President's Report

Rosedale update - I-35 & Main Street - Water and sewer utility work will be completed in October 2001 immediately followed by the construction of the new six-lane divided boulevard and three new railroad bridges. Main to Forest Park - Utility work (gas, water sewer, electric & communications) will begin this Fall and finish in March 2002. Highway construction will begin immediately after the underground work is finished, and is expected to be completed in August 2003.

Vickery update - The City is purchasing the land needed to accommodate the new Vickery right-of-way alignment between Henderson and Jennings. Shooter’s Palace and Marshall Robinson’s have been purchased. Other property owners are being contacted. Construction on the roadway is to begin July 2002 with a completion date of August 2003.

Underpasses - Henderson - The major reconstruction of the Henderson underpass of the UP Railroad begins in the Fall of 2002. Delay has been associated with completing the environmental impact assessment and dealing with the historic hand railings and retaining walls. South Main and Jennings - Both of these underpasses of the UP will be upgraded in 2003 in connection with the reconstruction of Lancaster. Expect cleaning, painting, new lighting, and possibly lowering the roadway surface to increase clearance.

Harris Methodist Doctor’s Building - Construction is underway on a new $17 million building at Terrell and Fifth Avenue that will include physician offices, an outpatient surgery center, and a sports medicine-focused physical therapy clinic. The 109,000 square foot, five-story building will be on the same site as the original Doctor’s Building, which was imploded in February 2000. The new building will be open late in 2002. The Stichler Design Group designed it, Centex Construction will build it, and we’ll enjoy it.

Texas Bank - President John Quiroz celebrated the opening of Texas Bank’s new facility at 1600 W. Rosedale (corner of Rosedale and 8th) with a formal ribbon cutting on July 25. The exterior stone on the building was taken from bank Chairman Bill Knight’s ranch in Granbury. The building was designed by Hahnfeld Architects & Planners, recently renamed Hahnfeld Hoffer Stanford.

Central City Residential Demand Study - The results are in, and indicate lots of opportunities. The final report will be presented to a meeting of the 18 funding entities of the $35,000 project on August 13. The overall conclusions will be released after that meeting.

www.tad.org - Curious to know what the tax value is for any property in Tarrant County? It’s public information. Go to Tarrant Appraisal District’s web site and click "property data search". You can also access the site via the link section of FWS’s web page.

Partner’s Breakfast - Laura Gray of Shurgard Storage will host the Wednesday, August 1 meeting of the monthly Partner’s Breakfast. FWS members and prospective members interested in exploring business opportunities are invited to join us for one hour beginning at 8 AM at Shurgard’s facility at 1015 Henderson. Forty people representing member businesses attended July’s meeting.

National Night Out - FWPD invites residents to spend the evening outdoors with their neighbors and the police on Tuesday, August 7 between 5p and 10p. For info contact Billy Rudd, Crime Prevention Specialist of the South Police Division at 922-3405.

Warehouse retail outlets - There are 4 significant warehouse/retail outlets in the District. Supreme Golf, Justin Boots, Williamson Dickie, and a "sleeper" located on Vickery, three blocks east of I-35. The Original Mattress Factory was founded in 1896 as the Harry Keeton Broom and Mattress Supply Company, and continues to offer bedding products at their production facility on East Vickery.

Beth El - Broadway Baptist elected not to accept an anonymous gift that would have permitted the church to purchase the now vacant temple from the current owner, Fort Worth Independent School District. The building was to be used by a new program called Arts on Broadway that connects kids to the visual and performing arts. Many want to find a way to prevent the reconfiguration of the 600-seat former sanctuary into two floors of classrooms. FWISD hasn’t decided on a use for the building. Alternatives are encouraged.

Administrative Assistant - Fort Worth South, Inc. is searching for a full-time administrative support person. A description of the position responsibilities is available on our website. Applicants should forward resumes to Don Scott at Fort Worth South, Inc.

Crime Stats - This is a comparison of the crimes occurring in Fort Worth South since 1993. The "beat" numbers on the table refer to the areas on the map. Statistics for similar beats in the CBD are presented for comparison, acknowledging that there are both similarities and differences between these two central city neighborhoods. The increase of nine crimes against people were crimes among the transient population. John Peter Smith Hospital has its own police department and maintains its own records of incidents occurring on the hospital campus. During the first six months of 2001 there were 60 thefts, six burglaries, and five assaults at JPS compared to 12 thefts, three burglaries and five assaults during the same period in year 2000. The two police beats east of Interstate-35 (g-111and g-112) are not shown on the schematic map because they are only partially within Fort Worth South. However, during the first six months of 2001 these areas enjoyed 30% fewer Part I crimes (206 vs. 294) compared to the same period last year. A surprising statistic: F.W. Police Department received 500,000 calls for assistance over the entire city during the first 6 months of 2001.