Fort Worth Magazine - May 2021

Betsy Price

A SHADOW OVER SUNDANCE SQUARE

Store closings and confused tenants have overwhelmed the city’s downtown jewel. But visionaries Ed and Sasha Bass say, ‘Keep the faith.’

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2020 TOP REALTORS AND TEAM LEADERS WHO REPRESENT THE TOP 10% OF OUR MORE THAN 200 AGENTS

STEVE KAHN

MICHAEL AVIDON

HEATHER KONOPKA

NICK VAN DER GAAST

KERRY ZAMORA

SHERRI BLASINGAME

LINDA PETERSON

IVETA LYNAM

TIM GOLDSBERRY

QUAN THANG

MARIBEL RAMOS

CINDY PLANO

FERNANDO RAMSEY

CAROLYN PEAK

MICHELLE APPLING

JOHN MAYS

DENISE BATDORF

DANA MEEKS

STEPHANIE BARNES

XU JOHNSON

WENDY TOCKEY

RG REAL ESTATE GROUP

MELANIE HUNT TEAM

LANG TEAM REALTY GROUP

BEASLEY TEAM

RUBICON HOME TEAM

DANIEL ROBBINS REAL TEAM

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN DFW SINCE 1971

OUR TOP 21 AGENTS AND TOP 6 TEAMS AWARDS IN THE CENTURY 21 SYSTEM®

1,189 TOTAL SALES $412 Million IN SALES VOLUME #1 OFFICE IN TEXAS

#5 US OFFICE CLOSED UNITS #6 US OFFICE SALES VOLUME

TOP 100 PLACES TO WORK IN DFW TOP 1.5% OF MORE THAN 200,000 BROKERAGES NATIONWIDE, REALTRENDS

Taking Heart & Vascular Care Forward

Every bit of care matters now, whether it’s for your family or the community as a whole. But you can’t care for others without looking out for yourself. That’s why it’s so important to have your heart health in the right place. Heart and vascular specialists on the medical staff at a Texas Health hospital can help you manage your heart and vascular care, from general heart health wellness to advanced diagnostics and procedures. And, as always, we have protocols in place designed around your safety. Texas Health is right there with you.

Find a heart and vascular specialist or take our heart health assessment at TexasHealth.org/Heart.

Fast. Friendly. Fair.

Here's the deal.

AUTO GROUP

VOLUME 24 ISSUE 05

54

The Exit Interview

As Betsy Price takes her final bow as mayor of Fort Worth, she sits down with Fort Worth Magazine for a candid Q&A reflecting on the past 10 years — and where she’s going next.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

64 Slow Burn

Between a closed plaza and tenants turning through a revolving door, there’s trouble at one of Fort Worth’s most iconic landmarks, and downtowners are chalking it up to more than just COVID-19. So, what’s the deal with Sundance Square?

BY SCOTT NISHIMURA

82

The Ultimate Homebuyer’s Guide to Greater Fort Worth

COVID-19 has made things a little more complicated for homebuyers. Here’s a handy guide to help navigate the process.

BY AARON DALTON

97 Top Realtors 2021

This year’s rock stars in residential real estate.

120

Top Dentists 2021

A list of the city’s best in dental care.

the fort

know

14 The Lead

Renderings are finally getting real for the Panther Island project.

16 Buzz

How a Fort Worth nonprofit is stepping in to help Arlington police with mental health calls.

20 Calendar

Whether you’re drinking beer, wine, coffee, or cocktails, May is chock-full of activity to imbibe.

22 Rise of the Panthers, Fall of the Cats

Looking back at the nearly 100-year run of Fort Worth’s legendary baseball team.

24 Fort Worthian

In the kitchen with Henry Abuto.

26 The Ides of May

Parties and politics have made their way into the mayoral race this year. Here’s where each candidate stands.

: live

36 Music Before Cattle Herding

Musician William Clark Green has a cow to catch.

40 Good Reads

Children’s author Nancy Binger chats about the inspiration behind her mischievous four-legged characters.

42 Dream Street 2021: Selling a Dream Home

Talking market strength and Montrachet with real estate veteran John Zimmerman.

44 Restaurant News

Turns out the turkey leg trend has been in Fort Worth all along.

Snaps: Miss Cinderella 136 Close: Framing a friend.

High-Spirited Ride

While driving her redesigned 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71, TCU fan Karen Culberson is turning heads. She’s getting second looks in her big, bold, and beautiful Chevy Tahoe SUV from Platinum Chevrolet in Terrell. While she fell in love with its all-new design the first time she saw it, Culberson especially enjoys the panoramic sunroof, mobile app, and connectivity features of her 2021 Chevy Tahoe. “I had very specific features in mind that were necessary for my ‘boy mom’ life and busy work world,” says the mother of two boys, McCoy, 16, and Phoenix, 11. “Stephen Gilchrist, Justin Rudd, and Tracy Fox put me in the ideal vehicle that was a perfect mix of rugged luxury,” says Culberson, a medical sales and marketing representative.

But it isn’t just the Chevy Tahoe that earns the former TCU cheerleader’s enthusiasm. “The customer service at Platinum Chevrolet is first class,” Culberson says. “It was important to me to have a dealership that would work with me and understand my needs through the process. They exceeded my expectations in every way.” Although she’s a first-time Gilchrist Automotive dealership customer, she says she’ll never go anywhere else. “The Platinum Promise, among many other top-notch services, influenced my decision to buy exclusively with Gilchrist Automotive.”

PICTURED: Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator; Justin Rudd, General Manager; Karen Culberson, customer.

Vision and Passion

While Fort Worthians are collectively appreciative of what the Bass family means to our city, including their numerous and worthwhile philanthropic endeavors, their biggest contribution to Fort Worth is Sundance Square.

The eldest of the four Bass brothers, Sid, is the one who first championed the Sundance cause in a 1978 meeting with the Fort Worth Chamber. It was there that Sid presented a plan to revive the north side of downtown. The plan was to make two city blocks pedestrian-friendly by adding restaurants, specialty retail shops, and nightlife entertainment around a mix of restored historical buildings and new modern structures, including the City Center Towers.

Ed Bass, the second oldest of the brothers, was the most passionate about the Sundance project. Upon moving back to Fort Worth after a stint in New Mexico, he purchased a row of downtown storefronts on Houston Street and converted them into the Caravan of Dreams — a jazz club, restaurant, and theater. It was here that Ed took the lead on the Sundance project.

Knowing one of the biggest keys to the success of Sundance was downtown living, Ed’s next venture was building Sundance West, a 12-story, 58-unit mixeduse development that included an AMC Theater.

Room will not allow me to detail the 23 years that followed, but what started with two city blocks and a vision for revitalizing a dilapidated and desolate downtown is now 37 blocks and one of the most successful urban developments in the country, renowned for its innovative urban planning.

To put Ed’s efforts in perspective, in 1995, the Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District listed downtown property values at $322.4 million. Today, the value is $1.497 billion. This growth would not have happened without Sundance.

While our cover story includes concern about Sundance, I believe we can all take solace in the knowledge that no one wants Sundance to continue to flourish any more than the man who spent the last 40 years putting his money where his passion is. If I were to bet on anyone achieving what they set their sights on, I would bet on Ed Bass.

Concerning the question about what becomes of Sundance after Ed Bass — a question that kicks off our cover story — Ed is a very young 75 years old and says he’s not going anywhere soon. Even stating he may have another 20 years to contribute. In our interview, Ed’s wife, Sasha, avidly expressed that fulfilling Ed’s vision is her passion. Sasha says that she, and all of the people Ed has inspired over the years, will champion his vision for generations to come.

Hal A. Brown owner/publisher

owner/publisher hal a. brown

president mike waldum

EDITORIAL

executive editor brian kendall

managing editor samantha calimbahin

contributing editor scott nishimura

contributing writers aaron dalton, michael govea, john henry, tina howard, malcolm mayhew

copy editor sharon casseday

editorial interns isabella delgado, sophia vandewark, jillian verzwyvelt

ART

creative director craig sylva

senior art director spray gleaves

advertising art director ed woolf

contributing photographers olaf growald, crystal wise

ADVERTISING

advertising account supervisors

gina burns-wigginton x150, marion c. knight x135

account executive tammy denapoli x141

territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133

sales support coordinator josh anderson x140

MARKETING

digital marketing & development

director robby kyser

marketing strategist sarah benkendorfer

digital marketing specialist brenntyn rhea events intern kristian hart

CORPORATE

chief financial officer charles newton

founding publisher mark hulme

CONTACT US main line 817.560.6111

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©2021 Panther City Media Group, LP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Fort Worth Magazine (ISSN 1536-8939) is published monthly by Panther City Media Group, LP, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Periodicals Postage Paid at Fort Worth, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to Fort Worth Magazine, P.O. Box 433329, Palm Coast, FL 32143-3329. Volume 24, Number 5, May 2021. Basic Subscription price: $23.95 per year. Single copy price: $4.99

Let’s Chat

A few words from our readers

You folks won’t be disappointed with the sport of lacrosse. In fact, you will love it. You’ve got an excellent coach on board already, which is a great start, but the sport itself is excellent, top-notch, highenergy entertainment, and very easy to understand. Please support lacrosse in your town.

Mike Calbeck

ON THE COVER:

Photographer Crystal Wise snapped this shot of a roped off Sundance Plaza looking toward The Westbrook in February of this year. As of press time, the popular plaza remains roped off.

@leanndguzman We love Jamaican Summers! And I’ve literally said, when people find out I’ve eaten there and asked what it looks like on the inside, “Exactly like the outside.”

DIGITAL EDITION: The virtual editions of both current and previous issues are available on our website. Flip through the pages to read more about the great city of Fort Worth by visiting fwtx.com.

I can’t wait for this — it’s all fun and games until someone steps on a LEGO.

-Misty Childress

Corrections? Comments? Concerns?

Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas.com.

Dr. Ceres Tiu was mistakenly listed under the wrong category. She should have been listed under Infectious Diseases.

Errors occurred in the April listing of Top Dentists that has resulted in the magazine republishing the list in this issue.

Jen Burner was mistakenly not given credit for photos taken in a March issue piece titled “Hometown Homage.”

NEXT ISSUE

Best of Fort Worth

An Interview with the Creative Minds Behind “12 Mighty Orphans” A Trip to Marfa

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Progress Report

After over a decade of prep work, locals are finally starting to see some of Panther Island’s renderings coming to fruition.

BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN

The Panther Island project has been going on for well over a decade now, and in that time frame, has also become the brunt of both praise and critique from those anxiously awaiting the promised San Antonio-style riverwalk and surrounding developments illustrated in those fancy renderings. In April, what’s considered the first vertical progress on the project finally opened to traffic — the White Settlement Bridge, one of three V-pier bridges offering connectivity to the 800-acre district.

But just along North Main Street, behind chain-link fences in the shadow of the five-story Encore Panther Island apartment complex, the fun part of the project — the part everyone’s been waiting for — remains hidden from the public eye.

Well, a 225-foot-long portion of it anyway.

Nestled right in the center of Encore Panther Island is the first part of the Panther Island Riverwalk, now filled with water as it waits to join the rest of what will be about 1.75 miles of canal running along the district.

But aside from just giving locals something fun to enjoy, those spearheading the project have long touted the canal’s functional purpose — to serve as the main stormwater arterials for the City of Fort Worth and allow for the removal of outdated levees, replacing them with better flood protection via the canal.

“Locals will never know it,” JD Granger, executive director of Panther Island Central City Flood Project, says. “Everyone’s walking down with a margarita — might fall in because you’re drunk — [and] they just think it’s pretty. But actually, it serves a very important purpose.”

The Panther Island project hasn’t gone on without opposition, however, as many remain critical over its hefty price tag (it’s part of the $1.16 billion Central City Flood Project, of which $29 million for utility work is coming from the public), and simply the fact that everything’s taking so long.

To that, Granger has two responses: Regarding the cost, funding for the Panther Island Riverwalk is coming from investors and developers who are paying the Tarrant

A portion of the riverwalk will run through the Encore Panther Island apartment complex.

Regional Water District the amount they would essentially pay to mitigate the stormwater runoff they would create. On the amount of time it’s taken to see things go vertical, Granger cites, in part, the need to clean up the “environmental hot mess” that the formerly industrial property used to be, previously filled with hazardous chemicals like lead and ammonia.

“We were having to buy the property, move the property, demo the property, do the environmental cleanup — all of that had to take place before the bridges could even start,” Granger says, adding that the amount of hazardous materials removed totaled to about 330,000 tons.

But now that that’s out of the way, the public can finally start to see some renderings coming to fruition. The other two bridges at North Main and Henderson streets and Encore Panther Island are expected to open before the end of the year. After that, development will move east to the lot across the street, where there has been strong interest for a hotel.

Filling the G.A.P.P.

How a Fort Worth nonprofit is helping police deal with mental health calls.

BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN

It’s not uncommon for a local police department to answer a call related to mental health. The Arlington Police Department (APD), for example, estimates it receives one in 10 calls with “some type of mental health component associated with it,” and according to an email from media relations coordinator Tim Ciesco, “this is something that our officers are encountering quite frequently.”

That’s when Fort Worth nonprofit Alliance Child & Family Solutions (ACFS) steps in. The organization, which primarily focuses on providing counseling and other mental health services to Texans, runs a program called G.A.P.P. (The Greater Access & Partnership Program). G.A.P.P. began its partnership with the APD last October, offering what’s known as “wraparound resources,” which range from mental health counseling to assisting with housing, food, transportation, or “whatever they’re needing so that they’re not continuing to escalate to the point of being in crisis and requiring police intervention over and over,” says Anastasia Taylor, founder and CEO of ACFS.

“If we were not in place, the only other option, depending on the nature of the call, is either automatically to inpatient hospitalizations or having to go to jail for some of the concerns,” Taylor says. “Now that we’re able to be present, we’re able to hopefully reduce those repeat calls, provide options where individuals aren’t having to wait to receive services or counseling because we’re in contact with them within 24 hours, and able to help navigate a lot of the concerns.”

An estimated 1 million adults (or 5% of the total Texas adult population) and 519,368 children and youth ages 17 years and younger have a mental health issue, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. And, according to a 2015 study by the Treatment Advocacy Center, individuals with untreated mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians approached or stopped by law enforcement.

In Arlington, a dedicated Mental Health Unit — made up of specially trained behavioral health response officers and professionals from My Health My Resources Tarrant County — assists police officers in responding to calls related to mental health. Individuals who receive help can then be directed to G.A.P.P. for additional assistance.

While G.A.P.P. is currently only in place in Arlington, ACFS is looking to bring the program to Fort Worth and hopes to begin conversations with the police department soon. Taylor says the program will also need funding, either from the city, county, police department, or private donors.

“If you’re sick, you call a doctor; you don’t call the police,” Taylor says. “Individuals may not know where to call, and this is how we can help.”

‘12 Mighty Orphans’ Will Hit Theaters This Summer

by Samantha Calimbahin

THE ANTICIPATED SPORTS FLICK TELLING THE STORY OF FORT WORTH’S MIGHTY MITES FOOTBALL TEAM WILL OPEN IN THEATERS THIS SUMMER — AND TEXANS WILL GET A CHANCE TO SEE IT BEFORE ANYONE ELSE.

Advanced screenings of Sony Pictures Classics’ “12 Mighty Orphans” will take place at Texas theaters starting June 10, with the film also releasing in New York on June 11 before a wide release on June 18. According to a spokesperson for the film, there’s no announcement as to whether the film will release on streaming platforms.

“12 Mighty Orphans” puts a major spotlight on Fort Worth with a big-name cast that includes Texas native Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen, and Robert Duvall. Directed by Ty Roberts and shot here in the city, the film tells the true story of the Mighty Mites, a football team of 12 orphans who went from playing without shoes to reaching the Texas state championships during the Great Depression. Wilson plays their coach, Rusty Russell, an orphan himself, who turned his scrawny team into contenders by developing strategies that would give rise to those utilized in modern football.

The story is based on author Jim Dent’s book of the same name. Roberts, Lane Garrison, and Kevin Meyer penned the script; while the film was produced by Houston Hill and Roberts of Santa Rita Film Co., along with Fort Worth’s Michael De Luca and Angelique De Luca of Michael De Luca Productions. George M. Young, Jr., J. Todd Harris, Rhett Bennett, and Greg McCabe are executive producers.

10Things to Know This Month

1

Fort Worth is the 10th most diverse large city in the U.S., according to finance and research group WalletHub. The list factors demographics ranging from socioeconomic status to culture and religion among 501 cities across the country. While Cowtown cracks the top 10 among large cities, Fort Worth ranks No. 25 overall.

