The Trinity River Vision is a master plan for 88 miles of the river and tributaries throughout greater Fort Worth. Its purpose is to preserve and enhance the river and its corridors so they remain essential greenways for open space, trails, neighborhood linkages and focal points, wildlife, and special recreations areas. These are critical elements in preserving the environment and a high quality of life that attracts people to come to and stay in Fort Worth.

The plan was sponsored by Streams and Valleys, Inc. and the Tarrant Regional Water District. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Fort Worth, and Tarrant County also participated in the plan development. The plan was adopted by the City of Fort Worth in 2003. The complete plan is available on this website. Click here for details.

The Central City Project is one segment of the Trinity River Vision master plan. It includes about four miles of the river from near 7th Street and Trinity Park on the south to Samuels Avenue and 23rd Street on the north. This is a portion of the river where the floodway levee system has created a visual and physical barrier to the river and inhibited development in Fort Worth's central city. This project will provide needed flood protection for the area and allow the public access to 12 miles of waterfront. The area will provide the link from downtown north to the Stockyards and west to the Cultural District.

In 2002, a steering committee working with the Tarrant Regional Water District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer, the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and Streams and Valleys worked with local, national, and international consultants to identify the best method of carrying out flood protection in the stretch of river close to downtown Fort Worth.

This area of about 800 acres poses unique challenges and opportunities because of the existing floodway levee system with flat terrain behind the levee. This area is an older industrial district, once focused on oil refining, scrap metal businesses, and other heavy industrial uses. Today, much of the lands are vacant or underutilized.

After numerous workshops and public meetings, the steering committee selected the "community based" concept as the preferred way to carry out flood protection, environmental enhancements, and improved recreation. In 2003, the design and engineering teams conducted engineering and economic development feasibility analyses. Based on those results, the City of Fort Worth adopted the plan and established TIF District #9.

Trinity Uptown is the name for the entire 800-acre area north of downtown for which revitalization will be possible as a result of public improvements and private development. The Fort Worth Central City Project is the federal designation of the publicly funded portion of this project and is limited to infrastructure needed for flood protection and related elements. Trinity Uptown would not be possible without the Central City Project.

The U.S. Census Bureau has identified Fort Worth as "the fastest-growing large city" in America. Our population is projected to increase more than 50% in the next 20 years … and we need new housing and support infrastructure, as well as new job opportunities, to keep pace with the growth.

In 2004, Fort Worth was named one of the country's "most livable cities." This honor was in large part due to the city's "novel approach to economic development, utilizing assets such as arts and culture resources, creative financing strategies, cross-county partnerships, and collaborative leadership to re-animate downtown and develop their community so that they become competitive in the new global arena." Partners for Livable Communities, a national non-profit organization who has been working at the frontlines of livability for twenty-five plus years, honored Fort Worth for bringing vitality, growth and improved quality of life to its residents.

Trinity Uptown continues that innovative approach to growth in a community-friendly and cost-efficient manner.

New isolation gates on the river will control floodwaters to via the new bypass channel. Holding ponds, described by engineers as valley storage mitigation sites, will slow down the flow of water and a new dam will control the level of the river water.

The estimated cost is $435 million in 2005 dollars. The estimate includes a 20% contingency.

Everybody has a different idea of what inflation might be. Keeping estimates in "real" dollars takes the guesswork out of projections. And remember, while costs are quoted in today's dollars, so is revenue from property values. Historical trends indicate that one follows the other.

Estimated costs are for the infrastructure necessary for flood protection and related transportation, storm drainage, and public works. This includes purchasing land and easements for relocating utilities and roads, building bridges, excavating the bypass channel and water feature, installing the isolation gates and dam, relocating affected businesses, providing valley storage, greenbelt trails and pedestrian bridges, and environmental remediation and ecosystem improvements for infrastructure construction areas. The cost does not include private or economic development or planned interior canals.

The project is planned to be a funding partnership with numerous federal and local entities. The federal government — including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Transportation, Housing & Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency and others — are anticipated to fund about half the cost. The Tarrant Regional Water District provided the seed money and will supply direct funding and in-kind contributions equaling 15% of the project's costs. A special taxing district will provide up to 27% of the funds. Tarrant County is expected to finance 3% and the City of Fort Worth is expected to contribute 6% from normal budget sources (such as CIP and water and sewer funds.)

The federal funding for this project will be from sources directly related to flood protection, environmental enhancements, ecosystem improvements, transportation, and related infrastructure. It is part of the overall Trinity River and Tributaries project authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1965. If the project is not built, then the authorized federal funds would be redirected to other parts of the country.

The TIF funds come only from the tax increments created within the TIF District. This incremental income would not occur without the Trinity Uptown development, so these funds would not exist if the project does not move forward.

