Fort Worth sells off remaining flood-prone homes in Arlington Heights for $1.7M
The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to sell eight houses purchased as part of an effort to combat flooding in the Arlington Heights neighborhood.
The decision comes nearly a year after the city abandoned a plan to sell the houses in a package deal due to a lack of a competitive bidding process
The properties, on Carleton and Western Avenues, were built on top of a natural creek bed and are serviced by a storm drain installed in the early 1900s. The homes flood during a heavy rain storm, and expanding the storm drain would be cost prohibitive, according to a May 2022 city report.
The city opted to purchase 11 homes for roughly $3.8 million. The purchases were funded through a combination of city funds and grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Three of those properties either have or will be demolished to make way for water retaining green space. The rest are being sold for just under $1.7 million.
The new owners will now have to redevelop or renovate the homes to raise them two feet above flood level.
The new owners will also have to let any potential buyers know about the flood risk if they try to sell the properties down the line.
The city didn’t anticipate recouping the money it spent to buy the properties, because of the costs associated with redevelopment, said assistant transportation and public works director Jennifer Dyke in an email to the Star-Telegram.
The city initially planned to convert the properties into green space, but changed course after getting opposition from the neighborhood, she said.
She also noted that selling the properties also adds them back to the city’s tax roll meaning Fort Worth taxpayers won’t have to pay for maintenance.
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM.
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