Will Fort Worth locals get discounts or benefits when Stockyards builds $1B expansion?
The Star-Telegram is answering your questions about the nearly $1 billion expansion of the Fort Worth Stockyards, planned over the next few years.
A reader asks us: “Will Fort Worth residents have any discounts or benefits from the expansion for being a resident (i.e. discounted hotel, food, parking, etc.)?”
Of the 9 million visitors a year to the historic district, we know that most of them are out-of-towners and even from other countries. So will any of the new hotels, retailers, parking garages and other attractions planned by the Stockyards owners include any enticements for us locals to visit more often?
Here’s what we know, including some discounts available to you now that you may not know about.
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The project will include at least two underground parking garages with a total of at least 1,300 spaces, likely on open space behind Billy Bob’s Texas and the Cowtown Coliseum. Once built, the developers will convey ownership of the garages to the city of Fort Worth, and the city will lease them back to the developers.
The deal approved by the City Council (in order for the project to qualify for incentives) requires at least 50% of the parking spaces to be available for public use at a “fair market hourly fee,” and a minimum of 650 spaces will support Cowtown Coliseum.
As of right now, it looks like Fort Worth residents would continue paying the same parking rates as out-of-town visitors.
What about retailers and restaurants? We don’t yet know what the 300,000-square-feet of new commercial space will entail, though owners including Majestic Realty Co. say they want to include “experience” attractions where visitors would spend more time.
Of course, any private business operating in the Stockyards could offer their own discounts or offers to Fort Worth residents if they want to.
And there are already some deals available now for frequent visitors.
You’ll need to download the new Stockyards app on your phone and sign up for free to join the “Heritage Club.” We found eight offers available in July for members, including free parking in three lots on certain days, free tickets for events at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, and coupons.
If you go, you’ll notice that the Stockyards folks are pushing the new app pretty hard, so it’s likely you’ll continue to find deals there.
As for hotels — the luxury Hotel Drover in Mule Alley has an offer now for 20% off the best available rate if you live in Texas or any of our neighboring states (i.e. Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana or Oklahoma).
Of course, it’ll still cost you a pretty penny to stay at the Drover, but that’s a pretty decent discount.
We’ll have to wait to see whether any of the other three new hotels planned with the expansion will offer any other discounts when they open down the road.
The Star-Telegram will seek out answers to your questions about the Stockyards expansion. Use this form to tell us what you want to know, or contact business reporter Kate Marijolovic: kmarijolovic@star-telegram.com.
