Mule Alley just opened, but more is coming for the Stockyards’ newest development
As Craig Cavileer sat on the porch of the Livestock Exchange building on a recent weekday morning he counted the crowd for the twice-daily Stockyards cattle drive. Less than 100 were in sight, he surmised, about a third to a fifth what he would normally see for the 11 a.m. cattle walk.
The coronavirus pandemic has stymied foot traffic in the Fort Worth Stockyards in the same way downtown has seen a dramatic drop in commerce. Both districts survive on tourism, which has taken a hit — hotel occupancy rates fell to about 25% during the height of the pandemic before rebounding to around 50%, according to Visit Fort Worth. But Cavileer, executive vice president of Majestic Realty Co. and Stockyards Heritage Development Co., is optimistic that Mule Alley, the much anticipated redevelopment of historic horse and mule barns south of East Exchange, will thrive. It opened in June and boasts boutique shops alongside a blend of homegrown cuisine and popular chain restaurants.
“I have been impressed with the resilience of the Stockyards, but I’m sure looking forward to the day we get everything back to normal,” he said.
It’s true that the Stockyards have fared better than other districts so far, said Mitch Whitten, vice president of marketing and strategy for Visit Fort Worth. While citywide hotel rates reached a high of 57% in the last weekend of August, a spot check of the Stockyards hotels earlier this summer showed some were sold out, he said. Outside of big events at Dickies Arena or the Convention Center, the Stockyards is Fort Worth’s biggest attraction.
Whitten called Mule Alley “a shot in the arm” for the city’s economy and “a gift,” saying that while it may seem odd to open a major development during a pandemic, the timing could not have been better.
“At the end of the last recession, tourism led the recovery,” Whitten said. “So Mule Alley is really coming online when we need it the most.”
Though the Stockyards was a big draw already, Whitten said Mule Alley offers a chance to refresh the district while keeping history alive.
The strip includes Provender Hall, a grill from Clay Pigeon chef Marcus Paslay. Jason Boso, the restaurateur behind popular Truck Yard in Dallas (and another planned in far north Fort Worth), plans Second Rodeo Brewing Co. in a 12,000-square-foot barn described as part brewpub and part music hall. Shake Shack opened in January.
Mule Alley is also home to the headquarters of RFD-TV, The Cowboy Channel, and Rural Radio, all part of Rural Media Group and Simpli.fi, Internet advertising and analytics company with about 450 employees. The area employees about 1,500 total.
The stores and offices are sort of like buildings within a building.
Because the barns were built in 1912 to house horses and mules, not restaurants and boutiques, retrofitting to modern needs was challenging, Cavileer said. He expects tenants to spend $3 million to $5 million on work, he said, mostly to ensure the venues take care of the more than 100 year old buildings. In many cases, glass and steel frames were built inside the barn so tenants could operate modern spaces without touching the older brick.
“The spectacle is really inside,” Cavileer said. “They look great outside, but they’re really majestic inside.”
In late August Cavileer said Mule Alley was about 77% pre-leased.
Among the new arrivals is Biscuit Bar, the Plano-based breakfast-themed fast casual place that opened in late August. Janie Burkett, who is co-CEO with her husband Jake, said they chose Mule Alley for their latest expansion because of the Stockyards’ name recognition and on a belief it was undeserved for quick breakfast food.
They left the concrete columns exposed, which Burkett described as “looking like they’re falling apart because they kind of are.” They are accented by whitewashed brick. Above the service window, a bright neon cowboy is riding a bucking biscuit.
“It’s fun to kind of bring in a cowboy aesthetic to the Biscuit Bar,” she said.
Burkett said she and her husband had no hesitation about opening in the Stockyards during the pandemic. Other locations, which include Arlington and Deep Ellum, have done well with delivery and to-go orders. She’s also optimistic about the opening of the Hotel Drover down the street.
The keystone for Mule Alley is the 200-room Marriott Autograph Collection boutique hotel, which was slated to open in October. A series of delays, part construction and part COVID-related, has pushed the opening to January, Cavileer said.
He’s keeping an eye on the hotel market, but is hopeful a series of events and weddings already booked will bring an influx of visitors through the spring.
“You have to be optimistic in the entertainment and hospitality business,” he said.
Future Stockyards
The hotel will not be the last thing for Mule Alley.
About 30 acres of undeveloped land are prime for expansion in 2021 or 2022, Cavileer said.
He wants to build on the entertainment and rodeo platform and will first evaluate if more arena or other event space is needed to host rodeos and music festivals. Part of the the space could be used to attract another corporate headquarters or offer a unique living situation for apartments or condos.
“I think you’re going to see some more push in that direction for an employment base, if we can get some uses that are on brand for the Stockyards,” he said. “The multi-family could really supplement that for people who want to live nearby.”
Cavileer said it’s unlikely Exchange Avenue would ever close to traffic permanently because people enjoy driving through the Stockyards. But he does see potential for a pedestrian corridor along Marine Creek. The developer owns about a third of a mile of frontage along the creek including Saunders Park, the sort of urban river walk area between Mule Alley and North Main.
Cavileer wants to keep the area clean and is working with the city parks department on a partnership for Saunders Park maintenance. The area is on a Trinity Trail extension that connects the North Side to downtown.
He also noted the plan for Panther Island includes a lock on Marine Creek that would bring a robust amount of water almost the Hotel Dover’s front door.
“I think over the next few years, if things comes to fruition, you’re going to have a substantial waterfront here,” he said.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
