to keep vagrants from sleeping there. That’s not really a sign of a healthy area.
This will definitely take care of that issue, but looking at the restaurants’ websites and menus it almost seems like an overreaction. Nouveau italiano and “southwestern” has been done to death. I didn’t see much exotic on there. Just safe and somewhat overpriced drinks, starters, and entrees.
I am cool with the bowling alley. Maybe bowling will be to the 2010’s what Texas Hold ‘Em was to the 2000’s and Pool was to the 1990’s.
Maybe some of these fancy places will clear out the nouveau riche and striver classes from existing places that are somewhat challenging to get into these days…Lilli’s, Nona Totta, even Bonnell’s, etc.
And we should keep in my mind that several of these places are doomed to fail. It’s just the nature of the game. We’re about to put about 15 new restaurants in town between downtown and 7th, many of which appear to have mighty high overhead that must be offset with volume. Does the demand exist? I don’t know.
Mar 13th, 2008
Sarah
We live in some little condos nearby the west 7th area and we are super-stoked that there will be all this cool stuff almost within walking distance. I do hope that some local and lower-priced stuff gets into at least one of the developments, though.
Mar 14th, 2008
Pete Wann
@b
I think I understand your concerns. I don’t understand, though, how homeowners in Linwood would/could be priced out of their homes?
There are a lot of neighborhoods like you describe that are thriving exactly because (or in spite) of the gentrification you rail against. Ryan Place and Fairmount are two good examples.
Mar 14th, 2008
Amanda Sell
Not very family friendly. Disappointing. I was excited about Lucky Strike until I saw their website. Doesn’t look kid-appropriate. Why is everything going in so pretentious? Is that really the demand these days? I must be getting old!! But I’ve still got Montgomery Plaza!!
Mar 26th, 2008
quaid
All the cool kids and hipsters seem to think that “pretentious” is the way to go. I am not asking for a Luby’s or Furr’s to go in there, but places with soul (Margies, Angelos, Paris Coffee Shop) would be nice. I am not asking Paris to branch out. Mike Smith is doing great on Magnolia. I am saying that all the places don’t need to be the designed for and by the 30 thousand dollar millionaires (Those who make 30K but act, and try to spend, like they make a million.)
The Champagne Room??? Seriously, I see that lasting a month.
How many people see themselves flocking to a Kinda-Cowboy Joint with Pan-Asian and Southwestern Asian inspired dishes? (Not
Mar 26th, 2008
texfana
too much. too shiny. too slick. too fast. too too dallas.
Mar 27th, 2008
Kevin
Too much? I’d love to see *more* tenants in the area than this.
You have to look at the bigger picture. Tenants come and go over time. What’s important is that we’re densifying, adding more retail space to the central city, adding office space, and perhaps most importantly, adding new central-city residential. That means less dependence on the car and all the other benefits of urban living. It’s a good thing.
Mar 27th, 2008
texfana
I think YOU are not looking at the big picture. More office and retail space means more people, more traffic, more cars, more polution, more garbage and more excess. Do you seriously think that the people who will live in the overpriced new condos, apts, and townhomes will not own cars? They will likely have more than one (plus a Harley? maybe a shiny new Schwinn? a Vespa?). They will be uberconsumers and live like it! And all the people in those offices will be DRIVING there and DRIVING to buy an overpriced lunch. Where is the bike shop going in?
I don’t have a problem with the growth of living space within the inner city — that is fantastic. It is just all so retail-oriented and that makes me sick to my stomach. Just get ready for all the closures and bankruptcy sales when $$’s don’t add up quick enough for the little guys. Add the changes to the places that have been here all along and now can’t survive. Have you been to Fred’s lately? Having been a patron since the early 90’s I can tell you that the $10 burger is not what made Fred’s what it is.
I’m with quaid and Walton above. I’m conflicted but I’m not a hypocrite. I’ll be there with the rest of you checking it all out. I will, however, keep a cautious eye on the whole thing. I think we are Walmarting the entire area.
WAKE UP, KEVIN! Step off the shiny new bicycle and smell the Starbucks! Use your shiny new camera to take a photo of the now-empty four star coffee bar.
Will the changes really be good for Fort Worth? Hope so.
Will it be all flash with no soul? Hope not.
Perhaps All hat and no cattle?
I hope you are right and I am wrong. Let’s wait and see. If you are right I’ll buy you a champagne at Brut (if it’s still there). If I am right meet me at Kincaids for a burger (if it’s still there).
Mar 27th, 2008
Kevin
Look, yes, most people will still own cars. In an compact urban setting, they can drive *less,* and that’s a great first step. (BTW, there’s a bike shop going in at So7.) These people won’t be driving a block to do something. They’ll hop in the car to go to Central Market, not to go a few blocks down the street. Not in this sort of setting.
If you office in West 7th, I’d take a guess that most people in that situation would not drive to get food if they’re eating anywhere near that area. They’re certainly not going to get in their car to go to a restaurant in the same development, and they’ll likely be comfortable enough to walk to one of the other developments (Museum Place and West 7th are right next to each other, for example).
