Panther Island to hire manager, as J.D. Granger’s role with Fort Worth project changes
A mild shakeup at the Trinity River Vision Authority changes the role of J.D. Granger, the executive director of the TRVA and son of U.S. Rep. Kay Granger.
Granger will no longer be the top manager of Panther Island. Someone with experience coordinating multiple government entities is needed to help finish the $1.18 billion project, according to the authority.
Granger, who makes more than $200,000, has worn many hats since the Trinity River project was first conceived more than a decade ago. The authority has been responsible for entertainment on the river, like Oktoberfest and Fort Worth’s Forth, finalizing design standards for development on the island, and working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Now, Granger will focus solely on working with Corps, while the new “program coordinator” will be the public face of the effort, working with the Corps, the city and the Tarrant Regional Water District.
“I would love to bring this person on board as quickly as we can,” Granger said.
The project, first envisioned in the early 2000s, aims to cut a 1.5 mile bypass channel in the Trinity River north of downtown Fort Worth. The channel will form two islands, collectively known as Panther Island, and will help mitigate flooding while creating roughly 800 acres of prime real estate. It requires significant federal funding but has received little.
The project, an effort of the city, the water district and the Army Corps of Engineers, has confused the public, which sees Panther Island as entertainment, flood control and economic development, according to Dallas-based project management consultant Riveron, which delivered an assessment to the authority earlier this summer.
To clear that up, the Trinity River Vision Authority voted Wednesday to hire a program coordinator, likely on a contract basis. The water district will take on entertainment elements and the city will lead economic development, ideas the board voiced support for last month.
A time frame for hiring the coordinator and a salary was not established. In the meeting the position was described as “part-time” since the person likely would like operate on contract rather than as a full-time employee, but officials later stressed it was high-level position. The role will focus on coordinating risk management efforts.
The project coordinator was a major recommendation from Riveron, which was hired to assess the project after the federal government skipped funding Panther Island last year. Congress in 2016 authorized up to $526 million for Panther Island, but the Trump administration has been unwilling to provide new money. The Corps, in coordination with the water district, has asked for $30 million to $40 million each year but has received just $68 million since 2006.
As much as $250 million could come to the project after Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price met with Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director and acting chief of staff, along with U.S. Rep. Roger Williams in July.
Asked if Wednesday’s move would help convince the White House or the Army Corps to prioritize Panther Island, Jim Oliver, water district general manager and TRVA board member, nodded.
“I hope so,” he said.
James Hill, a water district and TRVA board member, said the change was an effort to refocus on flood control and add fresh perspective.
“I’m excited to bringing in a new, independent coordinator to press the project forward,” he said calling it a “major step in the right direction.”
Granger downplayed the changes, noting that some of them had been in the works for years. Much of the authority’s work is done. That included buying land needed to build the channel and cleaning up environmental risks. Only three parcels of land remain to be purchased, Granger said.
For at least two years the authority had discussed spinning entertainment ventures off, he said. The Star-Telegram reported last November such a move would likely carry tax benefits.
He also said it had long been a plan to have the city lead economic development. Though much of the land on the future island is owned by the water district, it’s up to the city to approve incentives and zoning related to development, he said.
Granger indicated there may come a time when he no longer works for the district, but didn’t say when that will be.
“I thought I’d be gone long before,” he said. “I’ve always said I’ll stay here until this thing’s on cruise control. I think we’re right about there, and so that’s at least my commitment to local community.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2019 at 7:01 PM.
