The economic development and flood control project became a reality in January when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allocated $403 million to build a 1.5 mile channel transforming a 338-acre area north of downtown into an island and San Antonio style River Walk.

The city of Fort Worth partnered with Tarrant County, the Tarrant Regional Water District, Tarrant County College, Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, Downtown Fort Worth Inc., and Streams & Valleys in an effort to find a real estate consulting firm to help figure out how to develop the island.

Assistant city manager Dana Burghdoff told members of a board coordinating the local efforts that the consultant will help update years-old plans that no longer fit the city’s needs or real estate market trends.

However, the north side community, which sits directly north of the island, has yet to be included in this development process.

There has been some involvement from the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, but leaders of the business and neighborhood association say they’ve yet to be contacted.

Some aren’t bothered while others say their community needs to be included to enhance the island with the north side’s unique culture rather than letting it become just another mixed used development.

Business outreach

Reuben Riojas, who heads up the Historic Northside Business Association, notes that Panther Island doesn’t technically fall within his organization’s boundaries.

The business association’s boundaries go along Main Street from the train tracks up to Northeast 23rd Street, Riojas said.

Given that the island doesn’t fall within those boundaries, Riojas doesn’t think the business association should have much of a say it its development.

“I don’t really care who controls it. I just want them to do a good job,” he said.

Riojas acknowledged the development will probably lead to some gentrification of the north side, but didn’t see that as a problem.

“Any injection of capital into our neighborhood is a good thing,” Riojas said.

A.J. Garcia, who heads up the Northside Neighborhood Association, said he hasn’t heard much about Panther Island outside of a fight during redistricting.

One of the proposed city council maps would have removed Panther Island from the district that includes the north side and put it in the same city council district as downtown.

Garcia notes a lot of residents from the north side showed up at city council to oppose any map that would separate Panther Island.

Other than the renaming of the bridges, Garcia said he hasn’t heard of any outreach from the city.

In the shadow of downtown

The lack of outreach is not intentional, Burghdoff said.

The real estate consultant the city is looking to hire will help with outreach, so the community will have an opportunity to contribute during that part of the process.

Organizations representing downtown, such as the business advocacy nonprofit Downtown Fort Worth Inc., were involved discussions leading up to the search for the consultant.

But Burghdoff attributed that to Downtown Fort Worth Inc’s longtime involvement with the project and institutional knowledge.

Nothing’s been decided yet, and the consultant will help with outreach, Burghdoff said.

Reviving the dead zone

Business owners in Fort Worth’s north side know the Panther Island project is going have a big impact on their community.

Most are giddy like Megan McDonald, who runs the Into the West furniture store near North Main Street and East Central Avenue.

She hopes the development will bring more foot traffic to her store instead of cars speeding by on their way to the Stockyards.

While the building isn’t hard to see as you drive north on Main Street, McDonald said it’s in a place few visitors rarely stop.

She called the area a dead zone between downtown and the Stockyards that few people know exists.

Her hope is that Panther Island can bring more awareness to her section of Main Street.

She noted how the revitalization of the Stockyards helped develop nearby parts of North Main Street, and she’s hoping Panther Island will do the same.

“If it comes down from the Stockyards and up from Panther Island, eventually it will meet us in the middle,” she said.

Keeping the culture

Nancy Garza, a real estate agent who grew up in the north side, remembers seeing Selena y Los Dinos play Marine Park in 1993.

She said her and her friends would hang out and see Tejano bands playing concerts at Marine Park every weekend.

“When other people had Friday night lights, we had a carnival atmosphere. We’d be out dancing till 2 or 3 in the morning” Garza said.

She noted the cultural draw that brings tourists to San Antonio’s River Walk, and argued the north side has a more authentic Tejano culture that can outshine San Antonio.

“Everyone knows if you want authentic Mexican food, you go to the north side,” Garza said.

She said the city should do more to highlight the north side’s unique culture.

She referenced lowrider parades, where classic cars sitting low to the ground would cruise down Main Street and the Stockyards.

“It brings people together. Even if you don’t care for the style, it’s unique and people want to experience authenticity in cultures,” she said.

To keep that culture, Garza said the city should do more to help longtime north side residents stay in their homes.

She said a lot of residents in the north side have pride in where they live, but don’t necessarily have the financial means to keep up with repairs of their homes.

Garza argued investment in the neighborhood will protect the north side’s culture and make it a place tourists want to come.

“There is no need to reinvent the wheel. We have been here. We are north side,” she said.