The city of Fort Worth is expected to break ground on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Monday.
The memorial, which will include a bronze statue of the slain president, will be erected in General Worth Square.
The square, on the corner of 8th and Main streets, is across the street from the Fort Worth Hilton, formerly the Hotel Texas, where Kennedy and the first lady spent their final night together.
The next morning, Kennedy gave an impromptu speech to thousands in the square before heading to Dallas where he was shot and killed as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza.
“A tribute to the president’s visit and memorializing the history of the first half of November 22, 1963, has been too long in coming,” said Taylor Gandy, co-chair of the JFK Tribute Committee, in 2011.
The improvements to the square include improved lighting, irrigation repairs, seating, walkway improvements and other features. The city will contribute $250,000 from gas well revenues to help fund the restoration project.
General Worth Square is named for William Jenkins Worth, the commander of the Texas army and namesake of the former outpost and current city.