Funds from the Tarrant Regional Water District are restricted by law for use specifically on flood protection. Those funds could be diverted only to other flood control projects.

The Trinity River levee system is a federally approved floodway project. Originally developed in the 1950s as a joint venture between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tarrant Regional Water District, the floodway remains under joint jurisdiction and eligible for federal funding.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding authorized in 2004 is project-specific and cannot be allocated to other parts of the city. If the project does not proceed, federal funds would be lost to Fort Worth and redirected to other cities and states. Funds from the EPA, Department of Transportation, Housing & Urban Development, and other federal agencies will be directed to specific complementary street, recreation, and clean-up efforts in support of the floodway project in accordance with the mission of each agency.

A TIF (tax incremental financing) district is a program authorized by all tax collectors in a defined geographic area. When major public infrastructure results in increased property values in that defined area, the additional taxes generated may be used to help pay for that infrastructure. Taxes on the base property value continue to go to the local taxing jurisdictions, so their budgets are not negatively impacted. Only the "new money" goes to the TIF ... funds that would not exist without the project.

The Trinity River Vision TIF is a split-TIF program. That means that some percentage of the "new" money goes to the TIF to help pay for the Central City Project, and the remaining new money immediately goes back to the taxing authority. So the taxing authority's revenue funds actually increase, rather than decrease, under this TIF. (An exception is the Fort Worth Independent School District, who will benefit from 100% of the new money continuously.)

Taxing authorities participating in the Trinity River Vision TIF include the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County College, Tarrant County Hospital District, and the Tarrant Regional Water District. This TIF was established in 2003 and first-year increments began accumulating in 2004.

The TIF district is governed by an appointed TIF board representing all of the taxing jurisdictions. Click here to see the TIF boundaries.

The land impacted is what is needed only for the public infrastructure - not for the entire Trinity Uptown development. (Click here for the preliminary property map.)

Approximately 95 land owners have property that may be affected by the public project. There are no houses in the impacted area. Some parcels of land will require only a minimal easement; many may be asked to sell a portion of their land; and others may be requested to sell all their land and relocate their business. The land is in an area once devoted to oil refining, scrap metal yards and the manufacture of electricity and chemicals.

There has been no substantial development of this area in the last 25 years, in part due to an obsolete public infrastructure, floodway levees that create visual and physical barriers to the river, sump areas that are within the hundred-year floodplain, and environmental contamination from industrial activities.

It will be necessary to relocate some businesses that are along the proposed bypass channel. Every effort will be made to make their relocation as painless as possible. The potential exists for their businesses to be stronger and more successful as a result.

Since federal funds are involved, federal real property acquisition law applies: specifically the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended. In accordance with the law, the necessary real property will be appraised and owners will be offered fair market value for land needed for the infrastructure.

For businesses that must be relocated, guidelines of the Uniform Act will be followed. Actual approved costs for relocating will be paid — including reasonable costs for moving personal property and for finding a new location — plus an allowance for reestablishing business. In some cases, new equipment and permits will also be reimbursed if grandfathering was allowed for code issues. The Tarrant Regional Water District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will work closely with the City of Fort Worth to make sure all property owners and tenants are treated fairly and reasonably.

These benefits will be explained in much more detail to eligible businesses being displaced by the project.

Trinity Uptown has the potential to revitalize aging infrastructure in the central city and provide a dramatic economic benefit to the entire city. More than 10,000 residential units are envisioned and up to three million square feet of commercial and retail space will provide new jobs and income. Not only will millions of dollars be spent on infrastructure construction in the next 10 years, but the resulting anticipated private investment and related increases in property value, sales tax, and retail sales will benefit all northside residents as well as the entire county.

Economic feasibility studies clearly show that Trinity Uptown will pay for itself plus contribute to the City and County coffers both through a split TIF and other long-term economic benefits. The Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas estimates that the construction of the Central City Project will generate $600 million in economic activity in Tarrant County and support more than 6,100 person-years of employment over a 10-year period. The overall Trinity Uptown Plan is expected to generate $2 billion in economic activity and support more than 16,000 person-years of employment over a 40-year period. In just the first five years, Tarrant County will experience about $160 million in new business activity — providing benefits far beyond the project borders.

Infrastructure provided by the Central City Project is estimated to take about 10 years. Click here for the anticipated timeline.

Private development of Trinity Uptown will take several decades to complete.

All infrastructure improvements — roads, bridges, trails, gates, dam, and water features — will belong to the citizens of Fort Worth. All of the greenbelt, trails, waterfront, and recreational amenities will also be publicly owned, and the waterfront will function as a focal element of the Trinity River greenbelt system and have continuous public access.

While tourists will obviously be attracted to new development, Trinity Uptown is being designed for the residents of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. The area will link downtown, the Stockyards and the Cultural District together. It is intended to be primarily a high-density residential area, with supporting retail and commercial development necessary for quality of life. No doubt, having a continuous water body and waterfront connecting the Stockyards to downtown will help attract more visitors and tourism.

