Fort Worth Business Press
June 27, 2005
By: Aleshia Claunch

Trinity Bluff project fuels ‘Uptown’ development

City representatives wore hard hats and squinted in the bright sunlight as they dug their shovels into a small mound of dirt atop the bluff overlooking the Trinity River. The digging signaled a big change coming to the area.

The Lincoln at Trinity Bluff residential complex broke ground June 23 as the first of many residential units on tap for the northern section of downtown Fort Worth that officials and developers have designated “Uptown.”

The groundbreaking for the complex not only began its construction, but initiated a tidal wave of development along the banks of the Trinity River.

“This project will link downtown with historic Samuels Avenue, which is something that is important for this city’s past and our future,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief. “Trinity Bluff makes a statement for the city.”

More than 100 of Fort Worth’s business and community leaders gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking. Moncrief and District 9 Councilwoman Wendy Davis were among the guests who attended the outdoor celebration on the bluff overlooking the Trinity River.

The area referred to as Fort Worth’s Uptown is a 30-acre plot of land along the Trinity River. In the northeast portion of Uptown is an area called Trinity Bluff, which is the planned site of an elaborate urban community.

Trinity Bluff Ltd. is heading up the project, spearheaded by Fort Worth developers Tom Struhs, Elizabeth Falconer and Rudy Renda. The developers worked with consultants to develop a $350 million master plan for the bluff area that includes several residential and retail developments.

Dallas-based Lincoln Properties partnered with Struhs on the Lincoln at Trinity Bluff project. The 304 residences within the complex will be located on the edge of the bluff, 90 feet above the Trinity River.

The project is expected to begin construction in August with completion expected by spring of 2006.

Moncrief said the development puts five years of planning into action.

“This kind of thing doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design,” he said.

Moncrief said that Fort Worth has grown 14 percent in the last five years, and that the growth necessitates new housing.

“This project helps to lay the groundwork for Fort Worth to double its current size,” Moncrief said. “It will be a vibrant hub of activity within this community.”

The Samuels Avenue neighborhood dates back to the 1800s and was once inhabited by Fort Worth’s founding business and community leaders. Struhs said the neighborhood is ripe for renovation and all development will be respectful of the area’s rich history.

Jeff Courtwright, Lincoln Property Company senior vice president, said the development will offer studio apartments as well as one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Studio apartments will start at about $700 per month and one-bedroom apartments will start at about $900 per month.

Residents will have access to the existing 30 miles of jogging and biking trails along the Trinity River.

“Lincoln Property Company is extremely excited to play a part in creating a new, exciting lifestyle in the Uptown are of Fort Worth,” Courtwright said. “We believe that Lincoln at Trinity Bluff will provide the keystone to the future development of the entire master plan.”

The apartments will have four levels and a central elevator. Alongside the apartments will be a four-level parking garage for residents, which will allow residents to park on the same level where they live.

Struhs said he and his wife, Elizabeth, first thought about redeveloping the bluff after they purchased a home in the historic Samuels Avenue area. Struhs said the couple stumbled onto a sign shortly after moving into the area. The sign, he said, was so rotted that they could barely read the words “whole block for sale.”

“We couldn’t believe it,” Struhs said. “This piece of land is so close to the heart of Fort Worth and for it to be sitting here seemed too good to be true. We both knew how wonderful this land could be and we got to work immediately.”

Struhs said he and his wife began to produce blueprints for the Trinity Bluff area. The more they envisioned the development, he said, the more opportunities they saw.

When they had determined exactly which properties they needed to make Trinity Bluff a reality, Struhs said, they went to Davis for guidance from the city. The area is in District 9, and Davis chairs the city council’s Central City Revitalization and Economic Development Committee.

“The city has helped us in so many ways in this development,” Struhs said. “This is such a big project. I guess you could say it took a village to raise this project.”

After Struhs proposed his idea for Trinity Bluff to Davis and other members of the economic development committee, he spoke with countless residents of the Samuels Avenue area concerning his plans.

By talking with residents one-by-one, Moncrief said, Struhs showed his patience and his desire to acquire land for Trinity Bluff the right way.

“I have watched a lot of development and I have never seen the kind of sensitivity exhibited by this effort,” Moncrief said.

Struhs said the next Trinity Bluff project will begin later this summer with the construction of 26 luxury town homes called Uptown Homes.

“This project couldn’t be starting today without the help of a lot of people,” Struhs said. “From the city to other developers to the economic and development office and the people of this area who saw what we were trying to accomplish, this is really a project we are all working on.”

Contact Claunch@aclaunch@bizpress.net.