Gracie WarhurstThe city of Fort Worth will issue an abbreviated Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) later this month to select a developer for a mix-use redevelopment project that will bring housing and industry to the city’s historic southside.
Since terminating its contract with a developer in December 2023, the city is moving forward with an aggressive timeline to vet the influx of developers expressing interest in the Evans and Rosedale Redevelopment Project.
Proposals will be due in mid-March and then reviewed by a committee of city staff, business organizations and community members. A recommendation for a new developer is expected by April.
The Evans and Rosedale “urban village” is planned on 7.5-acres just south of downtown Fort Worth. Plans call for multifamily residential units, townhomes, green space, a grocery store and ground-floor commercial space with residential units above.
Since the late 1990s, the city has spent $30 million on public investments and community planning to redevelop the area. City officials have stayed steadfast in their goal: to preserve the history of the area while developing its commercial and community appeal.
“Over the years, we could have done any number of things at this site, but it is important to get the fit right,” Robert Sturns, director of Economic Development, said in a community meeting Feb. 7. “We understand the history of this area and its long legacy of Black-owned business development, and we want to make sure anything we bring out here is a complement to that history and a complement to the community.”
Construction is planned to begin sometime in 2025, utilizing remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
