Plans for restaurants in Fort Worth suburb hit snag because of asbestos, drainage issues
A developer’s plans to bring three sit-down restaurants and outdoor entertainment to Saginaw are on hold after the company discovered problems with asbestos and drainage in a former fire station that was going to be renovated for the project.
City manager Gabe Reaume said Wednesday that the plan for Dallas-based Local Favorite Restaurants to bring three sit-down restaurants and entertainment is in a holding pattern. The plans were first discussed two years ago.
When architects for Local Favorite conducted the “due dilligence for the project, called Station at Saginaw, the restaurant group learned that there was “significant” asbestos and drainage problems in the former fire station, which was built in the 1960s, he said.
“That certainly changed the dynamic,” Reaume said. “We’re now trying to get a cost estimate on asbestos abatement and demolishing the structure.”
Local Favorite did not respond to an email requesting comment.
“We’re trying to determine if Local Favorite wants to go forward, and if not, the city will contact other restaurant groups,” Reaume said.
The restaurants planned for the Station at Saginaw were Twisted Root Burger Co., Taqueria La Ventana and Del Toro BBQ.
The agreement between Local Favorite and Saginaw required that the restaurants open in late 2024, and in exchange, the company would get two acres from the city for the entertainment area. Besides the fire station, the land includes a log cabin, which was a former senior citizens center. The agreement also required Local Favorite to pay $2.5 million for capital investments for the property.