Hundreds gathered at the renovated building that was formerly the headquarters for Pier 1 Imports, including former council members, mayors and other city or county dignitaries.
The details
The final cost for the renovated city hall was $230 million. The project jumped up $50 million last year due to changes in scope, major maintenance, floodway changes and inflation, according to previous reporting.
City staff originally hoped for the final move in in the fall of 2024, according to the city website.
The new council chamber features floor-to-ceiling windows and the seating capacity has more than doubled from 120 people to 250 people, according to the city website. The City Hall now features 18 stories with 450,000 square feet.
Fort Worth officials moved 12 departments from other city buildings into the new location, City Manager Jay Chapa said.
The background
Former Mayor Betsy Price, the city’s longest-serving mayor, said the Pier 1 Imports headquarters was built near the Trinity River following a tornado that destroyed Calvary Cathedral on March 28, 2000.
City purchased the building for $69.5 million in 2020 and city officials broke ground on the new building in September 2022, according to the city website, paving the way to replace the original City Hall that was opened in 1971.
“We outgrew our old City Hall,” former City Manager David Cooke said. “It was a no-brainer to buy it. We had departments strung out and it would take people 30 minutes to drive to see their boss.”
Tanyan Farley, senior vice president of client solutions for the Athenian Group, said the Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects helped make a front porch design for the entrance to City Hall.
Instead of using steel that was more $700,000 per ton, the design shifted to sustainable southern pine from Albert Lea, Minnesota, he said.
Farley also mentioned the work of BOKA Powell, Linbeck Group and J.D. Howard Construction, all partners in the project. He said construction was going on seven days a week recently and crews were working up to 18 hours a day to get the project finished.
Farley said the renovated City Hall represented a savings of $120 million compared to building a new City Hall from the ground up.
A closer look
Price and Cooke were many of the former city leaders who were part of the ribbon cutting. Former mayors Kenneth Barr and Mike Moncrief were also there, as well as former council members like Cary Moon and Leonard Firestone, who represented northeast Fort Worth.
Felice Girourad, the widow of former Pier 1 CEO Marvin Girouard, was there and helped cut a ceremonial ribbon.
Price noted when she took over as mayor in 2011, Fort Worth was the 17th largest city in the United States. She mentioned the growth since then and said Fort Worth is now the 11th-biggest city in the country.
What they’re saying
- “The [city employees] are the best of the best and now they really have a place that is indicative of the growth and prosperity of the city of Fort Worth,” Mayor Mattie Parker said.
- “There’s enough seats now you don’t have to go to the overflow chamber. It’s a gathering and welcome space but more than that, it’s a beacon of who Fort Worth is,” Price said.
- “It’s a huge day for Fort Worth,” District 4 representative Charlie Lauersdorf said. “I think somebody mentioned earlier it’s a beacon and I think that’s exactly what this building is and that’s what these [council] chambers are. ... I’m most excited for our staff, truly. Because now they have a place they can be proud of. They can come to work every day and not be in a cold, dark, damp building.”
- “The new council chambers is kind of a great experience,” said Alan Blaylock, Fort Worth District 10 Council Member. “The environment is so welcoming, so bright and inviting. I think it changes the whole tone of the building and the whole tone of meetings. I look forward to us doing great things here.”
