Fort Worth City Council voted 10-0 on Oct. 13 to approve zoning changes affecting 200 acres near the TEXRail North Side Station, clearing the way for a push to turn the area into a walkable neighborhood of homes and shops clustered around the rail line. The targeted properties sit along or near Northeast 28th Street and Decatur Avenue, as well as Glendale and Brennan avenues and North Hays, Hardy, Schadt and Peak streets, just north of the Fort Worth Stockyards.
What the Rezoning Does — and Doesn't — Change
City and transportation officials want to create a walkable, transit-oriented neighborhood with mixed-use residential and retail developments around the station at 2829 Decatur Ave., according to Fort Worth Report. The zoning change affects commercial land around the rail station, much of it currently occupied by recycling companies, but it won't touch single-family homes in the area. The zoning change covers about 200 acres.
Tony Herhold, a Fort Worth planning manager, said two longtime businesses raised concerns about the rezoning effort. One of them, Williamson Tire Co. at 2102 NE 28th St., is among the operations that could be affected. Herhold said affected businesses could remain open as legal but nonconforming businesses under the new zoning ordinances, and the city has said it will work with those businesses to begin a path toward continuing operations after the change takes effect.
Residents and Council Member Weigh In
The rezoning follows resident input meetings Trinity Metro held in September about developing the North Side and Mercantile Center stations, where residents told officials that train stations provide substantial economic opportunities for development. Carlos Flores, who represents the affected area, said the town halls drew substantial community input and that transit-oriented development in the corridor will benefit everyone. Nick Tsigas said housing and retail should be brought together to create an economic, dynamic lifestyle, adding that he welcomed investment and interest around the rail stations.
Two of TEXRail's Quietest Stops
The North Side Station, at 2829 Decatur Ave., and Mercantile Center Station, at 4201 N. Beach St., rank among TEXRail's least-used stations north of downtown. The North Side Station had served about 4,500 passengers so far this year, while Mercantile Center had served about 5,000 riders, even as the line overall topped 1 million rides for the fiscal year. That systemwide milestone marks the first time TEXRail has reached 1 million riders in a single year, according to Trinity Metro. Since the commuter line began service in January 2019, it has carried more than 4.8 million customers total.
Trinity Metro CEO Rich Andreski said great transit can help create the conditions for communities to grow. He pointed to the Grapevine/Main Street Station, which opened in 2019, as proof: public transportation investment there was matched by private investment, new development and increased economic activity, he said. Trinity Metro officials have identified that station as the best example of what transit-oriented development can do, noting it has attracted more than $114 million in public and private development, a figure also cited in reporting from Community Impact.
The Grapevine Blueprint
Development around the Grapevine station includes Hotel Vin, Harvest Hall and related event and outdoor spaces. Per NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, the Grapevine Main project at 815 South Main Street includes a 38,000-square-foot outdoor plaza, a 42,000-square-foot rail station featuring Harvest Hall, and a 150-foot observation tower, all connected to the six-story, 120-room Hotel Vin and a 552-space parking garage. Trinity Metro officials have said businesses within a five-minute walk of the Grapevine station saw sales-tax revenue grow nearly 40%, while those within a 10-minute walk saw growth of more than 30%.
Fort Worth officials are betting that a similar formula can take hold on the Northside, even with ridership at the North Side and Mercantile Center stations still trailing far behind the system's overall growth. Trinity Metro is also pressing ahead on other fronts, with plans to break ground Oct. 29 on a 2.1-mile TEXRail extension into the Near Southside and Medical District, where a new station is planned.