Trinity Uptown will continue the planned and progressive growth of Fort Worth, offering an attractive alternative to urban sprawl. It will link major neighborhoods, revitalize our inner city, offer new employment and housing options, provide recreational opportunities not currently available, and provide economic development that will benefit the entire city and county, not just downtown and the north side neighborhoods.

Fort Worth is growing rapidly. With more than 15,000 people moving to Fort Worth every year, the city must respond with new schools, fire and police protection, mail service, utilities, drainage, roads, emergency response teams, and all the amenities such as parks and libraries, not to mention related retail services such as grocery and drug stores, restaurants, dry cleaners, gas stations, and so forth. Urban sprawl results when the growth expands to all corners of the city, requiring redundant services at taxpayer expense, or loss of growth when the new families live outside the city limits. Providing an area adjacent to downtown for 10,000 new families would not only provide a vibrant atmosphere in the heart of the city, but would save taxpayers substantially by consolidating many of the needed services and infrastructure support.

Planning considerations for the Trinity Uptown area include measures that will provide a wide variety of cost ranges and neighborhoods so that all income levels can afford to live in this mixed-use development.

A mixed-use development offers a combination of housing, retail, commercial, educational, and recreational opportunities. The goal is for area residents to be able to live, work, shop, play, and learn in the same community and to avoid costly urban sprawl and lengthy commutes.

The City Council established seven strategic goals for 2006. This project supports all of these goals:

• Create a clean, attractive city
• Diversify the economic base and create job opportunities
• Revitalize central city neighborhoods and commercial districts
• Promote orderly development in peripheral areas
• Improve mobility and air quality
• Make Fort Worth the nation's safest major city

In addition to a continuation of the strong trail system already associated with the Trinity River, Trinity Uptown will have numerous parks, plazas and open spaces. All waterways will accommodate canoes, kayaks, and low-clearance public excursion boats. Boathouses and marinas are possible. The interior water feature — an urban lake — provides additional opportunities for rowing and small-craft sailing. A total of 12 miles of new trails and walkways will be provided, and amphitheatres and other outdoor venues are anticipated.

The lake is proposed for the existing confluence of the Clear and West forks of the Trinity River. This will capitalize on the central location to downtown, to celebrate the confluence, and to minimize land disturbance by excavation and construction activities.

The land between Seventh Street to the southwest and Samuels Avenue to the northeast has a very flat terrain, which lends itself to developing an urban waterfront.

TRWD is a political subdivision of the State of Texas. Originally charged with providing flood protection within Tarrant County, its responsibilities have expanded to include water supply. Once called the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District, its name was changed in 1996 by action of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

Today, as one of the largest raw water suppliers in the state, the Tarrant Regional Water District serves over 30 wholesale customers, including Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield and the Trinity River Authority of Texas. TRWD owns four reservoirs and utilizes three others for terminal storage. It maintains the reservoirs and the 27-mile Fort Worth Floodway. Its activities span a 10-county area of North Texas from Jack County to Freestone County.

The Corps is the federal agency charged with developing the nation's water resources, managing and enhancing environmental ecosystems, and building and sustaining specific civil infrastructures. It is the largest public engineering, design and construction agency in the world. Its vast team of engineers, scientists, real estate specialists and administrators include a diverse workforce of biologists, geologists, hydrologists, natural resource managers and other professionals to meet national demands, especially in the area of flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and disaster response.

Streams and Valleys, Inc., is a non-profit organization founded in 1969 to advocate for the Trinity River. Its volunteers focus on restoring beauty to the river and its greenbelts and providing recreational opportunities for all of Tarrant County. Streams and Valleys raises funds for extensive multi-user trail systems, lighting, trees, public festivals, and preservation. Its goal is to improve public access to and enjoyment of the river.

Streams and Valleys was instrumental in the Trinity River Vision master planning effort, making sure that people from all neighborhoods and various user groups were involved in the process. Since adoption of the Trinity River Vision, the committee has accomplished trail extensions going eastward to Gateway Park, Sycamore Park and Cobb Park, new trailheads, a loop trail in Trinity Park, a Fort Worth Rowing Club facility near Gateway Park, white-water chutes near Trinity Park, and trail connection to several neighborhoods. They are likewise instrumental in planning for Trinity Uptown to assure that parks, greenways and river paths are accessible to all of Fort Worth.

GideonToal of Fort Worth teamed with Bing Thom Architects of Vancouver to provide planning, urban design, and economic development strategies for the Trinity Uptown project.

