The downtown Fort Worth skyline is about to get a new addition, which isn’t something you can say all that frequently. The new arrival is now under construction, and it’s called the River Tower.
River Tower is the third building in the Trinity Terrace complex, a retirement community located just east of the Trinity River on the block bounded by Texas, Penn, 10th, and Fournier Streets. The complex started back in 1982 with the construction of the original Trinity Terrace tower, which remained the only building on the property for 25 years until the construction of the second tower, City Tower, which wrapped in 2008. Plans for River Tower were announced at that time, but construction has only recently started.
River Tower, like City Tower before it, was designed by Ankrom Moisan Architects of Portland, Oregon, and the restrained glass and brick modernity of its design is quite reminiscent of many such residential towers that have been built in the Pacific Northwest. Like the City Tower, it is being constructed in a complimentary shade of brick to the original 1980s tower.
When topped out, the new River Tower will be the tallest building in the complex, with a final height of 23 stories, reaching 267 feet. This height will make the River Tower the 13th tallest building in Fort Worth, just ahead of the original Star-Telegram building and just behind the Blackstone Hotel.
With its prominent location on the bluff looking out over Forest Park Boulevard and the river, the structure should have some pretty wonderful views of downtown to the east and the 7th Street corridor and Cultural District to the west. While it won’t be poking up to the top of the skyline, it’s the sort of building that will help make the skyline feel somewhat more full and complete.
Skyscraper enthusiasts have long lamented Fort Worth’s tendency to not go big with its downtown towers, but it’s not something that’s bothered me all that much. For the most part, a skyline is just something to look pretty on a marketing photo –– of greater importance is how the city functions from street level. I’d welcome new skyscrapers when they’re well-designed and justified, but I wouldn’t mind if we built several more mid-level towers like this new River Tower, as a transition between the 3-5 story infill projects around downtown and our current (and future) skyscrapers.
Trinity Terrace’s River Tower should be completed by late fall of 2016, so we’ll start seeing the rising floors showing up in the not-too-distant future.
This is disgusting, out
of all the news sources I would have never expected FWWeekly to support some pro-capitalist project that only benefits those of the one percent. This city needs to spend more of its funds assisting the poor! This is a stupid project to help those who are in the 1%, why are you guys all of a sudden supporting such non-sense?
It would not surprise me if some teabaggers paid you guys to report on this, this is extremely disgusting.
Hey…don’t throw a shoe boys, easy does it. I’m a Bernie voter 100% and I’m happy to find out whats happening downtown with the Big Boys, bless their greed-head hearts. Another thing, how much can it help the jillionaires for the Weekly to tell us piss-ants whats happening downtown? Lighten up, city of Fort Worth is not building it, it’s just doing everything it can to see that the big bucks keep flowing into the same jillionaire pockets that hatched the scheme of flood control on the uptown Trinity and then condemed private property that has never, ever been endangered, even in Noah’s flood. It’s all a scam, the fix is in, how smart do you have to be to figure it out? If you want to do something for our city, you need to take Mike Moncrief, the lady Mayor, her crook kid, and the Water Board rats fishing. Hey, even the Tea-Baggers can figure this deal out. There’s nothing new to see here. Pray for peace, vote for Bernie, and suggest to the Lord that maybe the rotten, stinking, lying, black-hearted, Repugs & one shiftless, rat, Democrat butt-wipe named Mike reap what they have sown here in Cowtown, (but don’t bet a lot of money on it happening).
Regardless, I do not believe fw weekly should be posting such articles that support the Republican agenda of capitalism. They should focus more on projects concerning the homeless, more less fortunate people.
The again this site is probably being paid by tea-baggers so there can be more awareness of developments that only the 1% can enjoy. It is extremely revolting.
Directed to your comment about the idiots running Fort Worth, I hate how the repubtards think that placing an woman in a governmental job will trick people into thinking they’re all of a sudden pro-women. This city is one of the most backwards pieces of shit t have ever existed and it’s being dragged to the ground by monopolies (bass family and their downtown monopoly), along with greedy bastards supporting the privatization of land beside the river. It should he public not private!
You do know this is a retirement home, right? These aren’t luxury lofts.
And since when is capitalism a Republican-only trait? I’m as liberal as they come and I firmly believe in capitalism – just not the rigged version that our country now favors.
And, how does only the 1 percent get something out of this deal? What about the jobs the project creates? What about the tax revenue the city will get? What about the people who will move there and support the nearby restaurants and retailers?
You’re the kind of uninformed liberal that makes the rest of us look bad. I’m glad the Weekly is keeping me informed about how our city is changing is and growing.
Damn, if someone is paying us writers on this site I’d sure like to know about it! Cause nobody is paying me! (Then again, I don’t write about skyscrapers.)
Peter,,,, if you had a hair on your ass, when the rat owner of the Weekly kicked your precious lady editor to the curb, the entire crew should have spit on the floor and walked out the door. It’s not out of the question still today. You’ll be rewarded in Heaven if you tighten your belts and confront the Peckerwood.