2

Elephant Springs is now open at the Fort Worth Zoo. The second of four phases in the zoo’s $100 million capital campaign, the new multiyard habitat features a variety of interactive water elements, including a 400,000-gallon river, numerous waterfalls, and a water tower.

3

BigShots Golf is now open at 15700 Golf View Drive, just south of Texas Motor Speedway. The facility includes 56 high-tech tee boxes that allow patrons to either practice or play full rounds on virtual golf courses all over the world, as well as enjoy interactive games like Knockout and Pinball. Also on property are a full scratch kitchen, mini golf course, outdoor patio, and event spaces.

4

“Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects Made with LEGO Bricks” is coming to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, showcasing plants and animals that the New York-based artist created out of LEGOs. The exhibit runs May 6 – Aug. 1.

5

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra has announced a portion of the program for its annual Fourth of July concert, “America Strong.” The program puts notable emphasis on Black and Latin composers, featuring the work of Kevin Day, Adolphus Hailstork, and Jimmy Lopez. Singing alongside the orchestra will be soprano Latonia Moore and opera bass Morris Robinson. The show will take place at Dickies Arena.

6

The Walsh neighborhood recently became Fort Worth’s first public-private food composting site as part of the city’s Residential Food Scrap Composting Pilot Program. The new site, in the Walsh Community Garden at 13749 Makers Way, is open and operational for program subscribers to drop off their food scraps.

7

One of the first buildings to open in Sundance Square in 1981, The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel, celebrated its 40th birthday last month, hosting a private party that unveiled its nowcomplete $8 million renovation. The hotel is continuing celebrations throughout the year with special room rates, a virtual talk series, and more.

8 Renovations are moving forward for the Heritage and Paddock parks downtown. Nonprofit Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) is behind the initiative, working with national design firm MIG while Bennett Benner Partners continues its role as lead on the restoration of Heritage Plaza. DFWII held three meetings to gather public feedback on the projects in April.

9

La Gran Plaza is welcoming a couple of fun, new additions this spring. Selfie Factory, a 1,900-square-foot “selfie museum” featuring over 30 backdrops that visitors can take photos with, opened in April. The Seminary South branch of the Fort Worth Public Library is also moving to La Gran Plaza, changing its name to La Gran Biblioteca.

10

Fort Worth’s been maintaining its health improvements since becoming the largest community in the world certified for healthy practices by the Blue Zones Project in 2018. According to a recently released Gallup Well-Being Index report, the city’s overall score has remained unchanged. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and compared to a baseline year of 2014, obesity “held steady” while increasing nationally. Smoking and the numbers of people suffering from high blood pressure and high cholesterol declined, while exercise increased.

BY

PHOTO

LAURA WILSON, COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES

*Please visit each event’s website for information on COVID-19 protocols.

MAY 5

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Celebration

Tejano band Latin Express provides the tunes for this Cinco de Mayo fiesta taking place at the Near Southside’s hottest new music venue.

Tulips 112 St. Louis Ave., 817.367.9798 tulipsftw.com

MAY 8

Cowtown Marathon

While virtual events run through June 30, the in-person event is set for May 8, featuring Cowtown Marathon’s signature Half Marathon, Healthy Hig Relay, 10K, and 5K.

Will Rogers Memorial Center 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., 817.207.0224 cowtownmarathon.org

MAY 8 8 Years: Burgers and Beers!

Celebrate Martin House’s eighth birthday with over 20 special beers, three burger food trucks, and Best Maid Pickle swag.

Martin House Brewing Company

220 South Sylvania Ave., Ste. 209, 817.222.0177 martinhousebrewing.com

MAY 13

Virtual Cocktails at the Carter: In the Night Garden

Grab a cocktail kit and follow along with The Usual as you create a concoction inspired by the Carter Museum’s ongoing exhibit, “In the Night Garden.”

Amon Carter Museum of American Art (Facebook Live)

3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.738.1933 facebook.com/theamoncarter

MAY 14 – 15

C10 Nationals

Dubbed America’s largest Chevrolet, GMC, and SUV event, C10 Nationals will showcase over 1,200 trucks at Texas Motor Speedway.

Texas Motor Speedway 3545 Lone Star Circle, 817.608.7293 c10nationals.com

Kimbell Art Museum (via Zoom) 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.332.8451 kimbellart.org

“In the Night Garden” by Natasha Bowdoin

MAY 15

Ridglea Hills Garage Sale

For Ridglea peeps and garage-sale gurus — score your next bargain at this neighborhood-wide event featuring treats and other unique finds.

Ridglea Hills neighborhood 4017 Clayton Road E.

MAY 15

Woofstock – Fort Worth

It’s like Woodstock — but for dogs. Enjoy live music, vendors, Rahr beer, and pet adoption opportunities with Saving Hope Animal Rescue.

MUTTS Canine Cantina 5317 Clearfork Main St. muttscantina.com

MAY 15

Spring Harvest Bash

Raise money for Black Dog Charity while grabbing food and drinks from a hefty lineup that includes Acre Distilling Co., TexMalt, Funky Picnic Brewery & Café, Wild Acre Brewing Company, Firefly Grilling Co., and The Last Call Tavern.

Acre Distilling Co. 1300 Jones St. acredistilling.com

MAY 15 – 16

C.A.T. Crawl

Get a taste of the city’s coffee and tea (that is, C.A.T. — get it?) scene during this crawl through femme-founded favorites like Black Coffee, Lazy Daisy, Roots, Cherry, Arcadia, and Leaves.

Various locations

More info at each respective shop

MAY 18

Foto Folklorico! At Joe T. Garcia’s!

Fort Worth Camera is inviting amateurs and pros alike to a dinner and dance performance at Joe T. Garcia’s, where photographers will be given premium access to capture the sights and sounds of Ballet Folklorico and a mariachi band.

Joe T. Garcia’s 2201 N. Commerce St., 817.335.3456 fortworthcamera.com

MAY 23

Hopefest 4 Autism

One of the city’s newest hangouts, Smokehouse 1948, is raising money for the Hope Center 4 Autism with a party featuring food, drink, vendors, and live music.

Smokehouse 1948 2836 Stanley Ave. smokestack1948.com

14 – 16

A Taste of WineHaus

Avoiding what could have been a permanent shutdown last year due to COVID-19, WineHaus and its new ownership will be celebrating a grand opening with live jazz, brunch, and champagne.

WineHaus 1628 Park Place Ave., 817.887.9101, winehausfw.com

JUNE 3 – 6

U.S. Gymnastics Championships

MAY 29

Twin Points Park Opening Day

Spend a day at the beach along Eagle Mountain Lake before closing out with a fireworks show starting at 9 p.m.

Twin Points Park 10200 Ten Mile Bridge Road, 817.720.4551 twinpointspark.com

Taking place in Fort Worth for the first time, this event will determine the men’s and women’s U.S. champions and U.S. National Teams for the junior and senior elite levels.

Dickies Arena 1911 Montgomery St. dickiesarena.com

Rise of the Panthers, Fall of the Cats

Fort Worth doesn’t have a professional baseball team, but the city does have an extensive history in the sport, with one team’s legacy spanning almost 100 years.

BY MICHAEL GOVEA

Baseball season is well underway in America. Sports have traditionally served as a unifier during a time of crisis, and since the pandemic first hit Texas a year ago, fans are eager to see their favorite teams play again. While Fort Worth doesn’t have a professional team, the city does have an extensive baseball history of its own — one team’s history spans almost 100 years. Originally called The Fort Worth Panthers, The Fort Worth Cats was a minor league baseball team of mostly the Texas League franchise that ran from 1888 to 1964 and 2002 to 2014. As the story goes, a 19th century Dallasite made the joke that Fort Worth was such a sleepy town that he had seen a panther snoozing in front of the courthouse. In true Fort Worthian fashion, the city embraced the nickname “Panther City” — hence The Panthers team moniker.

The Panthers represented the essence of baseball in America throughout the first half of the 20th century. With roots stretching back to the Civil War, Southern and Western pride emboldened the players to set unbelievable sports records when they

played against their rival Northeastern baseball clubs. From 1919 to 1925, the Panthers won the regular season title for seven straight years — a record that has yet to be equaled to this day. They were at the forefront of the sport and became one of the most famous minor league baseball teams of the 1920s. The National Baseball Association recently selected the Fort Worth Panthers as one of the top 100 minor league teams of all time. In fact, this team had so many wins that their name appeared five times on the list. One thing was clear here — these Panthers were not asleep in the dugout.

During the Panthers’ winning streak, thousands of baseball fans packed the stands to root for the team at nearby Panther Park. The original Panther Park opened in 1911 and was located just north of downtown off Main Street. Baseball enthusiasts poured into Fort Worth once Amon Carter arranged for trains to specifically transport fans from nearby cities to the field. It soon became apparent that a larger park was needed to accommodate the games, and owner W.K. Stripling and team secretary Paul LaGrave elected to build a new park that would seat an additional 4,000 people.

LaGrave, a former Texas Leaguer, worked his way up in the Panthers’ front office to become business manager during the team’s heyday. The stadium site they selected would be a few blocks east of the original field with a calming view of the Trinity River. In 1926, a concrete and steel baseball park was erected, seating up to 12,000 fans. After LaGrave’s death in 1929, the park was renamed LaGrave Field in his honor.

At first, the new lair did not bring the Panthers much success; the team could not bring back a championship for nearly five seasons. Still, much fanfare surrounded LaGrave Field as wide-eyed locals watched major league legends such as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, and Lou Gehrig play against the Panthers when their teams would travel through on their way to their home fields from spring training.

Much to Fort Worth’s relief, the losing spell was broken, and the club won both the Texas League and the Dixie Series as soon as they entered

1895 Fort Worth Panthers team

the next decade. This led the team to officially take to the field as the “Fort Worth Cats” in a triumphant return to the top of minor league baseball in 1932.

The Cats won another title in 1937 and captured a second Texas League crown in 1939, but these wins did not restart their golden days of the 1920s.

The Cats returned to the postseason with baseball legend Rogers Hornsby at the helm. Raised in Fort Worth, “The Rajah” played on the North Side High School baseball team until the 10th grade; he later dropped out to take on a full-time job in the Stockyards so he could support his family. The humble Hornsby went on to have a big-league career that landed him in the Hall of Fame.

In 1942, Hornsby returned to Fort Worth to officially take the reins of the Cats. Under his guidance, the club continued to climb the ranks and had much to look forward to, but their rise was abruptly cut short when World War II put an end to most minor league baseball. That following season, the team was forced into a four-year hiatus.

The Cats were ready to roar once peace allowed the Texas League to return in 1946. This time the team returned as a minor league franchise of the Brooklyn Dodgers and was stocked with baseball’s finest young athletes. The Cats benefited from their famous affiliation and stormed the Championship Series to a loopbest 101-53 record. That season also put the spotlight on a 19-year-old U.S. Navy sailor named Duke Snider. Snider would eventually play in the big league and help lead the Dodgers to six World Series appearances. In 1980, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Cats harnessed post-war excitement and evoked a sense of pride in 1948 Texas. The Dodgers sent World Series pinch hitter Bobby Bragan to manage the team, and within his first year, the Cats once again won the Texas League title. This win will be the Cats’ last for the Texas League. “Any man lucky enough to be a Fort Worth Cat was as proud of that as he would have been to play for the New York Yankees,” Bragan said. Hearing those words from their Brooklyn Dodgers

protégé kept the Cats’ head held high.

The Cats were unremarkable during the 1950s as the Dallas Eagles, Shreveport Sports, and Houston Buffaloes battled for Texas League dominance. Greatness was still to come out of the Fort Worth team. The Cats featured Sparky Anderson and Danny Ozark, who would go into the Hall of Fame as managers. In 1955, Maury Wills was the first AfricanAmerican player to play for the team. Wills went on to become a five-time All-Star and the 1962 MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers and became manager for the Mariners in 1980.

When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1957, it forced a shuffle in the minor league teams, and the Fort Worth franchise was traded to the Chicago Cubs, then the American Association, and lastly merged with the Dallas Rangers in 1960.

Fort Worth regained a Texas League franchise only in 1964. As minor league baseball was losing popularity in Fort Worth, ticket sales declined, and the field was forced to close. LaGrave Field was torn down in 1967.

The Cats came back in 2001 with new owner, Carl Bell, and a new Fort Worth Cats franchise was founded. The new Cats played at Fort Worth’s Lon Goldstein Field while they awaited the construction of the current LaGrave Field. In 2002, the Cats opened

the season in their brand-new home. The team’s mascot was Dodger, whose namesake is a tribute to the Cats’ historic Dodgers affiliation.

For a period, the team flourished, but there was one glaring issue — the inability to draw fans post-recession. Ticket sales waned, and since the 2014 season, the once-lively stadium has been abandoned, now little more than a graffitied shell, with weeds growing over the field.

It is unclear what will happen to the deteriorating stadium and if the Fort Worth Cats will ever return.

Despite always being against the odds, the Cats will forever be legends of minor league baseball, and now more than ever, a beacon of hope to the many in Fort Worth who deeply anticipate their return. Cats do have nine lives after all.

A Fort Worth Cats player in 1940

1940s Fort Worth Cats teammates

Henry Abuto

Chef/founder of ByWasonga

BY

BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN

PHOTO

OLAF GROWALD

The smell of sizzling butter and garlic wafts through the air as Henry Abuto floats around the kitchen, juggling pans and utensils, opening cabinets — and leaving them open, a trait he inherited from his mother — all while telling his life story and pausing periodically to pose for the camera.

It’s a Thursday morning when we meet Abuto at the home of LeeAnn and Joey Turner, friends of Abuto’s and the owners of BREWED, who kindly let him use what he calls his “dream kitchen” for the interview and photo shoot. With a playlist that dramatically jumps from Ben Platt to Fall Out Boy piping in the background, Abuto’s whipping up tilapia, green beans, and wild rice — a small taste of what he offers through his catering and events company, ByWasonga (Wasonga is Abuto’s middle name).

But ByWasonga isn’t all Abuto’s known for around Fort Worth. As a writer, musician, and semiinfluencer, Abuto is quickly becoming a recognizable face in the city. Besties with Tony Green, the duo hosts a podcast, “Tony & Henry: On the Same Page.” Abuto was also recently featured in Amphibian Stage’s film, “This is My Story,” talking about his experiences as a Black man in Fort Worth.

Abuto’s claim to fame, however, is his cooking. While ByWasonga’s offerings take inspiration from a variety of cuisines, the menu also features a distinctly African touch —

Abuto grew up in Kisumu, Kenya, and some of his earliest memories involve fishing in Lake Victoria with his family. “You cannot go to Kenya and get away from tilapia,” he says.

HENRY’S

COOKING PLAYLIST

“Coming Back to You” Sara Bareilles

Abuto’s family moved to Fort Worth in 1998, where he’d grow up and later find work in oil and gas and real estate. He launched ByWasonga as a side gig in 2016, then dropped everything to pursue it full time in September 2019, only to be slowed when the COVID-19 shutdowns began in March 2020. Even so, ByWasonga picked up steam anyway, thanks to weekly to-go meals and brunch residencies at places like Tulips, where — he makes sure to plug in — folks should mark their calendars for a fish fry celebrating Juneteenth.

“Get Me Bodied” Beyoncé

“Voice of God” Dante Bowe feat. Steffany Gretzinger and Chandler Moore

“Nostalgic” A R I Z O N A

“Run” George Strait

“Freedom” Nicki Minaj

“Nothing Inside” Machine Gun Kelly feat. Iann Dior

“Pictures of You” Bootstraps

“Lean Back” Capital City Music feat. Dion Davis (the full, 10-minute YouTube version)

“All Too Well” Taylor Swift

But it’s not just his culinary talents that make up Abuto’s recipe for success.

“I always say the best way to gain any traction in anything is by forming authentic relationships,” he says. “After that, people will do the work for you.”

As the conversation comes to a close, Abuto has completed a full meal; shares it with his guests; and quotes verbatim Philippians 2:1-8 — a verse too long for this story’s word count, but look it up, and you’ll find the words that sum up Abuto’s personal philosophy.

“How do we live a life of service with humility and gratitude, and at the end of the day, live in such a way that points back to something greater than ourselves?” he says. “That’s a guiding principle in my life.”

1. Yellow on yellow. 2. Podcast recording with Tony Green. 3. Breaking it down at a wedding. 4. Henry with twin sister, Esther. 5. Henry is an avid musician, too. Here he is, leading worship. 6. Repping the business, ByWasonga.