GideonToal has had extensive experience working on similar projects in Texas and especially the North Texas area. For example, GideonToal completed the 1993 and 2003 Downtown Fort Worth plans which included substantial urban design and economic development components. They provided strategic planning for the Downtown TIF, Riverfront TIF (RadioShack), and the Lancaster Avenue Redevelopment Plan, and completed the Downtown Urban Design Standards. They have worked on numerous successful economic development projects including The Tower, RadioShack, Pier1, Montgomery Wards redevelopment, the Lancaster Avenue TIF, Trinity Bluff, Parker Commons and others.

Bing Thom Architects is known internationally for its architecture and urban design expertise. Bing Thom played a prominent role in the original planning for much of the Vancouver waterfront along False Creek. Bing Thom and his staff have a keen awareness of the importance of what makes urban life vital and sustainable. They have had a major influence on the urban design character of the proposed Trinity Uptown area.

CDM was selected due to the company's broad range of expertise in the engineering industry and its role in previous Trinity River Vision master planning efforts, including a 2003 study evaluating the feasibility of bypass channel concepts.

CDM is a consulting, engineering, construction and operations firm servicing public and private clients with more than 3,600 employees worldwide. CDM's expertise covers a broad range of services including water/wastewater planning, design and management, environmental design and management, information management, civil, geotechnical, structural and transportation design, and construction and operations services, among others. CDM has consistently earned national recognition for innovative project solutions and has received recognition from respected professional organizations such as the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies.

"The project has a strong shot at becoming one of those rare grand-slam home runs that benefits Fort Worth for many decades." - Jack Z. Smith, Star-Telegram

"This project will take Fort Worth to a new level and the opportunities that will be presented for growth and development will touch all communities." - Rosa Navejar, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

"The bold TR project is a chance to reshape the city and elevate our quality of life... it will be a turning point akin to building DFW Airport or creating Sundance Square, it's that big." - Mitchell Schnurman, Star-Telegram

"The Trinity confluence is the catalyst that gave birth to Fort Worth. It is unusual for any city to have an opportunity to recast its identity in such a dramatic way." - Bing Thom, Bing Thom Architects

"Trinity Uptown is an incredible opportunity to reclaim the river as an urban redevelopment focal point." - James Toal, urban planner

"Think of this as the ultimate anti-highway improvement, a piece of infrastructure that will bring tens of thousands of people to the inner city and spawn hundreds of millions in investment." - Mitchell Schnurman, Star-Telegram

"It could trigger a waver of highly attractive residential, retail, office and recreational development in what is now a generally bedraggled and underused 800-acre area on the near north side of Fort Worth. That metamorphosis could significantly expand the city's tax base and virtually double the size of downtown within a few decades." - Jack Z. Smith, Star-Telegram

"This is city redevelopment at its finest. It's the kind of thing that makes Fort Worth rank among the highest in the nation for quality of life. The great cooperative partnership with all local governments also distinguishes Fort Worth and Tarrant County from most other areas of the country." - Mike Moncrief, Fort Worth Mayor

"We look forward to assuring that the development incorporates and celebrates the great diversity of Fort Worth's culture, including provisions to assure affordable housing. It will provide the linkage between downtown and the near north side neighborhoods and the historic Stockyards. And it will really help create economic opportunities for all neighborhoods and families, not just those in the area, but citywide." - Sal Espino, City Councilman, District #2

"This development will be a tremendous addition to Fort Worth, especially when you recognize the enormous trend for people to move back downtown. We're fortunate to have 800 acres in our inner city to develop for self-sustaining, mixed-use and mixed-income neighborhoods." - Charles Boswell, Fort Worth City Manager

"Everyone in the county benefits. Our historic Courthouse will be centered between Downtown and Uptown, as it should be; and our Fort Worth culture and character will be enhanced and continued." - Glen Whitley, Tarrant County Commissioner

"The Trinity River Vision was a key factor that influenced our final decision to redevelop the Montgomery Wards Building into Montgomery Plaza shopping center consisting of 500,000 square feet of retail space, anchored by SuperTarget, to serve the central city of Fort Worth. The kind of vision and leadership behind Trinity Uptown is what makes people want to invest in Fort Worth." - John P. Weber, president, Weber & Co.

"This project will utilize the latest and greatest in engineering design to create a safe, vibrant and livable city. Gone are the days where the Corps simply raises levees for flood control. Today it's all about involving the community and making sure flood-control measures enhance the community. Central City and the larger Trinity Uptown Project will help set the standard for the rest of the nation for similar projects." - Saji Puthenpurayel, U.S.Army Corps of Engineers.

"The new development is expected to increase Fort Worth's tax base by over a billion dollars. That increase helps Fort Worth absorb the rising infrastructure costs associated with our expected population growth. To that end, Trinity Uptown is good for our local economy," - Bill Thornton, president, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

Read more details on this website. Visit the exhibit. Attend a community presentation. Drive through the northside area and visualize the opportunities. Come back frequently!