After a half-year closure due to a disastrous explosion at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, businesses and commuters are seeing a glimmer of hope as Eighth Street is set to reopen partially. The City of Fort Worth confirmed that one lane of Eighth Street will be accessible for traffic along with permit and metered parking as of July 22nd, although there's a possibility this date might be moved up if conditions permit.
Small businesses, situated on the stretch between Throckmorton and Houston streets, faced a sharp downturn following the blast, with restricted customer access severely hindering day-to-day operations. The City meanwhile, lost revenue from the immobilized metered parking, and those with parking permits had to find alternatives throughout the cleanup duration.
The necessity of fostering a swift economic recovery led city staff to liaise directly with affected businesses, with efforts to aid revenue recovery placing utmost importance. Subsequent discussions bore fruit, leading the City’s Economic Development Department alongside the Local Development Corporation to administer over $137,000 in relief to four small businesses in close quarters to the explosion site.
Sandman’s contractor, First on Site, has completed the required temporary pavement work and is gearing up to open the lane as soon as they finalize installing steel plates over the crater left by the explosion. This measure is to ensure driver safety over the still-to-be-reconstructed zone. If First on Site can expedite this work within the next two weeks, the lane could reopen earlier than scheduled. Although the street is mitigated to a drivable condition, the hotel’s reopening remains on the horizon without a fixed date.
