Legal battles aren’t stopping the development train in the Fort Worth Stockyards
Two years ago, the city of Fort Worth and Stockyards development company Majestic Realty celebrated as the City Council unanimously approved a grant package meant to stimulate the doubling of Fort Worth’s most iconic landmark.
Phase two was meant to build on the success of the first phase that city leaders at the time credited with saving the historic landmark from demolition by neglect.
However, legal disputes between Majestic Realty and its former executive vice president Craig Cavileer have put a pause on the broader phase two development that would have seen the development of two underground parking garages, three 500-room hotels, 300,000 square feet of commercial space and 295-units of multifamily housing.
Still — like the twice-a-day cattle drive — development in the Stockyards marches on.
Two hotels along East Exchange Avenue are getting much needed updates, boutiques are moving in, and a parking garage is in the early stages of development. Here’s what’s coming to the Stockyards.
Places to stay
Majestic and its local partner the Hickman Companies closed the historic Stockyards Hotel and H3 Ranch restaurant in early April to begin a $30 million renovation.
The restaurant and hotel are getting new electrical equipment, lighting and plumbing upgrades, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
The Hyatt Place Hotel on the eastern end of the Stockyards is also getting some upgrades, according to documents filed with the city.
The building’s owner, Stockyards Heritage Development Co., plans to invest $9 million to update the entrance, pool area and south-side patio facing Mule Alley, according to a TDLR filing.
Stockyards Heritage Development Co. is looking forward to sharing more details soon, chief operating officer Kristin Assad said in a statement.
The upgrades at both hotels will raise the standard to make the product and aesthetics closer to those at the Hotel Drover, said Paul Paine, president of the nonprofit Fort Worth Stockyards Inc.
“Nothing wrong going there. It’s just, hey, it’s time for a facelift. Let’s do it,” Paine said.
Further east on Exchange Avenue, Indiana-based White Lodging is planning a luxury hotel on a 3.5 acre parcel the company acquired in September 2025.
Details haven’t been publicly released, but Conner White, the company’s vice chair and chief investment officer, said in a September 2025 statement the company’s goal is to celebrate the character of the Stockyards while introducing new experiences to visitors and locals alike.
The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously at its May 12 meeting to approve letting White Lodging turn its property into a temporary parking lot for three years.
The plan is to operate a paid parking lot on the site while White Lodging develops plans and secures financing to build the hotel, according to city zoning documents.
The company was originally looking for opportunities in Dallas before discovering the property in Fort Worth, Paine said.
“They got really intrigued with what was going on in Fort Worth, but specifically the Stockyards,” he said.
White Lodgings has a track record of building not just one, but multiple hotels in a city, Paine said.
That’s important because it means they won’t just develop the hotel and flip it to a new owner who won’t take care of it, he said.
Places to be
Some hotel projects have had to pivot from their original plans. Graham Limited’s proposed boutique hotel on the northeast corner of West Exchange and Clinton Avenues will now be a two-story mixed use building, developer Trey Neville said in an April 21 email to the Star-Telegram
The use is to be determined, but Neville said he’s considering a restaurant. The new building was designed to meet the aesthetics of the historic Stockyards, and got the seal of approval from the city’s Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission at its May 11 meeting.
Fort Worth Stockyards Inc.’s Paine said it would be nice to have a restaurant at the top of the hill welcoming people up West Exchange Avenue.
He stressed the goal is not to make West Exchange a copy of East Exchange, but instead give the strip its own identity that complements the western feel.
Boot maker Tecovas is putting its spin on the western feel with a nearly nine-foot tall neon sign of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco on the corner of its expanded property at 2341 N. Main St.
The company is expanding into the space formerly occupied by Taco Heads.
The expanded space will include a customization bar to enhance the customer experience, Tecovas’ North Texas district manager Teodoro Arellano told the Landmarks Commission at the May 11 meeting.
Another boot maker, Leddy’s, is proposing to build a four-and-a-half story parking garage on its surface parking lot at 2458 Ellis Ave.
The lot will house around 300 spaces and add to the badly needed parking in the Stockyards. The streets surround the site — Ellis, North Main, West Exchange, and Northwest 25th Street — all exceed 100% street parking capacity, Dunaway architect Shannon Bearden told Fort Worth’s zoning commission at its May 13 meeting.
The structure will be designed in such a way to make it blend with the historic fabric of the surrounding area, Bearden said.
Fort Worth Stockyards Inc’s board is split on the parking garage, Paine said.
Some board members point to the Stockyards zoning code that states it’s not an allowed use, however, they gave the caveat they would continue discussion on the design of the structure, he said.
What’s happening with Phase 2
The broader Phase 2 expansion is still in limbo while Cavileer and Majestic work out their differences in court. The city incentives, however, are on the clock
“Per the approved terms, the developer has until 2032 to complete the minimum project deliverables to be eligible for the approved incentives,” city economic development department spokesperson Andrea Duffie said in an email to the Star-Telegram.
“We don’t have any specific updates to share at this time, but will keep you posted as any additional developments take place,” said Rick Kline, Majestic’s president of operations for the Fort Worth Stockyards, in an email to the Star-Telegram.
“Now in the second decade of our collaborative development, we continue to believe in the long-term future of the Stockyards and are focused on when, where, and how to grow with scale, timing and a thoughtful, measured approach ensuring that any new development adds to the authentic Stockyards experience,” he said.
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