A new idea from chef Tim Love involves shipping container cabins on the Trinity River
Chef Tim Love is cooking up a new concept for Gemelle, his Italian restaurant off White Settlement Road by the West Fork of the Trinity River, but it’s not a new dish.
Love wants to use the back portion of the Gemelle lot, which is already known for its outdoor garden seating, for a shipping container micro hotel.
At first that might not sound like luxury, but Love told Fort Worth’s zoning commission Wednesday the nine white and cedar-clad containers would feature high-end amenities and rent for $200 a night. He thinks the small cabins will give visitors a unique river-focused experience near the heart of the city.
“I want to do nothing but impact the river in a very positive way,” he said.
Zoning commissioners didn’t appear to have any qualms with the idea of placing shipping containers along the river opposite the Idlewild neighborhood.
Instead they worried Love hadn’t appropriately communicated the plan to nearby Crestwood and the River District, the general area along White Settlement Road between the two Trinity River bridges. City staff told commissioners the zoning department had received more than 40 letters either in opposition or just generally concerned about the project, though Love said he talked to at least four property owners immediately north who were in support. About 10 properties fall within the required 300-foot notice.
Love wanted to get the ball rolling on the containers, and requested an expedited approval that would have put the zoning change, from industrial to one permitting hotel use, in front of the City Council Aug. 18. The commission decided to continue the item for a month and requested Love contact more neighborhoods. If the commission approves the plan, the City Council will hear it Sept. 15. Approval may also be needed from the Tarrant Regional Water District, which oversees the river and Trinity Trails.
Margaret Johnson, who said she lived in the River District to the west, called in to the virtual meeting to tell commissioners some neighbors felt like they were not given enough notice.
“It’s not that we are opposed to it. We’re opposed to not being told,” Johnson said.
Shipping Container Hotel
A call to Love’s office was not returned, but he told zoning commissioners he believes the containers-as-cabins concept works well with the general theme of the River District.
The 160-square-foot cabins fit a queen size bed, custom tile walk-in shower and refrigerator. Each unit has a full glass door and a rooftop deck that offers views of the river. They’ll be styled similar to the Gemelle building, according to Love’s presentation. Guests can rent kayaks and bikes to use along the river.
The containers sit in a floodplain, but Love said he’s working with an engineer to assess whether they would be at risk. An alternative concept would raise the containers about four feet. The are assembled off site and trucked in, Love said, so there would be minimal construction.
Over at the restaurant, Love wants to sink another shipping container into the ground to use as a pool.
He plans to hire at least two people to staff Gemelle 24 hours a day to operate as the hotel office, he said, though the restaurant’s hours won’t change. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the outdoor stage offered live music three nights a week, which he said he also won’t change.
Love told the commission the hotel should enhance security along that portion of the trail, since someone will be around basically all the time.
“The hotel intends to bring the same affluent crowd that its sister restaurant, Gemelle, already captures,” Love said.
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 1:45 PM.