Photo by Ben McBurnett and Andrew Disney

Photo by Dawson Turner

Photo by Chelsea and Mack McGowan

Photo by Walt Burns

The Ides of May

With the race to succeed Mayor Betsy Price in a full sprint to the finish — polls close May 1 — the campaign trail has a new obstacle: politics.

BY JOHN HENRY

I

n another time and place in Fort Worth history, City Councilman Jim Bradshaw counseled his colleague on the local government board, Woodie Woods, Fort Worth’s political plumber and one of the town’s more noted political philosophers, as he plotted a run for mayor in the late 1970s.

As it was recounted in those days by a reporter, the encounter went like this:

“You need to drop that ‘conservative,’” ahem, bull hockey, Bradshaw said, “and come up with some terminology that’s more suited to the times. If you look at the way we vote, ‘conservative’ doesn’t exactly fit. Sometimes it’s conservative; sometimes it’s liberal; sometimes maybe it’s a little of both. You need to come up with something better like, ‘will of the people,’ or some phrase like that. You know what I mean. Work on it.”

DEBORAH PEOPLES

BRIAN BYRD

MATTIE PARKER

STEVE PENATE

ANN ZADEH

Potholes are neither Republican nor Democrat. Streetlamps aren’t conservative or modern liberal progressives.

However, the labels are the dominant chords in our politics today, even in a nonpartisan election with no labels. Fort Worth’s ascent up the ladder of America’s biggest cities comes with issues bigger than potholes and lampposts, including transportation, community policing, and relationships between police and people of color. The labels help people identify how a candidate might handle them.

With Beto O’Rourke and Joe Biden demonstrating that Fort Worth is in play for progressive Democrats, observers are wondering if that might translate into the election of a candidate who identifies as a progressive Democrat as mayor in 2021, the race to succeed Mayor Betsy Price. Earlier this year, Price declined to seek an unprecedented sixth term.

Democrat heavyweights have lined up to support the candidacy of Deborah Peoples, chairman of the Tarrant County Democratic Party, who is vying to become the city’s first Black mayor. She ran well against Price in 2019 with 42% of the vote, despite not having any of the support or money of a powerful incumbent.

U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Dallas), Democratic Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks, and State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) have all announced they are in Peoples’ corner, as has Democrat Tarrant County Constable Michael Campbell and Aicha Davis, a member of the State Board of Education.

In addition, the national Collective Political Action Committee, which focuses on boosting the candidacies of Black candidates, and the Tarrant County AFL-CIO.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) is expected to make an endorsement in a runoff if it involves one of the two progressive candidates.

Peoples, 68, will be challenged for the progressive vote by Ann Zadeh, who boasts deep roots in Fort Worth neighborhoods as a three-term District 9 councilwoman. Before that, she served six years on the city’s Zoning Commission, appointed by Mayor Mike Moncrief and Price. She served as president of the board for a year.

“That is definitely something people are looking at and monitoring,” Zadeh says of partisan labels. “I think people do care about them. It’s a question you get often. People like to be able to see whether you are of similar ilk to them. I’ll usually not make people track down [the

public record]. I’ll answer the question.”

During the campaign, Zadeh has championed the need for city leadership to be “as progressive as possible” to usher it into full communion as a cosmopolitan metropolis standing on its own, not merely next to her big sister to the east.

Peoples has voted in five of the last six Democratic primaries. Zadeh has voted in all of the past six Democratic primaries. Peoples is being advised by NextWave Strategies, a campaign consulting firm that boosted Democrat Sylvester Turner to the mayorship of Houston. Zadeh has hired Compete Everywhere, LLC, a digital marking firm for “Democrats and progressives.”

Conventional wisdom suggests that a runoff is inevitable with so many candidates, 10 in all, featuring either Peoples or Zadeh and Brian Byrd or Mattie Parker, considered the Republican candidates. Byrd and Parker have voted in each of the past six Republican primaries.

Parker, a former aide to Price and the council, enjoys all the support eventual mayoral winners have. She is supported by the city’s business and political classes as well as the Fort Worth Police Association and Fort Worth Firefighters Association. In addition to Price’s support, Parker has also been endorsed by Moncrief, a lifelong Democrat.

Price’s coattails alone are big enough to launch Parker to victory, says Allen Saxe, a retired professor of political science at UT Arlington.

Both Parker, 37, and Zadeh have made a point of campaigning on rising above partisan rancor and division.

Peoples, who has taken on issues within the city for years as an activist, is running on a message of bringing traditionally underserved neighborhoods of people of color to full representation at City Hall and in harmony with the Police Department. The tragic shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson by Officer Aaron Dean is the most recent high-profile incident dogging police departments across the country.

Peoples says that in working with people of color over the years, she discovered that issues that mattered most to them were local.

“That is when I said I need to run for mayor,” she said during a livestreaming appearance on The Collective. “Much can be done to improve the lives of people of color if we have progressive leaders who care. That is an immediate win for citizens of color and particularly African Americans. We have

whole areas of the city that have been systemically ignored. A lot can be done to focus on underperforming neighborhoods to get them back on track. More importantly, we have this incredibly diverse city. We actually are a majority minority city. We need to have boards and commissions and leadership teams that look like us.”

Her campaign mantra, One Fort Worth, she describes as all boats rising with the tide. She has said, based on her experience in the corporate world with AT&T, the key to attracting business and encouraging badly needed economic development in the city is the city’s diversity.

That’s an inclusive vision, and she won’t get any argument from Zadeh, Byrd, or Parker, who have expressed their support for initiatives to improve attention to diversity and equity.

“I am running for Fort Worth mayor to help every neighborhood in every part of our city thrive and prosper,” Zadeh has said. “Not one family should be left behind.”

Byrd launched his campaign from the traditionally Black Como neighborhood on the west side.

“Too many of our talented African American and Latino kids move away from Fort Worth for college and don’t come back because they don’t feel welcome,” says Byrd, 50. “And I don’t blame them. They don’t see people who look like them in the business district.”

Byrd pointed to his work on the City Council. Since 2017, he has been the representative of District 3. During that time, he says, he has worked to make improvements to the Las Vegas Trail corridor on the west side. It is one of those neighborhoods Peoples talks about being “systemically ignored.”

Collaborating with the Fort Worth school district, the city, led by Byrd, worked to bring IDEA charter school to the area. Since its first graduating class in 2007, 100% of IDEA’s graduating seniors have been accepted to colleges and universities nationwide, according to the school’s literature.

“We had a fair amount of success in the Las Vegas Trail area by recruiting a reputable charter school that has placed 100% of kids in college or vocational school. And 55% of those who go to college graduate.

“The mayor can continue to shine a light on education challenges.”

Byrd, a doctor and businessman, also has lobbied successfully to bring millions of dollars to Como and took the lead on setting up a mentoring program

for young African American and Hispanic businessmen and women trying scale up their business. The program connects them with CEO-level management figures in the business district.

The mother’s milk of elections is turnout, of course. Whether Fort Worth’s next mayor is a man, woman, Black, brown, white, red, or blue depends on who shows up. The city has a woeful history of voter turnout for municipal elections. To wit, about 9% of registered voters bothered to cast a ballot in 2019.

“I think the engagement we’re witnessing with the number of people who have filed to be candidates in this election [has resulted] in the engagement we’ve had the last several years,” Zadeh says. “I don’t know that, that equates into people showing up. I hope that it does. We should have as much engagement in the voting process as possible.”

They likely also have to show up twice, for a runoff.

There is also the concern, Zadeh noted, of voter fatigue. People tired of the ugliness and bitterness of politics, often the result of, well, those labels.

Like Parker, Steve Penate is 37 years old. That’s about where the similarities end. Penate was a political unknown when he entered the race, jumping in with both feet. The real estate broker and a founding pastor of Mercy Culture Church would have made the Rev. J. Frank Norris a fan.

Penate says he is running to bring Christian, conservative values back to public life. Penate has been outspoken about not supporting an LGBTQ agenda.

It’s a message that has appeal if his rallies are any indication. Hundreds of people have turned out to support him, according to videos he shares on Facebook. He has also routinely won the unscientific “straw polls” published on Fort Worth Facebook pages.

The church constituency is territory already staked out by Byrd, who is quick to remind that he was a member of Cru — Campus Crusade for Christ International — while in school at the University of Texas, as well a campus leader for Young Life.

He and his wife, Stephanie, have worked for years as area coordinators for Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Ministry, which serves children of incarcerated parents. In 2012, he joined the national board of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

A physician, Byrd was part of the medical teams

Brian Byrd Brian Byrd is an Arlington Heights graduate who left for the University of Texas and later medical school but returned to the city to practice family medicine before building and growing businesses in the medical field that he eventually sold.

He turned to public service in 2017, winning a seat on the City Council out of District 3. He also enjoys the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth), a former mayor of Fort Worth.

Byrd, who had raised more than $245,000 as of April 1, says his focus as mayor would be on economic development and attracting highpaying jobs, education and a job-ready workforce, police and public safety, and efficient government and lowering property taxes.

“The mayor can continue to shine a light on education challenges. The mayor has a duty to continue to put the right sort of attention on it in a way that tells the hardworking folks at the [Fort Worth school district] that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them trying to reach the goals we all want to reach.”

He boasts as achievements on the council the facilitation of the establishment of IDEA Rise charter school in the Las Vegas Trail corridor, as well as a mentorship program for minority entrepreneurs.

Byrd, 50, and wife Stephanie are the parents of three grown children.

Mattie Parker Parker, the former chief of staff to Mayor Betsy Price and on the City Council for five years, entered the month of April with the Big Mo — momentum.

She turned in a campaign finance report with receipts showing contributions approaching $654,000, far and away the leader among her peers in fundraising. She also enjoyed the endorsements of outgoing Mayor Betsy Price, her former boss; former Mayor Mike Moncrief; as well as establishment figures Ramona and Lee Bass, Sid Bass, Dee Kelly Jr., and former Democratic Congressman Pete Geren, the District 12 successor to Jim Wright in the U.S. Congress.

Parker, 37, also secured the coveted public support of the Police Officers Association and the Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Local 440.

In addition to her role as chief of staff for the city, Parker was district director and campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, chief of staff for State Rep. Phil King of Weatherford, and

an assistant for former Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick.

Parker likes to say that she has been “endorsed by the people she does life with. I was the person you called to find solutions in Washington, the city, and Austin.”

As Fort Worth mayor, she says, “I will bring the same tenacity of leadership and experience.”

Her public policy priorities include inclusiveness, public policy, economic development, and education.

Steve Penate Penate was an unknown political newcomer when he announced his candidacy, but he has proven capable of moving the masses the way a preacher moves congregations.

That’s probably because he is a church pastor at Mercy Church in Oakhurst.

Penate, a real estate broker, has branded himself as a “Christian, conservative, and small-business owner.”

His priorities include small-business growth, incentivizing corporations to relocate to Fort Worth, lowering property taxes, education, and public safety.

According to his application for inclusion on the ballot for mayor, Penate and his wife have lived in Fort Worth for two years after moving from Arizona. It was there that he became a regular on social media pitching real estate on “The Steve Talks Real Estate Show.”

Penate, born in Los Angeles, is unabashedly pro-police but has said he has witnessed police overreach in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood where he grew up.

“I have friends that have had very hard experiences with police officers,” Penate, a graduate of Arizona State University, said in an interview with Texas Scorecard.

Deborah Peoples Peoples has been an advocate for the concerns of predominantly African American Fort Worth neighborhoods for decades, including organizing the march at the Tarrant County Courthouse to protest the unjust sentence of probation for Christopher Brosky, the avowed white supremacist who killed a Black man in Arlington.

“This sends a clear message that people want some change,” Peoples said at the time after convening the African American Summit on Peace,

Justice and Equality. “We want to bring justice back to life.”

She, along with her sister Maryellen Hicks, has been tireless since, most recently seeking progress through the formal political process. She is seeking the office of mayor from her perch as the Tarrant County Democratic Party chair. If elected, she would become the first Black mayor in Fort Worth history, and it would come 54 years after Dr. Edward Guinn became the first Black member of the City Council.

Today, she is touting her experience as an activist and unifier and business executive, retiring as a vice president of AT&T after 30 years of service, as why she is the most qualified to become the next mayor of her hometown.

Her personal mantra: Much is given, much is expected.

Ann Zadeh Zadeh is the only candidate who could work in the city’s Planning Department. Zadeh earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning from UT Arlington and achieved status as a certified planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Before election to the City Council representing District 9 in 2014, she served on the Zoning Commission for six years, initially appointed by Mayor Mike Moncrief and reappointed by Mayor Betsy Price. She was elected chair of the commission in her last year of service.

She promotes that service as an important element to her campaign — a thorough knowledge of Fort Worth’s neighborhoods.

“The mayor’s job is not politics,” Zadeh said in campaign literature. “The mayor’s job is to ensure that the city of Fort Worth is run in the most efficient, effective, and professional manner possible.

“The job is to protect the residents and taxpayers of Fort Worth and make sure that every single person in Fort Worth has all the opportunities this city has to offer: a safe community, a clean city, housing they can afford, a job that affords them a fair and livable wage, a quality education for their children, and equal access to all that this city has to offer.”

Zadeh, who received her undergraduate degree from University of California Santa Cruz, has been a Fort Worth resident for more than 30 years. She and her husband, Jim, live in the Bluebonnet Hills neighborhood.

in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the devastating earthquake in 2010. He and daughter Allison served as relief workers in Greece, serving refugee families from Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria.

Despite that kind of life of service, some of the “church” voters have said they prefer Penate to Byrd.

A recent example was a Facebook post that said Byrd had “strayed from his Christian upbringing” and that the poster could no longer support a man who supports “gay and lesbian” and Black Lives Matter agendas. She said she could only support a candidate with “firm Biblical beliefs.”

His response was Christ-like.

“It is important for the mayor to lead with the understanding that the mayor is the mayor for everyone in this town,” Byrd said. “I don’t care what status anyone has or what color they are. I want everybody who lives in Fort Worth to run after their dreams and get there. I want to help them get there. I don’t make distinctions based on LGBTQ status or skin color.

“I want them to be successful. That’s my position. That’s how I lead on that, and if people don’t like that and want to vote for someone else because they don’t like my message, then I can’t do anything about that. I think it’s very important that every mayor lead with that approach.”

One political insider said that internal campaign polls show no path of victory for Penate, but he can play the spoiler by taking away votes, particularly from Byrd.

The Long Shots

Among the scrum of players seeking to replace Betsy Price are a handful who wake up every day openly refusing to abide by the august sports adage that instructs that winning isn’t everything — it’s the only thing.

They are the longest of the long shots of those vying to win the city’s highest elected office, all looking up at an Everest-like climb in San Francisco fog.

No one, however, will challenge their will to win and serve the city they dearly love.

“Elections are not always about winning,” says Cedric Kanyinda, 35, an information technology engineer for Hewlett Packard, who acknowledged his underdog campaign lacks the network and financial support of the tier-one candidates. “But I always say, all authority comes from God, and if God is willing, that is where you will end up. If it is the will of God for you to become mayor and make Fort Worth a better place, it will happen.”

Fort Worth would be a better place, Kanyinda says, if it more resembled its peers among the 13 largest cities in the country. Specifically, that is better public transportation and infrastructure as well as universities needed to attract private investment and enterprise.

“Fort Worth is trending to become the 12th biggest city in America, but it doesn’t feel like it,” he says.

Of the tier-two candidates, only Kanyinda and Chris Rector filed the required campaign finance reports 30 days prior to the election. Neither received any contributions in either money or material, according to their respective reporting. Rector reported spending $100, the filing fee to appear on the ballot.

Kanyinda said in an interview that he has spent $9,000 of his own money on the campaign, far and away the most of the lesser-known candidates.

“I haven’t spent any money,” says Mike Haynes, 32, a homegrown Fort Worth guy who graduated from Polytechnic High School in 2006. “I don’t believe in spending money on my campaign because everybody already knows me.”

Haynes, who is making a second run for mayor, owns Haynes Distribution Hub and is active in the community working with young people. As mayor, he wants to improve the city’s pay structure so as to attract a better workforce within the municipal offices.

Rector says he believed the mayor and city council “has lost its way,” pointing to the financing of $100 million to buy a new city hall while residents struggle financially through the pandemic.

“I’m no politician,” says Rector, a 58-year-old disabled veteran who also had a career as a police officer in Tennessee. “I’m just an everyday, blue-collar regular Joe, but I’ve dedicated my life to public service.”

The campaign for mayor is merely the most recent for “DC” Daniel Caldwell, 36. He has run previously for Board of Trustees of Austin Community College, the Dallas City Council, justice of the peace in Harris County, as well as a flirtation with a run for the Tarrant County Commissioners Court. The pandemic caused a detour on the latter.

