‘We’re not done yet’: Fort Worth lays out plan to revitalize Las Vegas Trail area
Fort Worth took another step toward revitalizing the Las Vegas Trail area Thursday after it released its transformation plan to improve the neighborhood on the western side of the city.
The plan, developed by Philadelphia-based design and planning firm Interface Studio, recommended improving access to food, health care and quality housing while also seeking improvements in public safety and education.
The area, south of Interstate 30 to the east of Interstate 820, is home to roughly 1% of Fort Worth’s population but accounts for 4% of violent crime, according to city statistics. The area’s median income of $32,299 is roughly half that of the city as a whole, and its 33% poverty rate is nearly triple the city’s average.
City Council member Michael Crain, whose district includes Las Vegas Trail, pointed to the city’s efforts in the neighborhood after a 2017 series by the Star-Telegram highlighted the area’s problems with gun violence, drug abuse and child sexual exploitation.
The city has invested $3.5 million as part of its neighborhood improvement program, with more street lights, security cameras and trash cans. It is looking at traffic solutions to deal with roads and speeding cars, Crain said.
A new community center and public library have given students a place to hang out and study after school.
Early efforts led to a 22% drop in violent crime through the first nine months of 2021, compared to the same time period in 2019.
“We’re not done yet,” Crain said at a luncheon hosted by neighborhood nonprofit LVTRise.
The plan calls for more improvements to public safety and park spaces, and a trail network to connect the neighborhood.
It also calls for improvements to housing including increased enforcement by the city’s code compliance department to hold apartment owners accountable for substandard living conditions.
It’s not clear how this plan will be funded.
Some could come from a special taxing district established by the city in 2021 to fund area improvements.
Crain noted Las Vegas Trail used to be a prosperous part of Fort Worth, housing the workforce for Carswell Air Force Base, but fell on hard times after the base closed in 1993.
He said the area has been neglected for too long, leading to the concentration of poverty seen today.
“We cannot afford to let another generation slip into poverty,” Crain said.
With the help of the broader Fort Worth community, Crain said, Las Vegas Trail could become a place of hope and prosperity again.
This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 3:03 PM.
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