Fort Worth's Woodhaven Tax Increment Financing district has a current balance of $27.358 million, and city officials say every dollar of it needs to go toward development projects before the zone shuts down at the end of 2028. That timeline moved into sharper focus two and a half weeks ago, when the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 13 board gathered for a briefing on how the money might be spent — its first meeting since January.
City Economic Development Manager Phillip Michael Smart told the board that all remaining funds will be allocated to development projects prior to termination, according to Fort Worth Report. The TIF's final gross revenue total came to $37.72 million, with a projected allocation total of $33.95 million against that Oct. 7 balance of $27.358 million. Because the session was billed as a briefing rather than an action item, no votes were taken on any future projects that day.
A $28 Million Community Center Tops the TIF-Eligible Wish List
Among the TIF-eligible requests, the Woodhaven Community Center is the largest, seeking $28 million in TIF funds and roughly 25,000 square feet of space, per the same report. It's part of a group the city has designated Tier 1 projects, which together account for $33.3 million of the $33.95 million projected fund allocation. Also in that tier is the Woodhaven Business Park, seeking $11.8 million, and the Woodhaven Trail Connection, requesting $3.5 million.
A second group of smaller-dollar requests, labeled Tier 2, would cost approximately $13 million combined. That tier includes the High Woods Trail sidewalk project at $2 million, the Oncor Easement Trail at $7 million, and a Boca Raton streetscape improvement at $4 million. A separate proposal, the Blue Ridge Cascade mixed-use development, is requesting $34 million but is not yet eligible for TIF funding, the outlet reports.
Neighborhood Association Pushes Back on the Community Center
Paul Kerpoe, representing the Woodhaven Neighborhood Association, was the only member of the public to speak at the meeting. He told the board the association opposed building a community center and urged members to weigh the neighborhood association's concerns before casting any votes, the outlet's account states.
That objection stands in some tension with the Woodhaven Neighborhood Conservation Plan, which lists community centers first among its health and well-being recommendations. City officials describe that plan as the product of a yearlong planning process that drew input from nearly 400 residents, business owners, local organizations and other stakeholders, creating what the Fort Worth Economic Development Department's TIF page calls a unified vision and shared priorities for the community's future.
How the City Says It's Weighing the Options
Smart's office reviewed the community center proposal by weighing neighborhood benefits, project cost, alignment with the financing plan, consistency with conservation and parks plans, and the TIF funds actually available, according to Fort Worth Report. Broader resident goals cited in that planning process include improving connectivity, generating economic development opportunities, creating community gathering places and balancing competing project requests.
Those priorities trace back to the original Woodhaven Redevelopment Plan, which aimed to turn the neighborhood into a sustainable, livable community with a mix of single-family homes, retail and office space, according to Pettit Ayala, the firm behind the plan. That master plan evaluated historic trends along with the neighborhood's physical, demographic, land-use and economic conditions, and was vetted with redevelopment tools and financial models meant to ensure market feasibility and attract both private and public investment.
What's Already Been Built — and What's Next
Since 2016, completed Woodhaven TIF projects have cost $2.94 million. That work has included streetlights and traffic-pole painting, two rounds of tree planting, the Highwoods Village development, sidewalk repairs tied to a connection at Randol Mill Road, creation of the Woodhaven Neighborhood Conservation Plan, and a pocket park next to the East Regional Library.
The TIF board is scheduled to meet again on Nov. 4 to consider approval of the funding recommendations that were only briefed in October. Fort Worth Report's account of the meeting was documented by Patrick Banis.