He is running as a unifier, noting his membership with the NAACP as well as the founder of The Federalist Society branch, a pro-Republican think tank, at Texas Southern’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law while he was a student there.

“I’m trying to do something good and worthwhile,” Caldwell says. “It’s not about me. The ends justify the means, but the means are an end unto themselves. I’m trying to connect, trying to integrate, trying to get people unified and together. Participating in the discussion does that.”

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Music Before Cattle Herding

A Q&A with musician William Clark Green

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

Texas singer-songwriter — and Fort Worth

transplant — William Clark Green has spent more than a decade fine-tuning his particular brand of music — a virtuosic gallop through Texas country, Southern rock, sawdusty balladry, and party-on anthems. Over the course of five studio albums — his fourth, Ringling Road, peaked at

No. 18 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart — he’s made a name for himself in Texas music circles as a likely heir to the Texas music throne once sat upon by Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Earl Keen, and his similarly named but completely unrelated buddy Pat Green.

But the day he was to have his photo taken for this story, Green had a bigger matter at hand that had zero to do

with music: he had to catch a cow. Green owns a ranch in the tiny town of Eastland, Texas. He jettisoned our photo shoot to round up a cow that broke loose — something he easily could have gotten someone else to tend to. But getting out of work isn’t Green’s style. Ever since he picked up a guitar when he was a kid, he’s been a nonstop workaholic — writing, singing, performing, and repeating until he all but drops. And that, he says, is the secret to his success.

The singer took a break from a spate of shows to talk about a new album, his life during the pandemic, and, yep, tending to cows.

FW: I gotta be honest with you. I’ve never had a photographer call me and say, “Well, the photo shoot got postponed because his cows got out.”

WCG: (laughs) Seriously, I did have a cow get out that day. I’ve got seven mama cows, and one of them escaped, so I had to go out there and fix the fence that she got through.

FW: Do you consider yourself a rancher?

WCG: Not by any means. I’m just keeping this farm alive. It was my grandfather’s. I’m the only one in the family who has interest in keeping it going. I’ve got a couple donkeys out there, too. My grandfather grew up there, so there’s a lot of family history connected to it. Plus, it’s a blessing to have a place outside the city, a place to go and just completely disconnect.

FW: Speaking of disconnecting, what was your pandemic year like?

WCG: We had just come off the heaviest touring year we’d ever had, so it was a nice breather. I feel like we’ve been on the road constantly for the past 12 years. The break was nice, but it was still because of a pandemic. Let’s just say it was an opportunity I hope we’ll never get again.

FW: You grew up in Flint, Texas. What were you like as a kid?

WCG: I had the greatest childhood ever. We played paintball and rode bikes and four-wheelers and didn’t wear helmets. We were always outside — building forts, messing around with hatchets and knives, just doing boy stuff. I lived on a little country road and grew up with friends who I still know and talk to, to this day. We played video games, like any kids — Nintendo 64 was our jam. But it wasn’t a priority. We wanted to be outside, riding go-karts and dirt bikes. Such a different time.

FW: I grew up in a small Texas town, too. In high school, we were in social cliques, like the jocks and the freaks. What about you?

WCG: I belonged to what we called the kickers — they were sort of the rural country clique. I was a member of the FFA — Future Farmers of America, so I guess I really was a kicker. But you know what, I was at every high school party attended by every social group because I had a fake ID. I was invited to every party because I could buy beer.

FW: What’s your first memory of hearing music that left an impression on you?

WCG: When we moved to College Station, right before I started seventh grade, I heard a record that my dad had. Keep in mind that my dad and I didn’t get along when it came to music — I liked everything that wasn’t country. But when I heard my dad’s copy of Willis Alan Ramsey’s record, I was blown away. That was the first time my dad and I were on the same page musically. That record really inspired me. After I heard it, I started taking guitar lessons, and that’s where everything started.

FW: When did you start writing songs?

WCG: As soon as I learned how to play guitar. I’d come home from school and watch TRL [“Total Request Live,” an MTV show] and say to myself, “That song doesn’t seem that hard to

play. Wonder if I could make one?” At that point, I had no idea how songs were written. I thought someone would write a song and then give it to someone good-looking to sing it. That’s what I saw on TRL — goodlooking people singing songs. Then when I started playing guitar and writing my own songs, some of my friends heard about it and next thing I know, I’m opening up for them. We weren’t Garth Brooks or anything, but there was a big underground scene in College Station, all these people just doing it themselves, like we were. If you busted your ass, you could build yourself a career.

FW: Who became your musical heroes?

WCG: More than anyone, Pat Green. It’s kinda weird being buddies with him now; I admired him — and still do — so much. He was as big as they come back then. Watching his shows, seeing how many people knew every single word to every single one of his songs — I was awestruck. He was really the first one to blow up in such a huge way. I’m not saying he created our scene, but he amplified it. Jerry Jeff, Lyle, and even guys like Willie — they’ve been doing it for a long time. But Pat was doing it independently,

without, at the time, any mainstream radio support. Once radio started playing Texas music, he pretty much owned the whole state. His journey, his career, they’ve been such a big influence not only on me but on the Texas music scene as a whole.

FW: You’ve been working on a new record.

WCG: It’s called “Baker Hotel.” It’s named after the famous hotel in Mineral Wells. We’re recording it at Larry Joe Taylor’s studio in Stephenville. We recorded our last three records in Nashville. The guys [in the band] were like, “Let’s do something different,” so we decided to record it in Texas. It has sort of a different vibe to it, more laid-back and relaxed. The songs are coming to me when they come to me. There’s no real rush to get it done because who knows when to release a record these days? The way things seem to be going, maybe it’ll come out this fall. It’s such a weird time right now, especially for working musicians. It is what it is. We’ll get it out, and we’ll get on the road eventually.

FW: Billy Bob’s means so much to Fort Worth and Texas. What was it like headlining there the first time?

WCG: It was a big f—ing deal. We had played on the small stage two or three times, and that was cool. But when we made it to the big stage — man, I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it — we all began to reflect on how hard it’s been and how hard we worked our asses off to do this. I remember walking on stage and hearing the crowd and seeing the lights, and we all just looked at each other and said, “This is why we do this. This is what we’ve been working toward. Let’s knock ‘em dead.”

FW: And then you move to Fort Worth. WCG: I’ve been here for about three years. Fort Worth reminds me a lot of Lubbock. It has a lot of West Texas attitude in it, which is one of the things I love about it.

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1 Tell me a little bit about yourself. I’ve always loved animals and thought I’d be a veterinarian. During my second year of pre-veterinary studies in college, I took a drawing class that ended up changing my life. My fine arts professor and her assistant took me aside and persuaded me to explore a career in another of the things I love — art. I’ve spent most of my career leading creative branding teams for globally recognized retailers. Now, I’m getting to fulfill one of my life’s dreams. Creating the Most Wanted! children’s book series combines my love for both animals and art.

2 What inspired you to write children’s books? One of our kid’s favorite things is to go to a bookstore or library. It’s pretty wonderful to see children get lost in a story and then create their own imaginary adventures and games from it. I want to be a part of inspiring and sharing in their creativity and imagination. [What] kids love so much about the reading experience [are] the story, the illustrations, the special covers. Even more, they love the time they get to spend with the person/ persons reading with them.

3 What have you found interesting or particularly enjoyed about writing children’s books? The original idea behind my first book, Most Wanted! The

Good Reads

Nancy Binger combines a passion for animals with her love of books, writing and illustrating a children’s series starring lovable, four-legged creatures who get themselves into some serious mischief.

BY TINA HOWARD

Sock Thief, was simply to write a fun rhyming story about our dog who steals socks. While researching why our pets do the zany things they do, I discovered that some of those zany things can be potentially life-threatening. So, gathering the expertise from our family veterinarian and other animal-care experts, I added a special section to each Most Wanted! book that teaches us about the care and safety of our pets. I also wanted the books to hold a child’s attention, so each book contains four unique sections — a rhyming story, pet-care education, fun games, and meet the real-life stars. It’s been great seeing kids enjoy the books and how they engage with the different sections. And I love spending time with them doing author readings and events.

4 What have you read recently that you would recommend and why? I’m reading a lot these days as a member of four book clubs — each with its own genre. Some current titles include The Book of Joy, Educated, and The Henna Artist. My personal faves are for “good guys win” adventures by authors like James Rollins, Louise Penny, Clive Cussler, Preston and Child, JK Rowling, and Tolkien.

5 What is next on the horizon for you? For all you cat lovers out there, Most Wanted! The Ribbon Robber will launch this summer. It’s about a “purr-fectly” sweet kitty who finds and takes things like ribbons, hair ties, and rubber bands. In addition to launching here in the Fort Worth area, it’ll premiere in Vera Bradley’s “goodMRKT,” its new concept store that brings together small businesses and their products that help create “good” within their communities.

The Sock Thief written and illustrated by Nancy Binger Read along as Nancy shares a simple rhyming story about an adorable mischief-maker who steals socks, based upon her real-life pet Noah.

Wrinkles by JR

An ode to wrinkles, with beautiful photography by French artist JR. The stories and wisdom of those with far more experiences who live among us have the possibly of encroaching our lives if we engage and honor them. While this lovely book was written for children, it’s perfect for any age.

Ghost by Jason Reynolds Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school’s track team, but his past is slowing him down. Jason Reynolds tells an emotional story in this National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature novel, exploring how our experiences shape our identity and how to face challenges when all we want to do is run.

Tina Howard, along with her husband, Todd, is the owner of Leaves Book and Tea Shop on St. Louis Avenue in the Near Southside.

QUESTIONS: NANCY BINGER

Dream Street 2021: Selling a Dream Home

A chat with John Zimmerman of Compass, who talks Dream Street, Montrachet, and the state of the market amid the ongoing pandemic.

BY FWTX STAFF

The 2021 Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street, the sequel to last year’s wildly successful inaugural Dream Street, will feature three stunning, luxury homes built, designed, and decorated by some of the region’s best builders, architects, and designers.

Tim Windmiller of Windmiller Custom Homes; Rick Wegman, Karl Hahnfeld, John Giordano, and Rob Cocanower of HGC Residential Development; and John Webb of Heritage Homes will each construct homes that will showcase the latest trends in design and technology in the new Montrachet development in West Fort Worth. The homes will be open for touring this winter, and all proceeds will go to a Wish with Wings, the magazine’s flagship charity that grants wishes to children with life-threatening conditions.

A home typically has three stages: design, build (which includes interior decoration), and sell. Ultimately, everything hinges on the sale, a pressure-packed job that lies in the hands of the Realtor. But how does one sell a home with such a niche clientele? And how has the past year affected the business? We posed these questions to local real estate broker, John Zimmerman of Compass, who is also the real estate agent for one of the three homes that comprises the Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street.

FW: Who would be your prospective buyer for your Dream Street home? And what do you do to target this person?

John Zimmerman: A buyer who wants to enjoy the Montrachet lifestyle, wants to be close to all the city has to offer, while also being able to escape to the country every day. We have an extensive marketing plan tailored to Montrachet, from digital and print advertising to social media and events. Of course, the easiest way to persuade a prospective buyer is to take them out to Montrachet, drive them around, and let them experience the natural beauty. And they are usually all in.

FW: How would you describe the strength of the market this past year amid COVID-19?

JZ: When COVID-19 first hit, the real estate business — like every other industry — came to a standstill. But, amazingly, the market rebounded and even got better quickly. All the time people spent working from home, schooling their children, and quarantining made many realize they wanted more space or needed different amenities that were not a priority prior to COVID-19.

FW: How has COVID-19 changed your approach as a Realtor?

JZ: Obviously, the health and well-being of our clients

are very important to us. We have adjusted the way homes are shown to potential buyers and have incorporated CDC guidelines into our everyday business.

FW: With the vaccines and COVID-19 seemingly on the way out (knock on wood), what kind of impact will this have on the market?

JZ: The market will continue to remain strong, and interest rates are predicted to stay low.

FW: With what appears to be an influx of people moving to larger density areas and city centers, what effect has this had on suburban areas?

JZ: Our experience is that a lot of people who lived in more urban areas are looking for space now to spread out. Many people no longer have to report to a brick-and-mortar office, so they want their home to feel like a retreat.

FW: What makes West Fort Worth and, particularly, Montrachet, a desirable location for people and families?

JZ: Space to spread out, miles of walking trails, security, tons of amenities, close to all the private schools and, of course, beautiful custom homes built by the best in the business.

FW: What areas in Greater Fort Worth do you suspect will be booming in the near future? What are the up-and-coming neighborhoods?

JZ: I think Montrachet is at the top of the list simply because there is no other neighborhood like it. Walsh Ranch continues to grow, and the River District seems to be a legitimate up-and-comer.

Style: Texas

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5 1/2

3-car

Builder: Heritage Homes

Realtor: Martha Williams, Williams Trew

Interior Designer: Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Countertop Materials (all): Levantina

Fireplaces Interior linear plus inserts:

Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Flooring : Galvan Floors

Fireplace Tile: Cosentino

Style: Tudor Sq. ft.: 6,255

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6

Garage Doors/Openers:

Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Glass (showers-mirrors-other): Galactic Glass

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Home Plans: Heritage Design Studio

Patio Screens: Victory Awning

Plumbing Labor & Supplies: Pro Serve Plumbing

Builder: HGC Residential Development

Realtor: Christie’s International Real Estate | Ulterre

Appliances: Expressions Home Gallery

Doors Front: Durango Doors

Flooring: Vintage Floors

Flooring TILE (material all spaces): Interceramic USA

Cape Dutch

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Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Home Plans: Karl Hahnfeld Design Group

Plumbing Fixtures: Expressions Home Gallery

Pool: J Caldwell Custom Pools

Stone and Brick Supplies: Metro Brick and Stone

Builder: Windmiller Custom Homes

Realtor: John Zimmerman, Compass

Interior Designer: Amira Windmiller Interiors

Concrete: GHC Concrete Services

Countertop Fabrication: American Marble & Granite

Countertop Materials (all): Levantina

Fireplaces Interior linear plus inserts: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Garage Doors/Openers: Open Up Garage Doors

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Home Plans: Montebello Architecture & Design

Low Voltage/AV/Security: Comware AV

Plumbing Labor & Supplies: Pro Serve Plumbing

Roofing/Flashing: Texas Tile Roofing

Windows and Doors: Builders FirstSource

Gobble Gobble, Hey

A new restaurant in south Fort Worth is specializing in one of the state’s hottest food trends: stuffed turkey legs.

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

For both Fort Worth law enforcement and local foodies, the dates March 20 – 22, 2021, may live in infamy. That was when Turkey Leg Hut, a restaurant based in Houston, held a weekend-long pop-up event at the Fort Worth location of the Potter’s House church.

No doubt, police and turkey leg lovers alike were dumbfounded by what greeted them that weekend: Cars stretched for miles and miles along Interstate 30, causing Woodstock-long traffic jams. Local media reported some people waited up to 12 hours — yes, for stuffed turkey legs. Meanwhile, a Facebook user

scratched her head in wonder at the turkey madness, posting in a local popular FB foodie group that Fort Worth had its own restaurant that specialized in stuffed turkey legs. Hours later, a mini-version of what was happening on I-30 was going down on McCart Avenue, where Fort Worth natives Rodrick and Ericka Benson run their pint-size restaurant, Turkey Leg House.

“That lady’s post on Facebook led to our best weekend ever,” Rodrick says.

“Police had to get out there and help direct traffic. It got so heavy.”

Since then, Turkey Leg House, which the husband-wife duo opened last year in a small strip mall space in far south Fort Worth, has been selling out of its namesake dish, especially on weekends, when it’s no shocker to see hungry fans lined up along the sidewalk.

The restaurant’s boom in business perfectly illustrates the surging popularity of stuffed turkey legs — that is, large turkey legs, like you might find

PHOTO BY CRYSTAL WISE

Crawfish mac and cheese turkey leg

at the State Fair — usually butterflied and “stuffed” — or, rather, topped — with various add-ons, from shrimp Alfredo to dirty rice to smoked brisket.

While gnawing on turkey legs has been a tradition at state fairs and carnivals for decades, the stuffed turkey leg trend, according to Texas Monthly, started in 2016 when Turkey Leg Hut opened in Houston; it immediately garnered a rabid following. Slowly, the trend trickled around the state, leading restaurateurs to open their own stuffed turkey leg spots or at least add stuffed legs to their menus.

Other Fort Worth restaurants that offer stuffed turkey legs are selling out, too, like Smoke-A-Holics and Jube’s Smokehouse, both of which sell stuffed turkey legs but only on certain days of the week.

