How Will Improvement Funding Be Spent? City Wants to Hear From You

Fort Worth city leaders are asking for feedback on a $3 million investment meant to bring new vitality to the Rosemont neighborhood.

In late January, Fort Worth city councilmembers approved the recommendation designating the Rosemont area as the 2020 recipient of the Neighborhood Improvement Strategy funding.

On Wednesday evening, there is a meeting scheduled at the Riley Center at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the neighborhood improvement program. District 9 councilmember Ann Zadeh said feedback is crucial in order to know which areas need help or improvement and could benefit from the funding.

“They’re [residents] the people that live there every day. They know what shortcomings they face. They know the location where the sidewalks have gaps in it or is very rough and hard to navigate,” council member Zadeh said. “It’s not the city coming in and doing something for people. It’s about working hand and hand with residents.”

The recently approved investment follows similar projects in Stop Six, Ash Crescent, and Northside. In 2017, the first year of the program, the Stop Six neighborhood was provided $2.56 million. The city provided Ash Crescent and Northside neighborhoods $2.77 million and $3.05 million in the years following, respectively.

District 2 councilmember Carlos Flores said a large portion of the funding for Northside has gone towards infrastructure improvements and public safety, which he said work hand in hand.

“So far, for example – street lights. That’s one of the very first fruits that a lot of residents. They saw drastic improvements. Upgrading existing street lights to the tune of nearly 80 street lights already improvements,” Flores said. “Even the police officers have told me that they’re able to execute their jobs whether it’s just patrolling through an area by being able to see more of the area literally by having street lights.”

Joe Munoz has lived in the Northside area for decades and has seen the changes that come with time.

“It got better, then it got worse. Now it’s getting better,” Munoz said.

Of the changes in the past year, he said sidewalk repairs have been among the most noticeable.

“It needed it bad. There were some areas that the trees pulled up the sidewalk panels and one of my friends fell over and broke her teeth,” he recalled.

With Rosemont having potential for improvements as well, Zadeh stressed public feedback is encouraged.

Next month, Rosemont residents will receive a survey in the mail asking residents which improvements they hope to see in their neighborhood.