A trip through Texas can be magical, unexpectedly dynamic, or so desolate you’ll count tumbleweeds on a long drive, but if there’s one thing for certain, it’s that the Lone Star State is ever-changing.
Whether it’s a new Buc-ee’s, new airport, new highway, or trendy burger stands taking on Whataburger, there’s always something brewing.
But the latest project coming out of Texas’s trendiest city is questionably too big even for a state known for proudly doing everything larger than life.
It’s true, San Antonio may want to keep a close eye on their rear-view mirror as they will no longer be the only vibrant canal-laden cityscape with a marquee riverfront.
What’s known as ‘Cowtown’ will soon be a ‘Rivertown’ as the Panther Island project moves forward with shovels hitting dirt and dredgers carving riverbeds for Downtown Fort Worth’s lofty transformation into a sprawling urban island.
From ‘Where The West Begins’ To Where The Trinity Never Ends
Fort Worth has become a household name hotspot. Across the South, you’ll find numerous laid-back cities with stories to tell — some more than others.
But the aged facades of ‘Cowtown’ speak for themselves, especially along perhaps any major city’s most well-preserved time capsule — the famous Stockyards.
Fort Worth still offers daily cattle drives, where herds of cows are steered along red brick roads in a timeless setting of storied saloons and steakhouses.
But don’t worry — the city’s impending metamorphosis won’t make their waterfront Bahamas 2.0 with swimming farm animals…
The current cityscape of Fort Worth is here to stay. You can still bar-hop honky-tonks in Sundance Square, devour a Texas-sized steak in an old-timey saloon, or see the immortal Willie Nelson perform at Billy Bob’s for his 120th birthday years from now.
What will change is the aesthetic, walkability, and waterfront delights that many currently turn a blind eye to with the Trinity River, which isn’t exactly a glistening oasis…
But Fort Worth is betting big that it can become the next San Antonio, with its own version of a ‘Riverwalk’ and reimagined waterways to revamp a mediocre skyline kids today would call “mid”.
6-7?
What To Expect On Panther Island
Panther Island may sound like something you’d find in Ron Burgundy’s cologne collection, but that’s the name for Fort Worth’s $1.16 billion project.
Once a largely industrial swath of land just north of downtown, Panther Island is being reshaped from underutilized lots and abandoned fields into a dynamic urban island.
The aforementioned Trinity will be rerouted via engineered channels, creating continuous waterfront edges, promenades, parks, and walkable public spaces, surely to be lined with restaurants, cafes, and shops once complete.
Essentially, downtown is being expanded, connected by a redirected Trinity that will bloom new opportunities for a city that’s far from being considered a riverside destination.
In fact, Fort Worth’s riverside parks typically grabbed headlines for too-close-for-comfort alligator sightings, so maybe keep your hands inside any future water taxi rides.
In a nutshell, here is the total vision for Fort Worth’s Panther Island glow-up:
- Waterfront promenades: walkable paths replacing empty lots and former industrial land
- Riverfront parks: green spaces built for strolling, relaxing, and outdoor events
- Aquatic thrills: kayaking and paddling where dry land once laid barren
- Waterfront dining: restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops along a new scenic waterfront
- Downtown expansion: reconnecting the city center to the Trinity for the first time
- Event-ready spaces: public areas designed to host festivals and various live entertainment
- Riverwalk alternative: Fort Worth’s own canal-style district, without copying San Antonio
- Water taxis & boat rides: future river transit and leisure cruises
- Walkable to Sundance Square: envisioned as an easy stroll into the heart of downtown
- Mindset shift: transforming a day-trip city into a place to “stay awhile”
When Will Panther Island Be Complete?
San Antonio will be happy to know they has years to wait out Texas’s new riverwalk rival.
Obviously, projects of this magnitude don’t take place overnight, unlike China, which allegedly built a brand new station in a day’s time.
Texas likes to take its sweet time as if it’s slow-smoking a brisket — just ask drivers on the city’s never-ending highway projects that bottleneck traffic every day.
According to city officials, after multiple delays, Panther Island is currently on pace to begin welcoming visitors by 2032.
‘Til then, Fort Worth is still an underrated place to vacation for Old West charm, surprisingly luxe hotels, and sensational food across the board, no matter if it’s barbecue or fishbowl margaritas.
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