“They’re gone in just a few hours,” Smoke-A-Holics owner Derrick Walker, who offers the legs as a special on Tuesdays, says.

Turkey Leg House is one of the few restaurants in Fort Worth to offer stuffed turkey legs daily. It’s not easy, by any means, Rodrick says.

It’s a two-pronged process that requires a certain amount of skill, time, and patience, Ericka says. “It’s not just a matter of smoking the turkey legs,” she says. “You’re doing

that, but you’re also preparing the stuffing, which has to be just as good as the legs.”

The Bensons offer four toppings for their legs: shrimp Alfredo, crawfish mac and cheese, chicken and dressing, and brisket and dirty rice. They work on the dishes together; Rodrick handles the smoking of the legs, and both prepare the toppings.

Each leg spends four to six hours in Rodrick’s custom smoker, making the meat as smoky as it is lusciously tender. In true Texas barbecue fashion, Rodrick uses a wood-burning/no-gas smoker. He mixes his woods, pairing mesquite with pecan, which gives his meats a unique flavor profile, he says.

The legs are then cut in two, lengthwise, then drenched in your choice of toppings. One serving is big enough for two people, and you’ll probably have leftovers.

“First time people come in, they sometimes say, ‘Whoa, they’re $18 each,’” Rodrick says. “But they’re enough for two. One person takes half; the other takes the other half. Our prices are lower than most. A lot of places charge $25 – $30 per leg.”

One of the restaurant’s most popular stuffed turkey legs combines turkey with Rodrick’s first love: barbecue. The mountain of finely chopped

Other Places to Get Your Stuffed Turkey Leg Fix

The nearly two-year-old Jube’s Smokehouse (1900 S. Edgewood Terrace), found on the city’s east side, serves stuffed turkey legs on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Pitmaster Patrick “Jube” Joubert, whom we profiled in our October 2019 issue, offers 2-pound legs stuffed with your choice of housemade dirty rice or shrimp creole. A native of Louisiana, the man knows his creole food.

If dirty rice or shrimp creole aren’t your jams, Joubert will gladly top your turkey leg with any of that day’s side dishes, from greens to mac and cheese. “Don’t sleep on the mac and cheese,” he says. “It goes fantastic with turkey.”

Another one of the city’s best barbecue restaurants, south side joint Smoke-A-Holics BBQ (1417 Evans Ave.) recently began serving stuffed turkey legs on Tuesdays. Owner Derrick Walker serves three heavyweight, Instaworthy beauties, decked out with inventive, housemade toppings.

The Cajun-influenced Big Grit is drowned in a sea of garlic cheddar grits, Cajun-style shrimp, and a sausage-spiked roux.

The appropriately named Dirty South is topped with a mound of Walker’s specialty dirty rice, and the Ragin’ Cajun wears a cape of chicken and sausage pasta.

Shrimp Alfredo turkey leg

Jube’s Smokehouse

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brisket found on the brisket and dirty rice leg is smoked all night, up to 12 hours, he says.

Smoked brisket used to be Rodrick’s bread and butter; he sold it to friends and family and at pop-up events. As Fort Worth’s barbecue game became increasingly more crowded, he pivoted toward stuffed turkey legs, which, at the time, had yet to find a foothold in Fort Worth. Turning his passion and backyard hobby into a full-fledged business, he and Ericka opened Turkey Leg House last year, turning an innocuous strip mall spot into one of the area’s busiest restaurants.

Food brought Rodrick out of retirement and gave Ericka her second wind. Working his way up from a deckhand to an engineer, Rodrick spent 20 years working for an offshore boat company that specializes in transporting

chemical barges. He retired in 2017 but couldn’t keep still.

“I’m one of those guys who needs to be working,” he says. “Got tired of retirement, got tired of sitting around, got tired of traveling.”

Ericka spent several years in the banking industry before she lost her job to technology. Affecting her life even more dramatically, she also developed breast cancer, which luckily was caught. She’s been cancer-free for a decade.

The restaurant has not only given her a new career but also a new outlook on life. “Once you survive cancer, you see things, you see life, differently,” she says. “You’re more open to taking chances — doing something crazy, like opening a restaurant.”

Turkey Leg House, 6200 McCart Ave., turkey-leg-house.com

Bits and Bites

The time draws near for the grand reopening of west side landmark Roy Pope Grocery. Originally opened in 1943, the grocery store and deli closed last spring. But owners Bob and Renee Larance found a new set of owners to carry RP forward: Fort Worth broker Rodger Chieffalo, developer Mark Harris, longtime chef and restaurateur Lou Lambert, and Chris Reale, an alum of Grace and Del Frisco’s. Also on board is familiar face Bria Downey, who’ll serve as culinary director. Downey, the former exec chef at Clay Pigeon Food & Drink and a 2020 James Beard Awards semifinalist, will revive RP classics such as King Ranch Chicken but also introduce several new ready-made and ready-to-cook meals, along with signature soups, salads, and sandwiches. She’ll be doing barbecue, too, thanks to a shiny new custom-made smoker made in Lockhart. The new store will also offer artisan breads and cheeses; a coffee bar and wine bar; and a dog-friendly patio. It’s slated to open in May. 2300 Merrick St., facebook.com/roypopegrocery

Speaking of grand openings, WineHaus Fort Worth is celebrating its recent relaunch with a three-day event May 14 – 16. “A Taste of WineHaus” will offer a sneak peek of what the Near Southside wine bar and taproom will offer year-round. The weekend will include wine tastings, live music, food, and art. Owners Robyn Davis and Dan Larrimore acquired WineHaus in November, taking it over from Lindsey Kohn, who opened it in 2013. In the midst of the pandemic, she closed its doors last summer. Davis and Larrimore have added some bells and whistles, including weekly jazz nights and a remodeled outdoor patio, complete with a selfie-ready, large-scale impressionistic mural inspired by Monet’s “Water Lilies.” 1628 Park Place Ave., winehausfw.com

Our friends at Austin-born Tiff’s Treats recently debuted a new Double Chocolate Chip cookie. Followers of double-T know this is a big deal since the cookie delivery service hasn’t introduced a new cookie flavor to its permanent menu in five years. Tiff’s dropped off some samples of the new cookie for us to try. It woulda been nice if SOMEONE HAD SAVED ONE FOR THE WRITER OF THIS STORY. I guess they’re good. cookiedelivery.com

BY CRYSTAL

Rodrick and Ericka Benson

PHOTO

To Pie For

A decade after its first location opened in Dallas, Emporium Pies finally brings its slices of comfort and joy — and red velvet chess — to Fort Worth.

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

If there’s no one at the window, look down. The buzzer is right by your foot. Give it a gentle kick, and someone will magically appear at the window, ready to take your order.

Megan Wilkes and Mary Sparks have, seemingly, thought of everything when it comes to opening a pie shop amid a pandemic, right down to installing a no-touch buzzer designed to alert employees that hungry pielovers have arrived. The first Fort Worth location of their Emporium Pies, found in Winton and Waits’ old

spot on South Main, won’t even have inside seating until later this year, and that’s only if the pandemic continues its downward trend.

“We knew opening a location at a time like this would be tricky,” Wilkes says. “So, we’re trying to be as conscientious as possible. At the same time, we’re super-anxious to get Fort Worth open.”

The two came up with an excellent COVID-friendly game plan to get their much-anticipated Fort Worth debut off the ground: Open the restaurant for window service only for now, then the

dining room later this year as, hopefully, the pandemic continues to taper.

Ever since the original Emporium Pies opened in Dallas’ Bishop Arts district a decade ago (subsequent locations have opened in Deep Ellum and McKinney), the two have been besieged with requests to open a Fort Worth store.

Many of their pie-hard fans are from Fort Worth and can recite Emporium’s seven-pie menu by heart: The Drunken Nut, a bourbon pecan pie; Smooth Operator, French silk chocolate with a salty pretzel crust; In the Limelight, a key lime pie; Dr. Love, a lipstick-red red velvet; Blue Steel, a blueberry pie; Cloud 9, a mix of butterscotch custard, salted caramel, and brown sugar meringue; and Lord of the Pies, a deepdish apple pie with cinnamon streusel. All are made by hand.

There’s already great pie in Fort Worth — Carshon’s Deli, Swiss Pastry Shop, Paris Coffee Shop, we’re looking at you. But Emporium’s home-y, laid-back vibe is almost as important as its slices. Although it’s not located in a creaky Victorian bungalow, like the original store in Bishop Arts, the Fort Worth location will have a certain feels-like-home atmosphere to it, Wilkes says.

“For us, it’s more than about the pies,” Wilkes says. “We try to create an experience — that warm, fuzzy feeling of walking into your grandmother’s house and getting a great dessert.”

Wilkes and Sparks met in Dallas. Wilkes had a mind for business; Sparks a way with an oven. They teamed up and purchased an oven Sparks used when she was working at a bakery in Tyler. Eventually, they set up shop in Bishop Arts, not far from Eno’s, where Mary once waited tables.

“We weren’t really sure how well we’d do,” Wilkes says. “We talked about if pies didn’t work out, we could add cinnamon rolls and cookies. Mary makes the best cookies. The world doesn’t know what it’s missing.”

Emporium Pies, 411 S. Main St., emporiumpies.com

Blue Steel

First, let’s clear the air: Wolfgang Puck is not the new chef at Café Modern, as some in Fort Worth have been inclined to believe. However, the celebrity chef’s self-named catering company has taken over the food and beverage program at the Modern’s soon-to-reopen restaurant.

Leading the kitchen will be executive chef Jett Mora, a California native who spent years working with Puck and his team of chefs to create menus for corporate galas, weddings, and special events.

Mora answers five quick questions:

FW: You moved to Fort Worth a while back to start prepping to reopen Café Modern. Where have you eaten that’s blown you away?

JM: I’m staying in the River District, next door to Heim BBQ. But I always like to try the original location of a restaurant. So I went to the original on Magnolia and waited and waited in line — and absolutely loved it. I didn’t want to do it all in one sitting, so I didn’t try everything. But the sausages and pork ribs were outstanding. I can’t wait to go back.

FW: You’re taking over a restaurant known for a menu that shifts with the seasons and focuses on local and regional ingredients. How does this align with your style of cooking?

JM: I don’t know how to cook any other way. In my short time here, I’ve already been reaching out to local farmers, hoping to cultivate relationships. Seeing the products first and seeing what’s fresh — that’s engraved in me. In spring,

The Puck Stops Here

Wolfgang Puck’s catering company takes over the food and beverage program at Café Modern. The restaurant’s new chef, Jett Mora, gives us a quick look at what to expect.

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

we have peas and asparagus. In the summer, it’s corn and tomatoes. It’s the cycle of life and the only way I’ll cook.

FW: The menu hasn’t been finalized yet, but can you share some of the planned dishes?

JM: We’re definitely going to do a fresh pasta. I’ve tasked myself with making whole grain pasta from scratch. I’m also thinking about a cacio e pepe pasta but a healthier version. There will be salads and sandwiches, too. We’ll see what ingredients come into play. There will be a little bit of me in there. My personal wheelhouse is Asian cuisine, so you’ll see some Asian-inspired dishes here and there. I’ve got a repertoire of Wolfgang Puck recipes that are tried and true. Of course, we’ll be cognizant of what our guests like and don’t like, and we’ll adjust accordingly. But we’ll push the boundaries, too. I’m open to new ideas. I’d love to collaborate with other chefs. My kitchen is open.

FW: You came into cooking a little later in life.

JM: I was in the finance and real estate world for years. And then in 2007 – 2008, when the recession hit, I took a step back to reflect on what makes me happy and what gives me a sense of worth, and to be honest, it wasn’t the world of finance. Food’s the ultimate binder. It’s something that brings us all together. That speaks to me more than sitting in a cubicle.

FW: What was the most sage advice Wolfgang offered you?

JM: Whatever you choose to do, do it with passion. Put your heart into it. Or it’s not worth it.

Café Modern is slated to reopen in May. themodern.org

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Betsy Price during one of her final meetings as mayor of Fort Worth

The Exit Inter view

After serving 10 years — the longest of any mayor in Fort Worth’s history — Betsy Price is leaving office. Whether you’ve voted for her or not, no one can deny the impact the outgoing mayor has had on the city. So, what did she learn? And where do we go from here?

BY BRIAN KENDALL

PHOTOS BY OLAF GROWALD WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SCOTT NISHIMURA

BETSY PRICE — AT PRESS TIME STILL THE MAYOR OF FORT WORTH — LEADS A PACK OF CYCLISTS ON A CHILLIER-THAN-EXPECTED APRIL AFTERNOON. Though Price is clad in a professional cycling kit and helmet, leaving one to think she could break into a sprint at any moment, the ride’s pace never goes beyond that of a jaunty cruise. Because Price is chatting with fellow cyclists through the majority of the 7-mile journey, a ride that requires little exertion makes sense.

The mayor begins the ride out front and, ever so slowly, meanders her way to the back of the peloton, making sure to speak to nearly every person who joined her for the short trek. Her fellow riders come prepared with questions, concerns, or just an itch to say hi and maybe snap a photo for their Instagram story. And she obliges with answers, quips, and a smile for the camera.

This ride was the penultimate of the mayor’s final “Rolling Town Hall” meetings. Much like it sounds, it’s essentially a town hall that Price conducts on her bike. Ever open to the public, such rides have become a staple of the five-term mayor’s time at City Hall. While questions are normal at such events, so is an outpouring of adulation.

While it’s safe to say Price has been a popular mayor (five terms don’t come easily), she will readily admit the expanding city has dealt with its fair share of growing pains during her decade in office. As a parting gift, we wanted to ask the outgoing mayor about some of her successes as well as some of her failures. After requesting an interview, the always-affable mayor granted a couple of our editors a 90-minute meeting. Price spoke candidly and thoughtfully about her time in office, how she grades her performance, and whether the city is headed in the right direction.

(The below manuscript has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

Politics

FW: Why did you run for mayor?

Mayor Betsy Price: I was raised in a family that believed you take what you’ve been given, and you give it back to your community.

I first ran for tax assessor because my business [required me to work] with the office, and it was a mess. For years I said somebody needed to straighten that office out. And, finally, my family and my clients said, “Well, you should run for that office.” And we did, and we cleaned that office up. We improved it from one of the most inefficient offices in the state to the most efficient. We earned a lot of national awards and had huge success. And, so, people started saying, “You’ve got to straighten out the city finances. You need to get this city back on track.”

I said no for six months after Mike

[Moncrief] announced his retirement. But the requests for me to run just kept coming. And, finally, my family and my minister said, “You’ve got a door open; you should step through it.”

So, I did, and I won. Ten years later, I’m still here. Serving the community has been a passion of mine all my life, whether it’s PTA or Sunday School, or Cub Scouts, or Junior League. I’ve always done something.

FW: So public service just seems to be in your nature.

BP: It isn’t politics. I hate politics.

FW: You’re a Republican, but you’ve managed to remain mostly nonpartisan while serving as mayor. You even led two pride parades, something that would go against your party platform. What’s your

trick to remaining so well liked by people on both sides of the aisle?

BP: This is a nonpartisan office. You’re not elected on a partisan platform, you’re elected to serve, and you’re elected to serve everybody. Good governance happens in the middle. Clearly, I lean a little right, half my friends lean a little left, but I have to be here to serve everybody. And I think people know I’m interested in the service. They know I’m a fiscal conservative, and even my friends who are on the liberal side tend to be a little more fiscally concerned. If you look at major cities nationwide, the cities that are in the best shape are those that are fiscally conservative. We’re the only major city in Texas to settle our pension issues locally.

I want people to know that I’m real sincere about service and about listening to everybody. And why not go to a pride parade? Why not be in Black churches? Or Hispanic churches? I mean, that’s what you do.

You don’t govern well behind a desk, so you go where people are, and you hear their issues, and you let them know you care.

FW: Yet, one could easily surmise the current mayoral race has become more political. Do you worry local politics are becoming too partisan?

BP: I do. There was a little of that the first time I ran because I had served as a Republican officeholder. But once you develop your reputation, [the label] kind of goes away. And then it really surfaced again last election because Deborah Peoples was chairman of the Democrat party. And she’s a great gal, but she clearly wanted to make the race very political, and you’re seeing that again this race. I don’t know who or what’s driving it, but it does worry me because this isn’t a political office.

FW: What is the threat of bringing partisanship into this office?

BP: If you’re elected mayor by being partisan, then you’re really serving one group and not another. I just think everybody needs to feel comfortable coming in to see the mayor. And everybody needs to be comfortable inviting the mayor and knowing that, if

you’re available, you’ll go.