Retail is a *crucial* part of urban development. These developments are all along a major corridor. Ground-floor retail is *essential* to good urban design in this context. That’s one of several things that make people want to walk in the first place. If all these developments were retail-less, they’d be horrible failures.
We’re not Wal-Marting anything. This is properly designed development.
Four Star’s problems aren’t the fault of West 7th. Four Star’s problems, as has been reported, stemmed mainly from a dispute over a grease trap. I’d love to have Four Star back, but again – tenants change over time. If the old-timers compete, they’ll stay. I would love to have them, but I can’t stop it if something happens and they can’t stay afloat. With the 7th Street location gone, they should be keeping the downtown location open with the same hours – but they aren’t, so I’m not sure it’ll be around forever, either.
I’m wide awake, I assure you. Nobody wants to maintain the feel of Fort Worth more than I do. I want the rest of the city to wake up – wake up to the fact that Fort Worth is not a small town. It’s a big city, and it’s getting bigger – and anything we can do to combat sprawl (such as these developments) is a good thing in my book.
Mar 27th, 2008
Bernie
I would be very surprised if a bike shop went in there, with the rent they’re asking. If a bike shop did take the bait, I wouldn’t expect it to last.
Mar 27th, 2008
Kevin
I was a little surprised as well, but So7 has a signed lease from a bike shop for a 5,000 square foot space on Stayton Street just past the entrance to Trinity Park. They won’t tell me the name, but they do say they have a signed lease, not just a letter of intent.
Mar 27th, 2008
peteg
It has to be Performance Bike.
This kind of development doesn’t necessarily = more cars. Look at SF or NYC. WHen there are bike paths and some sort of light rail, people don’t need cars to conduct their lives.
Mar 27th, 2008
quaid
Some Fort Worthians have the “we need to be anti-dallas” mentality. I had a co-worker tell me today “So… you coming over to the Big City tomorrow?” I replied “Fort Worth is a big city. So no, I am not coming to THE big city. I am leaving one big city for another big city!” He replied “Whatever.”
That sums up the whole Dallas vs. Fort Worth thing.
I like the 7th street area, but it feels too familiar to me. Like when they put in the new developments on Hulen a few years back. Snookies came, Texadelphia came, Mongolian Grill, DSW, Ulta, Joe’s Pizza, Marble Slab. I saw the EXACT same design in a similar place the other day in NRH, Colleyville and I saw it the day before that in Southlake and before that on 75 and before that on the Dallas North Tollroad in Addison.
Nothing says we have to be a dusty little outpost on the edge of civilization, but it doesn’t say we have to be a clone of Dallas either. Find a happy medium. Hipsters get there fancy architecture in a dense cluster and the avg. Fort Worthian can still feel like it’s home, and not Dallas.
Mar 27th, 2008
Kevin
Many of the tenants, thus far, have never been in Fort Worth before, and there are several (such as Lucky Strike, Eddie V.’s, and some others) that have never been in this area at all before.
Mar 28th, 2008
quaid
I support this. I really do. There can be tenants who are new to the area, but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t feel like a clone of all the other places. I am glad the development is more upscale in it’s approach. I am glad there isn’t another McDonalds or Chipotle coming in.
There was a picture on W&C that asked what Fort Worth would look like if the Burnett Plaza wasn’t built. Will we be saying the same about the developments on 7th street?
Mar 28th, 2008
Pete Wann
Quaid, I can’t argue with the fact that the places going in are not only more “chain-y,” but also that they’re predominantly Dallas-based chains in addition to the national chains.
The difference (the ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL difference) here between what you see and have experienced down on Hulen, and in all those other places you mentioned (I would add Haltom City, Frisco and any number of other exurbs) is that these new places aren’t being built in a vacuum. There will be housing on top of and within walking distance of them. That’s what’s different and WHY they’ll be different than these other soul-crushing tarmac-laden retail centers.
I would agree with you 100% and be the most vocal and outspoken critic of this development if all it were doing was bringing retail to the area, but it’s not, and that’s why I’m so much in favor of it, even if I won’t live there. (It’s not that I WON’T, it’s just that I already own a house in the Near South Side, and we’re not ready to sell yet.)
Having said all that; I too wish there were local businesses going in there, but at least they’ll be employing local people, and we can always hope that as they die off they’ll be replaced with new concepts from local entrepreneurs.
Mar 28th, 2008
quaid
Another thing to think about.
What kind of diversity and neighborhood elements are you going to get with 400/sq. ft developments?
Mar 28th, 2008
Amanda Sell
Depends on the price tag of those 400/sq ft developments. I’m guessing the diversity will lie in whether you drive a BMW or Mercedes
My biggest hope is that there is some plan out there for all the extra traffic.
Mar 28th, 2008
quaid
I am sorry. I meant $400 per square foot apartment/condo/townhomes.
That is what the average cost of the downtown lifestyle will cost* (*according to the Cowtown Chapter of CPA’s)
I was asking what the area will look like if it’s all apartment/condo/townhomes and little to no space for apartments that are affordable for most. Sure, (some of) the trust fund babies from TCU will flock there and the well healed seeking instant status in Cowntown.
