Construction set to begin on Waterside in southwest Fort Worth

Construction will begin next week on the Waterside development in southwest Fort Worth, to include a Whole Foods Market and a 375-unit multifamily community, now that the developer has bought the land.

Fort Worth-based Trademark Property Co., in partnership with Sarofim Realty Advisors in Dallas, has closed on the purchase of 63 acres along the Trinity River at Bryant Irvin Road and Arborlawn Drive from the Bryant Irvin Recreation Complex, formerly the Lockheed Martin Recreation Association.

Trademark has planned the development for more than a year. In March, the City Council approved $18.5 million in incentives to help build roads and bridges in the $185 million project. Trademark had been under contract to buy the land since May 2013.

Beginning Monday, work will begin on the first phase of construction, to include a 45,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market, space for shops and restaurants, and the apartment community by Transwestern Development Co. Phase One is expected to be completed in spring 2016, Trademark said.

When completed, Waterside will have about 200,000 square feet for shops and restaurants, 20 acres for residential use, 200,000 square feet for offices and a signature hotel.

Trademark calls the development its first “Conscious Place” project and has been working with Conscious Capitalism Inc., a small organization that helps provide strategic direction. Waterside, Trademark said, will be a “next-generation sustainable development,” offering pet parks, urban gardens, solar power charging stations and “information stations” with interactive displays.

Trademark said one of Waterside’s best examples of “Conscious Place” will be a public space called The Grove, an area being designed around several heritage trees that will include restaurants, multiple outdoor seating venues, public art, gathering spaces, a community pavilion, a community promotion shed, and play areas for children and adults.

“We have a vision of what this landmark site and its river frontage can become and how it will tie directly to our new ‘Conscious Place’ initiative,” Terry Montesi, Trademark’s chief executive, said in a statement. “We are creating a district that reminds us about the importance of healthy living, sustainability, and connecting with and being involved in the community.”

This story was originally published October 14, 2014 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Construction set to begin on Waterside in southwest Fort Worth."