I’ve probably been in this community more than any other mayor, and I think that’s critical. And I think that’s the real risk when you get partisan; you’re now dividing your community. Most people are not real hardcore right or left, but there are extremes on either side.

I did an interview for The Washington Post recently, and they asked, “What do you think is wrong with politics?” I said, “I think the extremes on either side are driving this, and people have forgotten that you’ve got to listen to every voice.”

But the far right and the far left don’t want to listen to each other’s voices.

Politics aren’t relevant to what we do. The standard joke is that potholes don’t care whether you’re Democrat or Republican.

FW: You chose to endorse Mattie Parker in the upcoming election. While she served as your chief of staff, you’ve also worked closely with councilmembers Brian Byrd and Ann Zadeh. Do you think either of them might’ve felt thrown under the bus following your endorsement?

BP: I’m sure they weren’t really happy that I [endorsed Parker], but I’ve worked with all of them, and I felt like, for the future of the city, Mattie would be the best-balanced leader who’s here for the service and isn’t looking for a next office and doesn’t have an agenda on one side or the other.

Public

Transportation

FW: What do you think needs to happen in the next five to 10 years for Fort Worth’s

public transit system to draw more choice riders?

BP: I really think public transit, and not just here but all over, has got to reinvent itself. Unless you’re in a city like New York or LA — that are incredibly dense — large cities like us that are spread out, I think they’ve got to get a lot more innovative.

We’ve been trying to move away from a hub and spoke system, where all the buses feed into the central center here and then back out, because it’s incredibly timeconsuming.

You just got to make it more appealing. You have got to offer more choices for people. Smaller buses seem to be more attractive for people because they’re quicker. And for those using the system to go to work, covered bus stops are a big deal, too.

I just think that the nation as a whole and transit systems everywhere are on the cusp of major innovative changes.

FW: What do you think we can realistically expect out of TEXRail in the next decade?

BP: Realistically, I hope we can increase the ridership of it to the airport. I think the transit-oriented development that’s coming in on the backside of Vickery and Main will help with that ridership. I think if we can run TEXRail into the hospital district, south, that’s a realistic goal.

FW: What about high-speed rail?

BP: I don’t know that it makes sense. I’ve long said what makes sense is the third station is Arlington, and that, in my opinion, would be an entertainment

stop. So, that’s a special game-day train; every bullet train doesn’t stop there. Now, Arlington would probably be unhappy with me saying that, but having to stop in Arlington [every time] kind of negates the high-speed rail piece.

I think a terminus in Dallas, and in Fort Worth, and then you go south from here, but with game-day trains that stop in Arlington.

FW: Why even have two high-speed rail stations?

BP: Because you’ve got two major centers of population. You’re not going to drive to Dallas to get on the bullet train. I mean, you might, but it makes a lot more sense to get on it here if you’re on the west side of the metroplex.

I think just the sheer presence of a high-speed rail station is a huge draw for development for your community. And you need to go into Austin, San Antonio, and clear down to the border to ultimately make high-speed rail a connected system, and you need to be able to go to Oklahoma City. [The federal government] isn’t going to fund this if it’s not a system. They’ve already said repeatedly, for 10 years, highspeed rail has to be a system that could connect. You want the system to serve the whole state.

It’s one of the issues that [former Dallas mayor] Mike Rawlings and I agreed on, was a regional approach. I’ve worked hard for years with Mike on building this region. We’re better together on some issues, and high-speed rail is one of them.

Education

FW: We’ve got, because of COVID, some historic regression going on in terms of third-grade literacy. You’ve talked about everybody needing to get on board with extra hours this summer to help lagging kids. But beyond that, do you think the volunteer mission of Read Fort Worth is lagging?

BP: It’s lagging with COVID.

FW: But it was lagging before then. In terms of signing up all these volunteers to go into the schools. Why is that?

BP: It’s multi-pronged. I don’t have the perfect solution. I mean, it’s a lot of work to say to somebody, “Give us an hour once a

Price in prayer during a Faith Cabinet Meeting

week out of your day to go to this school.”

And we knew it would be hard slugging; it was a hugely optimistic goal [to have 100% literacy among third graders by] 2025. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and you’ve got to have a goal. And, so, if it builds slower than you like, at least it’s still building.

FW: So, in your mind, how important of an issue is this?

BP: I think it’s one of the biggest issues facing the city. I’m on calls with major city mayors nearly every week, and it’s consistently one of the biggest concerns of every mayor.

Education is workforce. Education is economic development. Education is crime. Education is poverty. Without an educated workforce, you can’t recruit businesses, you can’t maintain businesses, and you can’t grow your college number of graduates in your city.

FW: When did we become aware of this as a community — specifically of the thirdgrade literacy issues?

BP: I don’t know that we are aware as a community. I mean, I’ve been aware. This isn’t new for me. I mean, my friends thought I would run for the school board, but I said, “No, we can be more effective from the outside in.”

I think when [Fort Worth Independent

School District superintendent Kent] Scribner came and I started meeting, we started saying, “You’ve got to raise the awareness. You have to tell people.” I mean, this is public data. It’s out there. Everybody knew there were schools that were in trouble, but nobody had taken the time [how far Fort Worth schools were from the] benchmark. When we launched Read Fort Worth, we thought, “If we do nothing else, at least we’ll wake the community up to what’s happening with education.”

FW: If the 100% literacy by 2025 was the ambitious goal, what is the more realistic goal? Are we zeroing in on what it should be?

BP: We haven’t really revamped the goal. Right now, the immediate goal is to get all these kids back in the classroom. There’s a huge percentage of kids under third-grade age who are nowhere to be found. They’re just not in school. The flip end of that is to get counselors and help get these kids — early on in their middle school and high school career — on a path to go to college or to get a two-year certification.

Panther Island

FW: What’s the right word to use to describe the status of the Panther Island project right now?

BP: Well, the bridges are coming along

nicely. And the bridges are all that the city actually had much control over. I don’t know, it’s hard to put one single word on it. It’s lack of funding. That’s what it is. It’s just stalled at the federal level on the funding side.

I’ve said for years, and it’s not real popular, but we’ve got to have a plan B. How do we address the fact that for nearly 20 years we have had almost no funding from the [federal government] for the flood control piece?

Now, the hope is, if this infrastructure bill goes through, there will be some money there. And there may very well be for flood control. So, it’s hard to describe.

FW: Critics often argue Panther Island is economic development, not flood control. From your perspective, what is it and why? And how did we get into this situation where we don’t agree on what it is?

BP: I don’t think you hear that as much anymore. I think 10 years ago that was a major complaint. In my opinion, it’s both. It’s hopefully flood control. Considering the growth we’ve had — particularly upstream on the Trinity — could be catastrophic if we have a major weather event.

But it’s also economic development. That’s the largest piece of land attached to any major city’s downtown in the nation. And think what that could do for the city. I mean, what’s wrong with flood control that also brings some economic development?

FW: So, does the plan end up being marketdriven in the end? Are we realistically going to be able to stick to that plan?

BP: That plan is now 15 to 18 years old. I mean, personally, I think it’s time for another look at that plan. I mean, right now, it seems to be apartments, or the developers are telling me apartments are what they’re penciling in. And you don’t want to fill the biggest developable piece downstream of apartments. And when some of that city zoning was put in place, it was done to protect our downtown that was just beginning to emerge.

It’s probably time for all of us — the city, TRWD, and everybody concerned — to relook at what can be done down there. We need to bring some developers to the table and ask, “What can we put there that’ll be attractive? I mean, is it a corporate

Price chats with fellow bikers during a Rolling/ Walking Town Hall

campus? Is it a combination?”

I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to have another beautiful café or two along the river?

Race Relations and Police

FW: Tensions were very high last year in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, which happened a few months after a Fort Worth police officer killed Atatiana Jefferson. Like all major cities, there were daily protests seeking accountability. I’ve heard differing opinions about the city’s response. In hindsight, would you have addressed the situation any differently?

BP: I don’t spend a lot of time looking back on regrets. I think you learn from what you do, and you hopefully get better at it. I’ve said before, my biggest regret was how we initially handled the Jacqueline Craig tragedy, which was two or three years ago. That was our first really big racial

tension issue. I just didn’t think we were as prepared for it as we should’ve been. We learned a lot from that.

The tragic Atatiana Jefferson shooting, we did much better. But coming out of Jacqueline Craig, one of the good things that we did was to create the Race and Culture Task Force. They came forward with some valid recommendations, and most of those have been adopted. There’s 22 of them, and they’ve all been adopted.

[The city’s] work on race relations didn’t just pop up when George Floyd or Atatiana Jefferson were killed. We had been working on it for some time

FW: Do you think Fort Worth has some work to do as far as race relations are concerned?

BP: I think most cities have some work to do. I don’t think we’re an exception. I think part of what Fort Worth does do well is

that we tend to have more open dialogue. People tend to be more comfortable talking about it, and I think that’s escalated some of the headway we’ve made.

I don’t think race relations are ever going to change until everybody’s involved. The city can’t drive what happens in race relationships. We can convene, we can facilitate, but it’s got to be person to person, business to business, if you’re going to really change the culture of this country.

FW: I’ve sometimes heard the opposite. I know some locals feel the city can be passive and apathetic when it comes to understanding the dynamics of race relations.

BP: I don’t know that that’s just Fort Worth. I think that’s all over. And it’s certainly something that needs to improve. But on the flip side of that, you have some cities that have had major rioting. And that’s really polarized people. In my opinion, the rioting is more damaging. I mean, clearly, they’re going to be damaging, but they also do harm with regard to race relations.

FW: But do you feel people had a right to protest after the killing of George Floyd?

BP: Absolutely. I mean, we have had numerous protests, and we’ve been fortunate, as a whole, they’ve been pretty quiet. People have been pretty accepting of them. I’ve been down with the protesters a couple times. Both [former police chief Ed] Kraus and [current police chief Neil] Noakes both have been. Everybody’s got the right to protest. This is America. But do it peacefully. Violence doesn’t do any good.

FW: So, speaking of Kraus and Noakes, what did you learn from Kraus that now maybe you’re applying to Noakes as police chief?

BP: They’re not the same person by any means, but they’re very much at the same vein. They’re both servant leaders. I remember early on when we brought Ed in as interim — before he was actually sworn in and confirmed — he said, “I want officers who [police with] a servant’s heart 99% of the time and a warrior’s heart 1% of the time.” In today’s world, that’s really what you’re looking for, and I think you get that with Neil, too.

And the beauty is, both of them came

Price during a council meeting at City Hall

up through the ranks in the department, and they know this department, and they know the men and women who work here. They know the city. Neither one of them have ever been the least bit shy about going out and sitting down with anybody for a cup of coffee. They’re more the people’s chief than the chief of the people. Does that make sense? I mean, you don’t want a chief who’s in an ivory tower. Much like you don’t want a mayor who’s in an ivory tower.

COVID-19

FW: Take us back to the formation of the regional response to COVID-19. What did that look like?

BP: Oh, gosh. There’s been so many ebbs

and flows with regard to COVID-19 over the last, what are we, 14 months in now?

It’s hard to remember.

But I think it became apparent that people don’t stay in just Fort Worth. They go back and forth to Dallas, or between Keller and Mansfield, or Burleson. And maybe you have lunch somewhere other than Fort Worth today, even though you live here. So, it was critical that we get everybody at the table. And the North Texas Commission, which the mayor of Irving and I co-chair, helped coordinate that. And the regional response, I think, has been very good.

In Tarrant County, it’s a much better regional approach. Many years ago, there was a big-city mayors’ group, and it had fallen by the wayside. And 10 years ago, because I had been president of the Tax Assessors Association, and I liked collaborating with other people in my field, we resurrected that big-city mayors’ group. So that made the regional approach a whole lot easier. That made it easier to get everybody on the same page.

FW: Did we make any mistakes in our approach? What did we learn that we can apply to next time?

The governor, early on in the pandemic, put this back in the laps of mayors. He said to particularly the big-city mayors — because the smaller cities tend to follow the lead of the bigger cities — “I’m going to leave this up to y’all.” Within a couple hours, I was on a Zoom call with the mayors from the state’s 15 largest cities, and within 24 hours we had issued a shutdown ordinance.

That sent the right message.

BP: Well, we haven’t done our postmortem of COVID yet because we’re still in the thick of it, but I think there’s always room for improvement. One thing we did learn is that people are really hungry for information when something like that hits, and we did Facebook Live every afternoon at either 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m., and we would have a variety of guests from the hospitals, or county health, or CDC to share information. And we got to where we’d have 50,000 to 60,000 people who’d turn it on and watch.

One thing I learned is that people want very concise, very honest, and open information, and they want to trust whom they’re getting their information from. They don’t want a lot of hysterics. They don’t want to see somebody arguing with their medical director. It’s like that old saying, “Just the facts, ma’am.”

And we were brutally honest with people. But people seemed to like that

Price with grandchildren during the grand opening of the Fort Worth Zoo’s Elephant Springs exhibit

steady hand. And they seemed to like the fact that their mayors were re-tweeting information, or their mayors were saying, “We’re on calls with the county judge and the governor.” And I think knowing that we were all working collaboratively made people feel better.

It goes back to partisanship. They didn’t see the response, locally, as being partisan. I think they saw a lot more of that at the federal level, but they were looking for a steady hand here.

FW: With regard to Texas reopening and Gov. Abbott’s decisions, I know that you and Judge Glen Whitley thought that might’ve been a little fast. How is it going?

BP: I think it’s going pretty well. Our numbers are pretty good. I mean, starting last week and this week, there’s been a little bump up in numbers, but basically our numbers are not bad. Our hospitalizations are staying stable. I haven’t seen today’s numbers yet, but, overall, they’ve declined dramatically.

FW: Do we have any projections locally from the health authority about vaccination rate? What we can expect before we start seeing things leveling off?

BP: Our city-appointed medical director, Brandon Bennet, says that when you reach about 85% who either have had it or have been vaccinated, that’s when you hit herd immunity. And the estimate we had was that we were currently pushing 60%.

FW: What would you say to people who are resistant, for whatever reason, to getting vaccinated.

BP: Get the damn shot. Pardon my French.

The Final Stretch

FW: What are some aspects of the job you feel you underestimated during your tenure as mayor?

BP: That’s an interesting question. I will tell you, somebody asked, “What are you most shocked by?” I never would’ve dreamed ... I can’t go anywhere without people wanting to take a picture. I mean, that’s silly, but it’s true. I’ve taken millions of pictures. It’s a nice honor, but it’s kind of shocking.

In addition to that, probably the time commitment. But, the time I put into is

of my own making. I mean, I’m a bit of a workaholic. I love people and I love being out among them, and I want to give it my all. When I start a project, you’re going to get 180% of what I’m willing to give. Working with council is always a challenge. Not a challenge, it’s always rewarding, but it can be a challenge sometimes. You have your ups and downs, and you’ve got nine strong personalities, and I’m just one vote. But I pretty much knew that going into this.

After I was in office for six months, somebody said, “You’ve had a dozen split votes that weren’t unanimous. Are you concerned about that?” I said, “No. I never went into this thinking that I was going to coerce my council people into voting one way on any given issue.” My goal was to understand why they’re voting the way they are and to make certain that they’re comfortable and that my vote is based on what I see is best for the city.

I’ve never been one to think that you manage votes. I mean, it’s been done in the past and everybody knows that. For a long time, Fort Worth had mostly unanimous votes. I mean, if you’re a council member and you’re busy in your own district, you’re going to look to the mayor to tell you what they think is best for the city, and you may say, “I don’t agree with that.” But you’re also liable to say, “Okay, I understand that, and I’ll vote with you.”

FW: Is that good though?

BP: Yes. It’s a very collegial council, and you don’t want a council that’s always on the same page with everything. We have very open discussions about things, and a lot of times we understand each other, and they’ll vote the same way.

I think the fear is that you might get more parochial council members who were myopic about their district. And for really good governance, you need everybody thinking about what’s best for the city as a whole. If you are a council member, you’re going to weigh things from the lens of your district, and you should. But you shouldn’t fail to look at how it impacts other pieces. And the mayor has to look at how it impacts the entire city as a whole.

FW: What is the one thing you wish you had accomplished that remains?

BP: I don’t think, looking back, there isn’t any one singular thing. I’d love to have seen Panther Island a little further along. I’d love to have seen education a little further along. But there isn’t any one major thing. I looked back at my swearing-in speech — which was my first State of the City essentially— and what we said we were going to do then, we have pretty much accomplished.

