Fort Worth City Council will consider a resolution Tuesday to nominate the old TXU North Main Power Plant as a highly significant endangered landmark, asserting itself in owner Tarrant County College’s move to sell the 113-year-old property.
Such a designation would position the future owner of the property, which currently anchors Panther Island, for financial incentives for rehabilitation.
The resolution would direct city staff to notify Tarrant County College Wednesday and forward the case to the city’s Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission for consideration on Feb. 9. The City Council would conduct a public hearing Feb. 24.
“It suggests that maybe we’re mature enough in the city to understand that preservation is your friend,” Jerre Tracy, executive director of the Historic Fort Worth nonprofit group, said Monday.
“I think it’s good for everybody. Why wouldn’t we want our city to be progressive, and why wouldn’t we want our developers to make a living on (historic) properties in our city that are cared for?”
TCC officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Historic Fort Worth has put the plant on its Most Endangered Places list several times, fearing its deteriorated state puts the property at risk of being demolished.
Local historic designations require the support of the City Council. While the city can move forward without a property owner’s agreement, a super-majority approval by council members is required.
Tarrant County College in October put the property up for sale after 20 years of owning it. The move was the second major one that kicked off redevelopment of Panther Island, following Tarrant Regional Water District’s announcement that it was seeking development proposals for some of the land it owns on the Northside.
Historic Fort Worth subsequently asked the city to nominate the property for protection as a highly significant endangered landmark. City staff in early November invited TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc to meet and discuss historic protection. Publicly, the college has not indicated whether it wants such protection.
“Developers have the unique opportunity to designate the TXU building as historic and open doors to state and federal grants, tax credits and infrastructure funding — significantly increasing its redevelopment value,” Reginald Gates, vice chancellor for communications and external affairs at TCC, said in a statement in early November.
The plant is not designated as a historic landmark. It also has no protection against demolition by the city of Fort Worth.
Highly significant endangered status would offer substantial — but not absolute — protection against demolition, along with financial incentives that could induce an owner to invest in a building.
Under the city’s ordinance, a property may be nominated for designation as “highly significant endangered” by the city manager, Fort Worth City Council, Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission, owner or the owner’s authorized representative.
Scott Nishimura is senior editor for local government accountability at the Fort Worth Report.
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