Fort Worth is moving forward with a $34 million renovation of a historic park along the Trinity River which eventually will be the gateway between downtown and the future Panther Island.
Heritage Park sits on a few hundred acres at the edge of downtown near the historic Tarrant County Courthouse.
It is where Fort Worth was established as an army post 173 years ago.
But for years, the park has been fenced off and closed because of safety concerns.
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But city leaders have a grand vision: Reopen the park in a whole new way.
Downtown Fort Worth Inc. President Andy Taft is working with a team on the design and briefed the city council on Tuesday.
"Right now, this is an isolated place,” Taft said. “When Panther Island gets built, this is going to be in the middle of everything. So we'll be a little ahead of the curve but we're going to create something special for everyone."
The much smaller Paddock Park at the foot of the historic courthouse will be transformed too and may include a fancy fountain.
"All of this will be cleaned up. New infrastructure will be in place,” Taft said.
There will be a patio where people can gather, stairs, and a winding canopy walks to the river.
"This is a very exciting project. It's generational,” Taft said. “People will be bringing their kids, their families, their friends from out of town to all of these places we are going to create."
The project is expected to be completed in late 2026.
"We're going to put the heritage back in Heritage Park,” Taft said.