I’m very proud of that. The four or five really big initiatives, Fit Worth, Steer Fort Worth, Read Fort Worth, are all stood up on their own and operating on their own and doing well. And I think you’ll see continued growth with them if Read Fort Worth doesn’t ... they’ll stay along for a while, but they’re under the T3 umbrella, so at least the education initiative will continue.

FW: When thinking about presidents, some people sort of categorize them as wartime presidents or those who had to deal with specific crises. I sometimes think of you a mayor who dealt with a number of crises, especially in the last year. How would you grade your response to these numerous crises?

BP: I would grade our response to the pandemic probably an A-, B+. Somewhere in there.

Race relations, I’d give us a B-. Maybe a B. It depends on what part of it you’re looking at. And yeah, I’ve got a reputation for being … not a wartime president but for being a fixer. I mean, people have forever said, “You’re passionate enough, fix it.” I try never to think I’m smart enough to fix anything on my own, but I’m pretty good at getting input from people and knowing what door to open to try to get something going.

We fixed the tax office, and we fixed the pension here, and we fixed the city’s budget. And hopefully, we’ll get COVID fixed.

I guess that’s kind of my forte.

FW: And what is one word of advice you have for the incoming mayor?

BP: Strap on your boots. It’s going to be a ride.

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With 45 years in the brokerage industry, Don always focuses on national and international financial dynamics—applying his analyses to his clients’ portfolios. He is a past Chair of Investment of public accounts totaling 140 billion, including public pension plans and the Texas Permanent School Fund.

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PHOTO BY

SLOW BURN

BY SCOTT NISHIMURA

Sundance Square’s merchants are fuming over a year’s worth of management changes, resulting confusion and lack of communication, a raft of at least 20 store and restaurant closures, and what they view as a botched response to COVID-19.

Ed and Sasha Bass are not pleased by the question.

THE QUESTION IS ABOUT SUNDANCE SQUARE — THE RENOWNED FORT WORTH TREASURE DESIGNED, NURTURED, DEVELOPED, BUILT, AND REBUILT BY ED BASS OVER THE LAST FOUR DECADES — AND WHAT BECOMES OF IT AFTER ED BASS.

Fort Worth has grown up around Sundance the last four decades. “That Question,” as it gets to be referred to during a rare joint interview the Fort Worth couple granted to Fort Worth Magazine in mid-April, has increasingly bubbled in the city as Ed Bass, 75, ages. The concern has risen to a new level lately, as Sasha Bass has taken a more visible role at Sundance with her husband out of the public view during COVID. A number of Sundance’s merchants are in a slow burn over a year’s worth of management changes at Sundance Square, resulting confusion and lack of communication, a raft of at least 20 store and restaurant closures, and what they view as a botched response to COVID-19. Some Fort Worth leaders have even found themselves drawn into the matter and forced to tiptoe around it.

The Basses say Sundance will persist and enjoy its day in the sun again. “It’s an adaptation, a major adaptation,” Ed Bass said during the interview. “That’s what business does.”

Back to That Question.

“I don’t think that’s a fair question to ask,” Ed Bass says. “What’s going to happen to Fort Worth when I die? When am I going to die? Well, we’ll see in 20 years.”

“Hold on,” Sasha Bass, 39, and who married Ed in 2018, says. “It’s a bit rude, because if you believe in what Ed Bass has done and contributed to this community — how consistent, reliable, committed he has been — that question is very insulting. Because if he did this truly right, it’s going to be all right. Because he has inspired people, not just like me, people like Bill [Boecker, president of the Sundance management company]. Younger people that are so inspired to keep this alive and going, not for a decade, hopefully not 20, but for future generations. And that’s what Ed Bass has built. So, the people that are worried, I would say, they need to have faith and they need to have vision and they need to believe. Because it sounds like they’re people with little faith and hope.”

for that end of town, and Ed did a beautiful job implementing that in the last 10 years.”

“People want to continue to be respectful about this and want to continue to rely on this incredibly energetic part of our city,” Bob Jameson, CEO of Visit Fort Worth, said in an interview.

“We’re missing some important parts of the story,” he says. “Two big groups of people: people traveling and people working downtown.”

Downtown hotel room nights fell to 350,000 in 2020 from 780,000 the prior year, Jameson says. Citywide, hotels posted a 49% occupancy rate for December 2020, with the National Finals Rodeo in town. “The interesting thing is the 2019 occupancy for December was 56%,” Jameson says. “We almost reached that year over year.”

Neither Sundance Square nor Downtown Fort Worth Inc., the economic development organization, provided estimates on the percentages of downtown employees working via remote. Downtown Fort Worth Inc. responded to a request for records available under the Texas Open Records Act for Downtown Tax Increment Finance District and Public Improvement District expenditures in Sundance Square. Andy Taft, the president, declined to be interviewed for this story.

Sporting a Pony Tail The Basses agreed to a joint interview April 15 at their Sundance Square offices in The Westbrook building overlooking Sundance Plaza. The April 15 interview covered a wide range of topics, from the Bass family’s more than 40 years of history in building Sundance Square to what its future looks like post-COVID. We were not permitted, under rules set by a spokesman and agreed to by the magazine, to ask the couple about tenants’ complaints, changes in management over the last year, and revisions to programs such as valet parking. Under the agreement, the magazine directed those questions to the Sundance spokesman, Bryan Eppstein. Sasha Bass spent more than three hours with the magazine, including a walking tour of the square. Ed spent the first 90 minutes of that time with us.

Mayor Betsy Price, who’s been taking a victory lap as she nears the end of 10 years in office as the city’s mayor, was asked a variant of the question in March at a meeting of a breakfast club she was invited to attend. Is there anything the city can do to help?

“We’ve lost a lot of businesses in Sundance,” Price said in a subsequent interview with the magazine. “I’m not privy to whether those businesses were on the edge to begin with. But any time you have a major swath of your city that’s essentially shut down and kind of not performing, it’s concerning. But there’s very little I can do and drive that, at this point … They had a major plan

In preparation for the interview, the magazine also drew from a private virtual presentation that Sasha Bass gave in March to the Investors Council of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, a group of that organization’s highest donors. She furnished a copy of the presentation to the magazine for purposes of the interview, under the condition we were not to reproduce or link to it from our website.

The interview and presentation were the first known instances of the Basses discussing the future of Sundance, post-COVID, to a group, in public, or with the news media. They’re also the first known instances of Sasha Bass discussing her role in the Sundance partnership. Bass, a senior vice president of the Fine Line Group, the family office of Ed and Sasha Bass, is a longtime

Ed and Sasha Bass

community advocate. During the video, she offered to guide walking tours of Sundance to members of the Investors Council and invited them to contact her. Ed Bass appears in a video tribute during his wife’s presentation.

At our invitation, the affable and modest Ed Bass, sporting a pony tail and wearing a black ball cap and peacoat for this cool and rainy afternoon, opened the interview with a history of Sundance’s development, standing in front of a large map hanging on the conference room wall.

Tenants complain they’ve been kept in the dark by Sundance management as restaurants and retailers have closed during COVID.

We ask Bass, is Sundance’s vision changing?

“I wouldn’t say the vision is changing,” Bass says. “No, I think it’s very much the same vision, but how do you create something within that vision?”

Sundance has been in the middle of market shifts during the last 40 years, he notes. Beginning in 1991, Sundance developed 20 screens in two movie palaces. “That boomed for a period of time.” But cable TV, premium services, and online streaming dealt the movies a blow, and Sundance eventually cut back to one movie house. Similarly, in 1996, Barnes & Noble opened a big store with a Starbucks at Sundance across from the site of Bass Hall, which premiered two years later as home to the city’s major performing arts organizations. “At that time, people came to bookstores to hang out, to spend an hour thumbing through stuff,” Bass says. “And that really, really worked.” But the web and reading devices like the iPad and Kindle made bookstores passé, and eight years later, H&M — an international apparel retailer — replaced the Barnes & Noble.

multiple locations. We kind of got into it at its peak, and it’s declined since.”

Birth of a Downtown

Sundance Square today is a 37-block, mixed-use development in downtown Fort Worth, renowned for its architectural and planning values and its gold reputation for safety. Its beginnings were modest. Ed Bass’ brother, Sid Bass, initially had the family’s lead. The family’s first pieces were the Americana Hotel — now The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel— which opened in 1981, the twin City Center office towers in the early 1980s, and two blocks of restored historic buildings and newly built replicas.

Ed Bass, the eccentric Bass brother who later funded the Biosphere 2 project in Arizona to determine if it was possible for people to live in space, started splitting time between New Mexico, where he was a developer and builder, and Fort Worth in 1980. In 1981, he got a suite at the new Americana, now the Worthington Renaissance, and later a floor at the Blackstone Hotel.

In 1983, Bass opened the Caravan of Dreams in a building he bought, looking for a way to boost nightlife. “Downtown was the prestige office address,” he says. “But at

Now, soft goods retailing, which Sundance spent much of the last decade courting, has gone the way of the internet. Sundance’s losses in the last year have included national retailers like Ann Taylor Loft and White House Black Market, brands Sundance recruited just within the last several years.

That attrition was ongoing before COVID, Bass says. Of Sundance’s apparel stores, he says, “they were doing OK … We were not setting records amongst these outfits that had multiple,

Bass added he doesn’t view apparel as having a prominent place in the next round of remerchandising at Sundance, known for multitiered master planning that contemplates potential uses for each space, depending on how many years in the future it becomes available. “I don’t think COVID changed anything. It just accelerated it by five years.”

the same time, everything else was so decrepit.”

Bass eventually took over the family’s Sundance lead from Sid Bass. “There was a real miscalculation, I think, in the early development on what kind of scale it takes to support some retail; a few nice shops is not a destination. And having a lot of people around 9 to 5 is not a community of users.” In 1992, Sundance opened Sundance West, a 58-luxury apartment building. “It changed everything.”

Major activity drivers included movie screens, the opening of Bass Hall in 1998, several new midrise Class A office buildings, and, in 2013, Sundance Plaza, flanked by three of those buildings and new shops and restaurants.

The Downtown Tax Increment Finance District has contributed $21.36 million for infrastructure at Sundance Square since inception in 1995, most recently $11 million for Sundance Plaza. The TIF also subsidizes free parking in garages around Sundance Square and the City Center. Current taxable value of property in the TIF is $1.497 billion, compared $322.4 million for the 1995 base year.

The plaza opened in late 2013 with a raft of new retailers and restaurants around it, and they did well for a time, Bass says. “We had a certain line of merchandise that a broad demographic would come to. But people don’t come and hang out in stores as entertainment anymore.”

It’s too soon to tell where Sundance goes next with its mix, Bass says.

“What’s going to come back?” he says. “I think [our] guiding principles are going to be, again, a place where people want to come … in their leisure time. Is it all going to be dining? Could, someday. Are there going to be other forms? Well, we don’t know. You can’t gauge the market right now.”

Sundance, as has been the Bass strategy for years, will remain patient and won’t be in a rush, Bass says. Sundance lost two of its restaurants — Bird Café and Taco Diner — facing the plaza in the last year. It’s recruited the popular Dallas restaurateur Regino Rojas to open a combo Revolver Taco and Purepecha — a reservationsonly chef tasting menu — in the Taco Diner space. Rojas, a longtime caterer to Bass functions, is expected to open this spring. The Bird Café spot will take a while longer, Bass indicates.

“We have a prime [location] where the Bird Café was,” he says. “An absolutely prime space. And we’re not rushing out to find somebody to throw in there.”

Sundance will continue to look for a mix that invites a broad customer base, Bass says. “It’s always been important to us.”

“Everybody feels welcome here,” Sasha Bass says. “And the way I describe it for people now is Ed figured out how to democratize downtown.”

During her presentation to the Investors Council, Sasha Bass

spoke at length about public spaces playing a more important role in Sundance’s plan. Sundance is including landscape in its master plan, she says. “If we ever get a disease, we don’t lose everything all at once,” she says. “So, we’re master planning all of our landscaping, with more local flora, fauna, and trees. More variety.”

Bass says Sundance plans to use landscape to beautify Third Street east to the Trinity River, helping establish a stronger connection linking downtown to the waterway. About 40% of Sundance’s land is undeveloped, mostly east of the City Center towers.

With its plaza closed during the pandemic, but the Main Street walkway open since after Christmas, Sundance has used temporary potted landscape to demarcate the open and closed areas.

And Sundance, an anchor of Fort Worth’s annual downtown MAIN ST. Arts Festival, is incorporating more local art, music, and entrepreneurs into Sundance, Bass says. The couple last year launched a $100,000 fund for visual artists to encourage them to create works about living through COVID. Sasha Bass, a member of the art committee of the Madison Avenue Art Conservancy, a nonprofit connected to a small park on Manhattan in New York, says the couple sees the potential for several murals on walls throughout Sundance Square.

“We’re re-imagining what the next 10 years will look like,” Bass says in her presentation, reminding viewers her husband is known for saying “Fort Worth needed a heart transplant” when the family began working on Sundance Square.

“We’re looking for operators that have heart, that have a great quality product, that want to showcase their product, on our campus,” she says. And “when visitors come, they can only get [those products] in Fort Worth. And they’re going to have to come back to Fort Worth to get that piece of jewelry or that product.”

Many small retailers and restaurants survived COVID with local support, Bass says. Sundance early on in the pandemic bought meals from restaurants at the square to serve to first responders.

“I believe the cost of valet will deter guests from coming to Sundance Square.”

- Mike Micallef, Reata Restaurant

New entrepreneurial retailers that opened last year at Sundance are the Estelle Colored Glass shop, selling imported Polish glass; a shop by the jeweler Cari O’Keefe; a store selling plants called Urban Plantology; and a studio of the Fort Worth artist Jay Wilkinson. Fort Worth’s Arcadia Coffee is scheduled to open a small coffee shop around May or June.

Those shops are among a group of 10 – 15 that Sundance Square plans to recruit as of a “call to entrepreneurs” to be announced in May. Sundance will give the entrepreneurs each at least six months, with $10,000 in finish-out invested by the company.

“One of the things that COVID taught us, and why we re-imagined the spaces this way, is that the owner-operated businesses were the ones that were open, feeding the first responders, feeding our staff, and we were really surprised by some businesses that could have stayed open, could have afforded to stay open, did not,” she says during the presentation.

At the same time, Sundance has come under heavy fire from tenants on its posture of preventing group gatherings during COVID.

“We made a real serious commitment of people over profits when we went into COVID,” Bass says during the presentation. “We were going to create a safe environment. Every time we’re about to reopen, the numbers skyrocket. When the medical community has a metric that tells us it’s safe to reopen, that’s perhaps when we feel [we can reopen] as well.”

Called Up to the Majors The day a scout for Sundance Square dropped in on one of the two retail stores Rock Pistillo and his wife, Tammy, operated in downtown Granbury, moving their successful business was a no-brainer. Spellbound and Destiny were doing well, selling décor, gifts, apparel, and accessories.

“It’s like being in the minor leagues and being called up to the majors,” he says. The couple consolidated their stores into a new one called Yours Truly and opened at Sundance Square in November 2017.

“This was a rare opportunity,” Pistillo says over cocktails and fried snacks on an April evening at the P.F. Chang’s at Sundance Square. “It was a great opportunity until the plague hit, and the evil empire hit. We were on our way to being a milliondollar store.”

Yours Truly closed the store for good in January and moved online, owing $150,000 in rent to Sundance and a business bankruptcy likely, Pistillo says.

Pistillo says Sundance management has hurt its retailers and restaurants over the last year. He’s not alone. Two management overhauls at Sundance last year left tenants confused about who was in charge and, they say, even who to call for anything from

3-D model of proposed Sundance Square changes

leasing to maintenance and security. One group of former security officers, hired by Sundance last year, ended up out of the organization in a contract dispute and is suing Sasha Bass and the organization in State District Court in Fort Worth. A judge has moved the case into arbitration.

After the pandemic hit, Sundance closed the ultra-popular Sundance Plaza gathering spot, leaving the impression businesses were also closed, retailers and restaurateur operators say. Management reopened the Main Street walk-through portion of the plaza after Christmas, but the plaza is still closed to gatherings. Sundance brought in its annual Christmas tree to the plaza but left the walkway closed and declined to bring in Santa Claus for his usual visits and photo opportunities with children, even though other developments like Clearfork had Santa greet children from behind a protective partition. There’s a dearth of communication from Sundance, say tenants who were used to quarterly gettogethers and briefings by management.

Sundance’s parking valet — as recently as a year ago free to customers with validation and heavily subsidized by Sundance with nominal cost to merchants — was shut down for much of the last year after COVID. Sundance brought it back March 22 under a significantly more expensive pricing structure for merchants, who have so far shunned it and refused to validate.