I was just lamenting on the overall picture and from my point of view, it ain’t looking pretty. I do think Pete is right on the point that having houses should make it different, but what has me worried is the type of houses.
Mar 28th, 2008
Kevin
The vast majority of units in the developments are apartments (Montgomery Plaza and So7 are the only two that are all purchasable condos). Both Museum Place and West 7th are incorporating more affordable units as some percentage of their total, I believe.
(Having lived downtown for two years, I can say that it is definitely not just “trust fund babies” and “30k millionaires” who will be living in these units. There’s a lot more variety and diversity than people give credit for. Somebody I know who has bought a Montgomery Plaza condo is a pharmaceutical tech at Baylor hospital, and definitely ain’t the pretentious “30k millionaire” sort. Urban living is becoming appealing to a lot of different kinds of folks. I interact with them daily.)
I’m not sure how they’re calculating $400/sq. ft. As far as purchase prices go, that’s really high – we’re talking Omni Hotel pricing there. Most typical nicer condos in downtown Fort Worth are $200 to $250/sq. ft. The Cultural District is pulling similar numbers. Apartments are varied – some of the more expensive downtown are around $1.50/sq. ft./month or more (Sundance West, pretty much the most expensive apartment building downtown, is often $2.00 to $2.50/sq. ft./month or more). I would expect similar (but slightly cheaper) rents in the CD. I’m not sure what people think a “downtown lifestyle” is, but I’m certainly not spending tons more money living in an urban setting. I drive so much less that my fuel costs alone are substantially lower than a suburban dweller’s.
Mar 29th, 2008
Katherine
As an employee in the Cultural District (CD), I also have conflicting feelings about all the neighborhood development. First of all, some of the employers in the ‘hood are non-profit organizations whose employees steer clear of higher-priced eateries for their dailey fare, but there are still enough restaurants in the area to suit our needs. I would dearly love to live close to my work, but I have been priced out of the CD market for the most part. Everyone in the CD works hard to make all our visitors feel welcome, so having lower priced food options available is important for families and less well-heeled visitors. Saying all that, change is coming and it’s exciting and scary. I hope we can keep our “Fort Worth friendly” attitude.
Mar 29th, 2008
Will
This won’t be a popular post, but when I saw Lucky Strike’s website, I thought “oh good, this will be a place where adults can go to bowl on a weekend night”. The prices look like it would weed out kids and teens. I’m one of those nasty BMW-driving Cultural District townhouse-dwellers/TCU alums who like to go out in the evening to environments that aren’t like stepping into a Purple Cow or Chuck E. Cheese. I prefer local businesses – say like a Fred’s, Spiral Diner, The Original, or the now dead Four Star. ( Note: I totally blame my own peer group (the Boomers) for not paying attention to their ill-behaved children in restaurants) Hopefully there will be a few upscale places the single or childless boomers can go have fun. Do people actually prefer that the University intersection contain an old abandoned Taylor Rentals building – vacant – or be revitalized into something “too Dallas”? If we can have a mixture of moderately priced family businesses and upscale eateries, then I think Fort Worth can retain their unique cultural identity and not turn into Chain-Hell-Too-Much-Like-Dallas.
Mar 29th, 2008
quaid
Will: Perfect observation about Lucky Strike and perfect question about Taylor rental.
Hard one to answer though. Would you rather be lonely when you come home from work, or have your girlfriends 9 screaming, crazy children over.
Mar 29th, 2008
quaid
My wife said something that puts it in perspective for me. She said “I want nice things to come to Fort Worth so I don’t have to go to Dallas”. We don’t lose soul and character with chains, we gain a better sense of what is like to live in Fort Worth when you experience those things in Fort Worth and not Dallas.
Who cares that they have them there in Dallas, if we can spend our money in Fort Worth, then that is good enough for me.
Mar 29th, 2008
Amanda Sell
Will, I felt the same way when I didn’t have kids. Now that I’m on the other side of the fence it is frustrating not to have cool family friendly places. I don’t know a single parent who actually wants to dine at Chuck E Cheese. Cool parents want to do cool things with their cool kids. I hope the 7th St. developers won’t forget about us!
Also, I think my biggest complaint about going to bars and clubs is having to marinate in all the cigarette smoke. Hopefully our new classy establishments will be smoke free and I’d be happy to drop a few bucks trying them out.
Mar 31st, 2008
quaid
No feeling are meant to be hurt by this post.
When you are without child… they (your kids) become cool when they hit 27 years old. Until then, there is a place to bowl for families; It’s called Main Event.
Mar 31st, 2008
Amanda Sell
Someday you’ll understand, dear childless friends. Until then, may we all get what we’re looking for in the 7th street redevelopment.
Apr 1st, 2008
Johnathan
I heard that celebrity chef Casey Thompson is putting together an American concept with the first location in the West 7th development. Anyone heard anything about that? I hope its true…I cant wait to eat her cooking again!!!
May 6th, 2009
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