Fort Worth wants to spur economic development in Las Vegas Trail area. Here’s the plan
The city of Fort Worth has put a lot of effort into revitalizing the Las Vegas Trail area.
The city has invested roughly $3.5 million in the neighborhood through its neighborhood improvement program to add bike lanes, pick up trash, clean up parks and install new security cameras.
Those cameras were critical in solving the May 2024 shooting at the Miramar Apartment complex, Fort Worth council member Michael Crain said April 16, speaking to reporters at a meeting of nonprofit groups working in the neighborhood.
The area is bounded by Interstate 30 to the north, Cherry Lane to the east, Camp Bowie West Boulevard to the south, and West Loop 820 to the west.
The city also contributed $2 million to the Casa de Los Sueños housing project, which converted the old Express Inn at 8401 West Freeway into 55 affordable housing units.
The city’s investments and partnerships have led to reductions in crime, student improvements in the classroom, and the development of a health clinic set to open this summer, Crain said.
The next step is economic development, he said.
The city plans to change land use rules to encourage mixed use developments like those seen in the South Main district and along West Seventh Street. These could have commercial businesses on the ground floor and housing on top.
“We’re trying to create community and make sure we continue to make this a real quality of life place for the people who live here,” Crain said.
The land use change will increase the value of the property and give developers more of an option for what to build, he said.
With the exception of the Western Hills North neighborhood, most of the land in the Las Vegas Trail area is zoned for apartment complexes. Changing the land use will encourage a walkable community feel and improve quality of life for residents, he said.
The City Council could get a report on the proposal as early as the May 6 work session. The plan is to have the land use change go before the zoning commission by June 11 and get approval from the city council by June 24.
It took 30 years for Las Vegas Trail to transform from military base housing to what it is today, Crain said. The transformation won’t take place overnight, but he said these changes are a positive step in the right direction.
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 12:17 PM.
.jpg)