Crockett Row gets new name as owners seek new vibe. Will part of Crockett Street close?
Fort Worth’s West Seventh district is transforming, and Crockett Row is the latest of those changes.
Owners of the mixed-use development along Crockett Street between Foch Street and University Drive announced Tuesday the property’s new name – Artisan Circle – as part of a development rebrand.
Younger Partners – owner of what’s now Artisan Circle – is also proposing the closure of Crockett Street, between Norwood Street and Currie Street, under a “long-term revitalization plan.”
Closing the street will make the 282,805-square-foot development more pedestrian friendly and allow better access to restaurants and shops around new gathering spaces. The developers also plan to add updated signage, lighting and improved accessibility.
“Artisan Circle is more than just a new name; it’s a symbol of the vibrant transformation and creative changes we are making,” Kathy Permenter, co-managing partner of Younger Partners, said in a news release. “We’re inspired by the beauty and artistry that surrounds us in the Cultural District – from the world-renowned museums to the masterpieces they hold.”
The first step of redevelopment will involve putting new elevators into three of Artisan Circle’s five parking garages and adding two valet locations within parking garages.
Owners will install new benches, lighting and landscaping to Crockett Street’s central courtyard. They will also redesign outdoor dining patios and add digital directories to guide visitors throughout the development.
“Our vision is the advancement of this development and the creation of a vibrant hub where people can gather, dine and explore the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District,” Permenter said in the news release.
Younger Partners will also add two large-format outdoor digital displays to buildings along West Seventh Street and University Drive. Construction, led by Scott & Reid General Contractors, will start in January and should take 12 to 18 months to finish.
“Our commitment is to enhance accessibility, aesthetics and the overall user experience – to ensure that Artisan Circle becomes an iconic Fort Worth destination,” Permenter said. “From colors, textures, lights, sounds and tastes – we’re focused on each sense and detail.”
The development is currently home to about 25 businesses, including restaurants, entertainment, a co-working space and a gym. Occupancy is at 77%, including three restaurants that have signed leases but aren’t open yet, Permenter told the Star-Telegram.
“(Vacancy) might feel like a little bit more than that right now as you’re walking through, but we’ve done several leases that are still under construction,” Permenter told the Star-Telegram.
Si Tapas Restaurant and Bar at 2949 Crockett St. is expected to open in about a month, Permenter said, and Terra Mediterranean, La Cabrona and Rose Couture Nail Bar are expected to open by early 2024. With the openings, Permenter said, vacant storefronts are “going to change significantly.”
The firm has been “very particular” and “cautious” about its tenant mix and has declined some applicants looking to bring bars to the property, Permenter said.
Younger Partners also plans to accommodate police and give them a “home base” in the development as part of a West Seventh ambassador program. The program was created by the city in September to enhance safety in the entertainment district after the fatal shooting of a TCU student outside a bar a couple of blocks from Crockett Row.
“We want (Artisan Circle) to feel great for families, TCU students, single people, a multi-generational appeal, not necessarily providing the same entertainment that they’re providing behind us,” Permenter said, referring to the several blocks of bars just south of the development. “There’s plenty of that. We’re thinking of ours to be more walkable, arts related, fun restaurants, but not necessarily the bar activity.”
Dallas-based Younger Partners acquired the former Crockett Row in August 2022. The development spans five blocks. Permenter said the rebrand has been in the works since the firm purchased the property last fall.
Younger Partners has received positive feedback from the city about the possibility of closing Crockett Street, Permenter said, but it would likely entail changing some of the surrounding one-way streets back to two-way.
Permenter said the first step is conducting a traffic study, but the firm doesn’t have a clear timeline on that vision yet.
The redevelopment of Artisan Circle comes amid major growth in the Cultural District.
The Van Zandt, under construction on West Seventh Street, will have roughly 99,000 square feet of office space, 10,000 square feet of retail space, 226 apartments and a 500-space garage. A second building on Morton Street, under the same ownership of Goldenrod Companies, will have 100,000 square feet of office space, 10,000 square feet of retail space, 240 apartments, an 800-space parking garage, and a 175-room hotel.
The luxury 200-room Crescent Fort Worth Hotel off Camp Bowie Boulevard opened its doors to guests last week and plans to open the Canyon Ranch Wellness Spa in the coming weeks.
Just a few blocks away, the Bowie House Hotel will open in December. The 106-room boutique hotel has a signature suite priced at $6,000 per night.
This story was originally published November 14, 2023 at 11:56 AM.
