FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- The City of Fort Worth is getting a little over 173.7 million stimulus dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“This will target part of the economy that was severely hit by the pandemic, for instance the tourism industry,” said Jay Chapa Deputy City Manager.
Chapa said first on the agenda will be to restart projects that were delayed by the pandemic and focus on tourism which includes expanding the downtown Convention Center, adding a hotel downtown and building a youth soccer complex to boost sports tourism and bring in more visitors.
“Visit Fort Worth had a huge shortfall during the pandemic with revenue and they had to cut back so we are proposing funds to go to them so that they can begin fully promoting Fort Worth for tourism and getting visitors to come here,” he said.
Chapa said the funds will also go toward responding to the public health emergency and related economic impacts, to pay for city medical expenses, provide assistance to households, small business and non-profits, and aid impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality.
The city also wants to use the funds in order to improve underserved communities by working on streets, sidewalks, lighting and parks.
“We have been working on a project that involves affordable housing in the Evans and Rosedale area that we would like to bring forth and use some of these funds for,” said Chapa.
As the Near Southside continues to boom, Chapa said the Evans and Rosedale area on the east side of the freeway has remained undeveloped.
The master plan for the area was halted during the pandemic, but Chapa said these finds will help to kickstart it again.
Other projects include making necessary investments in improving the city’s drinking water, sewage and broadband infrastructure.
According to the city’s presentation, staff highlighted items they will individually bring for council approval in categories outlined below:
• Pandemic Recovery Activities
• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) capacity building program
• Tourism Industry Recovery (Convention Center/VFW Funding/Sports
Tourism)
• Evans-Rosedale Project w/Affordable Housing component
• Stormwater Projects
• Water/Wastewater Infrastructure Projects
• Cybersecurity/Technology/Broadband Projects in City Buildings
• Permanent Supportive Housing Projects
• Matching Funds for eligible joint projects with other agencies
• Projects Delayed/Postponed because of Pandemic (Commerce St./Public Events)
• Will Rogers Interpretive Plaques for Existing Murals
• Majority Minority Area (MMA) Infrastructure projects
(streets/streetlights/ sidewalks/park improvements)