Mid City Times

Efforts are underway to ensure that development surrounding Panther Island focuses on preserving the historic neighborhoods nearby and promoting equitable economic development.

The purpose of the City’s Panther Island equitable development initiative is to assess the potential impacts of Panther Island development on adjacent neighborhoods, including Northside and Historic Marine, and to formulate effective strategies for promoting economic development and neighborhood conservation in view of those impacts.

As an important part of this initiative, an Urban Land Institute Advisory Services panel of national real estate development experts will visit Fort Worth from Sept. 15-20. Panelists will receive briefings, tour the study area, interview stakeholders, analyze and debate pertinent issues, and produce a report of findings and recommendations.

The ULI panel will be chaired by Omar Gonzalez, director of development for Oxbow Development Group in San Antonio. Henry Cisneros, founder and senior advisor for American Triple I Partners in New York — as well as a former mayor of San Antonio and a former secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development — will serve as an advisor to the panel.

The panel will present its report to the public at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at Rose Marine Theater, 1440 N. Main St.

In a complementary effort, District 2 Councilmember Carlos Flores recently held a Panther Island Community Engagement Town Hall at Northside Community Center to involve residents and ask for their input.

The Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead in asking for input from the community on how the Panther Island project will impact their lives and to find ways to connect the greater Northside area while providing equitable access for residents and neighborhoods.