Sundance has lost more than 20 retailers and restaurants since 2020 began. Central Business District retail vacancy, with Sundance as the anchor, reached 13.8% in 2020, compared to 7.1% in 2019, according to data released during the annual Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth Forecast earlier this year. Meanwhile, Sundance tenants have watched as a major redevelopment of the Stockyards has gained traction among consumers, and the Clearfork development has moved to support its retailers.

The plaza has been a lightning rod for tenants, who continue to pay for maintenance through the common area maintenance charges in their leases. Sundance successfully petitioned the city to bag parking meters for the Dec. 17 – 31

Sundance Square, the Cornerstone

1970s-early ‘80s: Bass family buys bulk of property for what’s today the 37-block Sundance Square area downtown

1981: Bass-developed Americana Hotel – today The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel –opens Early 1980s: With Sid Bass in his family’s lead, Bass-developed twin City Center Towers open

1983: Ed Bass opens Caravan of Dreams venue to begin building downtown nightlife

1980-81: Sundance Square renovates its first two buildings –“Blocks 41 and 42” – that today contain tenants such as Razzoo’s, Riscky’s BBQ, and Haltom Jewelers

1986: Downtown Public Improvement District founded

1986: First MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, led by Robert Bass, held

1992: Sundance opens 12-story, 58-unit Sundance West apartment building

1991: Sundance opens AMC Sundance 11, downtown’s first new movieplex in decades

period, citing special event loading and unloading, and preventing people from parking there, according to city records.

Pistillo, a research scientist, says the plaza could easily be opened with social distancing. He’s skeptical that the generally accepted 6-foot distancing is meaningful. “I thrive on data,” he says. “Show me where 6 feet is meaningful. It isn’t. It was an arbitrary number.”

Mike Micallef, the president of Reata Restaurants, a longtime Sundance tenant, says the plaza should be open. “People can make the decision and take whatever risks are associated with that,” he says in an interview.

Marie Holliday, another longtime downtown businesswoman, says keeping the plaza closed while bringing in the tree accomplished little. “People congregated on the street to get photos or were in the Starbucks [on the plaza] without social distance. It didn’t accomplish anything.”

Eppstein noted that Sundance followed the recommendations of medical advisors it sought out at the beginning of the pandemic. The restrictions on the plaza are easily justified, he says. “We don’t want to have aggregation of crowds in the plaza when we’re right at the second peak” of COVID, he says. “We’ll go ahead and have a spectacular tree. We’re not going to have a Santa Claus. That just seemed to be responsible.”

Changes to the popular valet drew questions from tenants and customers immediately. Sundance has used valet parking as a loss leader for years, while the lure of free parking drew customers in and helped build the square.

1995: Downtown Tax Increment Finance District founded

1993: Sundance opens the renovated Sanger Lofts mixed-use retail and residential building

1996: Plaza Block opens with ninescreen AMC Palace 9 and Barnes & Noble

(continued on page 70)

Merchants used to happily pay $4 per car to validate their customers’ valet parking. The new valet pricing structure starts at $7 for the first 30 minutes and goes up to $21 for a full day. Even without participation from merchants, about 2,000 customers used the valet during its first two weeks, footing the bill, Eppstein says.

Under its new parking program, Sundance is offering free self-parking on surface lots, with validation. On-street parking at city meters continues to be free at night and on weekends, and parking in City Center garages continues to be free on weeknights and weekends, subsidized by the Downtown Tax

Increment Finance District.

Why make these changes now, particularly with downtown’s downturn during COVID?

“It brings too much traffic into the downtown corridor,” Eppstein says of the valet. Some of that comes from Uber and Lyft drivers and “abuse” of the system by local travelers whom he says have used the valet to park for free and take the train to the airport.

During her presentation, Sasha Bass said “we’re not building a transit-trafficcentric development. I think we’re past that era.” Eppstein confirmed that comment was about Sundance’s desire to reduce congestion downtown.

Sundance Square isn’t risking losing customers to competitors, Eppstein says. “There are free parking options, and people embrace it and use it.”

Fewer cars in the district might intuitively mean fewer people who can patronize Sundance merchants, but Eppstein says that’s not true. “We’re trying to make it more pedestrianfriendly.”

When Sundance suspended valet service during COVID, Reata applied to the city to run its own valet lane. But Sundance also applied when it switched to a new valet operator, and the city deferred to Sundance as the previous operator, city officials told the magazine.

“I believe the cost of valet will deter guests from coming to Sundance Square,” Micallef says. “I don’t think valet has to be free, but I do believe we need to match our competitors’ prices. Right now, the restaurants are the only driver of retail traffic in Sundance Square.”

Micallef sees no logic in Sundance’s belief that making valet more expensive will reduce congestion.

“People will still be driving around downtown looking for street parking or the free garages, or utilizing Uber/Lyft, which is still cars on the road,” he says.

Micallef also pointed out the years of heavy subsidy of free parking spaces in downtown garages over the years. “Obviously, the TIF believes free parking is essential in getting people to come downtown.”

Holliday, one of downtown’s longesttenured retailers, closed her Marie

Sundance Square, the Cornerstone (continued)

1998: Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Perfomance Hall opens 2001: Caravan closes, replaced by Reata Restaurant

2002: 12-story Chase Bank building opens 2011: ESPN uses Sundance Square as production headquarters for Super Bowl XLV

2008: 16-story Carnegie office building opens

Antoinette Parfumerie across from the Renaissance Worthington Fort Worth Hotel in November, as sales dropped 80% during the year. The store, downtown for more than 29 years, drew 65% of its business from out-of-town visitors, says Holliday, who has kept her dentistry and another retail shop, Flowers To Go, at Sundance Square.

Holliday has been among the most outspoken publicly about what she sees as the diminution of the Sundance community ethos in the last year under the new management groups.

2014: The Cassidy office building completed

2013: Sundance Plaza opens, flanked by two new Class A office buildings: The Westbrook and Commerce Building

2016: H&M opens in former Barnes & Noble space

2019: Sundance Square announces split of management, with Ed and Sasha Bass retaining ownership and management of Sundance Square, and City Center Management assuming management of the office towers and parking garages, with a partnership of Ed, Sasha, Sid and Lee Bass owning the towers and garages.

2014: The Cheesecake Factory, White House Black Market, and Overland Sheepskin Co. open

2017: Bank of America moves Fort Worth offices into City Center 2

In November 2019, Sundance announced an ownership and management division in Sundance Square, severing the City Center towers and parking garages into a separate entity. In the same release, Sundance announced that Ed and Sasha Bass had recently taken 100% interest in Sundance Square from the family, and that Ed, Sasha, Sid and Lee Bass were in a partnership that owned the City Center. Ed and Sasha Bass announced they hired the Henry S. Miller real estate firm to take over management and leasing from the popular internal group headed by Johnny Campbell. Miller took over Jan. 1 last year, with Campbell shifting over to head the twin towers and garages.

That arrangement lasted several months, and then in the fall, Ed and Sasha Bass announced they were taking management back in-house, headed by Henry S. Miller III and Bill Boecker, the president of the Bass’ family office. Where the management group before 2020 lavished tenants with regular communications, tenants who call today say they often can’t get a response. Tenants, for one, who called to ask for rent deferrals during COVID often couldn’t get an answer. Some told the magazine they stopped paying rent during the height of the pandemic and haven’t heard from management, while others said management pressed them to pay their rent.

2020: Management split occurs early January 2020: COVID-19 pandemic occurs

“Nobody understands what [management’s] objective is or what the plan is,” says Holliday, who confirmed management ended up forgiving six months of back rent on the perfume shop when she told them she wanted to

terminate her lease. “You use the pandemic to start over what was already a successful downtown.”

Sundance’s website was out of date for months and only recently was updated to reflect closures. Even though COVID has shut down the events that Sundance traditionally threw its heft behind, Sundance has done little to promote its merchants in the last year, she says.

“There is no marketing of Sundance Square to encourage people to come downtown,” she says.

Eppstein says about 95% of Sundance’s marketing has been related to events. “The thing about the pandemic that’s been most paralyzing is that events have had to be put on hold,” he says.

“Sundance Square wasn’t alone in canceling events.”

Chris Gensheimer is in a reflective mood, months after negotiating an exit to the leases on his Retro Cowboy and Earth Bones retail stores after 20 years at Sundance Square.

“Zero. A big goose egg,” he says, after being asked to what extent COVID provides Sundance with legitimate cover for its management struggles. “I think they used it as a cover, for what, there’s no answer why.”

Gensheimer, who says his business model was no longer sustainable and that he was looking for a way out of his leases before the management changes and COVID, hurts for his friends who are still grinding it out downtown.

“All of us made Sundance Square a great place to visit,” he says. “It was hard work. We knew the game. To greet people and make them laugh and make sure they had a good time. That’s why I’m perplexed as to why.”

The old Sundance management wasn’t perfect, he says. “They tried to handle too much.” He, for one, would have gone outside for more creative talent.

“We’ve been here for 16 years, we’ve paid $4.5 million in rent, and we don’t complain,” he says.

Morse sees the differences in management groups. “Under Johnny Campbell’s regime, if we had a light bulb go out and you call, that light bulb was changed within 15 minutes at the most. They were meticulous.”

Lease negotiations were tough, but the rewards substantial, he says. “I had heard once you signed the lease, you’re on the team,” he says. “That’s exactly what happened. The negotiations were brutal, but once you signed the lease, you were best friends.”

And today?

“How do I say this gingerly,” Morse says. “They obviously experienced a management change, and some people and entities they hired did not work out. They’re in flux right now.” And then Morse recalls, “it took me a week to get my trash taken out one time.”

Sun Showers Sasha Bass is taking us on a walking tour of Sundance Square in the light rain. It’s the tour she offered during her presentation to the Chamber’s Investors Council.

“The people that are worried, I would say, they need to have faith and they need to have vision and they need to believe.” – Sasha Bass

“How long does it take to put this back together?” he wonders. “It’s a lifetime. But the big players are still in place. It has infrastructure. It’s still safe. The things that Ed Bass did to make it aesthetically pleasing are still there.”

Two people have asked Greg Morse, CEO of Worthington National Bank, how much money he paid to install a marble floor in the lobby of the historic Burk Burnett Building he moved the bank into 16 years ago at Sundance Square: Ed Bass, then, and, more recently, Sasha Bass.

“She said, ‘How much did you spend on it?’” Morse says in an interview. “I said only one other person has ever asked me that.”

Morse, whose lease is coming up for renewal in August 2022, says he was hunting the right contact at Sundance last fall when he was finally directed to Sasha Bass after two months of emails and calls to other people. Over lunch at Del Frisco’s Grille overlooking the Plaza, Morse told her he was interested in an extension.

“She said, ‘I need to know how committed you are; we may want to make that into a hotel,’” Morse says. “That’s when I said there’s a hotel in our block that’s 5% occupied.”

As a measure of his commitment, Morse says he offered to pay five years of rent up front, at a discount, for a lease renewal.

We’re walking through the quaint courtyard between the buildings that house the Riscky’s BBQ and Five Guys burger joint. It’s off the path, for sure, but known to anyone who’s spent time padding around Sundance. A member of the Sundance staff unlocks a storefront door, and we walk into the small brick-walled former Sundance office of Rent A Frog Valet. It’s to be the newest location of Arcadia Coffee.

In the upcoming “call for entrepreneurs,” other concepts Sundance is considering include Provincial Mexico arts & crafts, knitting and art supply, vinyl and skateboard, California wine and spa products, and a speak-easy bar, Bass said.

“We’re starting with six months, and if they are pacing well, numbers-wise, we’ll easily extend them another six,” Bass says.

“Our goal is that if we did our analysis right, and we focused on the right things, and they bring the sweat equity into it and the heart, that hopefully they evolve into a permanent tenant.”

The prospective terms are in the works. “Maybe it’s a percentage of gross,” Bass says. “We’re de-risking it for six months for them. No large deposits. No giant five-year leases.”

We’re now walking through Sundance Plaza’s walk-through, the portion of Main Street the city agreed to close as part of the plaza. Why not reopen the plaza with limited seating and social distancing?

“We have been thinking about opening the plaza since COVID happened,” Bass says. “At the beginning of COVID, the biggest challenge was getting supplies to clean. We couldn’t even get supplies, in enough volume to clean all of our buildings. And then we couldn’t get masks. Right when we’re ready, or we think we’re ready to open, the [COVID] numbers just rise. And I think the largest problem right now is thinking about people gathering.”

That includes keeping the plaza’s restrooms clean. “I think that’s the biggest challenge right now.”

We end our tour inside the shops of jeweler Cari O’Keefe and continued on page 134

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The Ultimate Homebuyer’s Guide to Greater Fort Worth

Whether you’re looking for your first home, your dream home, or just a little old place to hang your 10-gallon hat, have we got the guide for you.

BY AARON DALTON ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRANDON HAYMAN

So you’re ready to finally buy a home of your own? Congratulations! You happen to have picked what one might euphemistically call a “challenging” time to go home shopping. Or as Gaye Reed, who won the 2016 REALTOR of the Year Award from the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors (GFWAR), puts it more plainly: “Our market is nuts right now.” Reed points out that a normal, stable, balanced market would have around six months of supply. But as of this March, the Fort Worth housing market had only 0.9 months of inventory, according to the GFWAR. Active listings are way down (55% less in March 2021 than a year prior), which means that demand far outstrips supply. And that means that home prices are rising fast — the median sales price of a Fort Worth home hit $275,000 in March, 17% higher than one year earlier. Good times (if you’re a seller). If you’re looking to buy, buckle up, buttercup. And read on to get the scoop on making an informed decision and finding a home you love.

So, what’s a first-time homebuyer to do?

If you’re ready to take the first steps toward home ownership, here are six suggestions for getting started:

Recalibrate your expectations. A decade ago, buyers looking for a starter home could start shopping in the $120K to $150K range, according to Bart Calahan, Realtor at Coldwell Banker Realty – Fort Worth. Now, he says that many first-time buyers are finding themselves looking more in the $250K to $350K range.

That being said, Calahan says buyers can start their hunt around $200K. “White Settlement and Watauga both have some nice neighborhoods in that price point,” he says. “On the east side of Fort Worth, Richland Hills and Meadowbrook have some great properties for first-time buyers.” On the south side of town, Calahan suggests that first-time buyers explore the Wedgwood area.

Mark Philpot, a Realtor with League Real Estate, says first-time buyers have some strong options for homes in the $250K to $275K range northwest of Fort Worth toward Saginaw and Eagle Mountain Lake. Both areas combine new-build communities with a strong independent school district. “West of Fort Worth, River Oaks and Burton Hills are part of a burgeoning area close to the Trinity River with strong elementary schools and close proximity to the city,” says Philpot. “In southwest Tarrant County, I’d say that Benbrook has some great pockets of affordability. To the east and northeast of Fort Worth,

Haltom City and Sylvan Heights are appreciating neighborhoods where you can still find price points in the $200K to $250K range.”

Level up. Calahan notes that the profile of a typical first-time buyer has shifted over the years. Earlier generations might shop for homes while they were still in their mid-20s, but many first-time homebuyers in the millennial generation are in their early 30s. “They have had time to save money and accumulate a little more wealth,” Calahan says.

While previous generations might have bought their first home before they started a family, Calahan says contemporary first-time buyers may already have young children. For these types of buyers who may be looking to splash out on a brand-new home, he says there are great opportunities in communities such as Walsh and Morningstar. In Morningstar, prices currently range from the low $300Ks to over $500K. In Walsh, homes are currently available from the $300Ks to over $1.5 million.

Get good bones. It’s easy to get caught up in superficial qualities when home shopping. Paint colors, countertop finishes, and flooring choices all matter — but not as much as the most crucial items that form the backbone of a house and cost the most money to fix if something goes wrong.

“Homebuyers need to look at the bones of any house they’re considering,” Calahan says. “Make sure the home has a solid foundation and that the roof is in good shape. Those two items along with the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system are the most expensive items to repair and maintain. You don’t want to get into a house, have the HVAC system conk out four months later, and find yourself staring at a $10K repair.”

Philpot agrees wholeheartedly. “I love a good backsplash and exposed wood beams, but if the roof is uninsurable or the foundation is in terrible shape, the costs associated can be far more expensive than some paint or new countertops,” he says. “Part of homeownership should be about building financial stability and future wealth. You don’t want to be upside down from a house that had beautiful paint but failing systems.”

Generally, Calahan says a prepurchase home inspection should turn up any significant problems with the roof, foundation, or HVAC. If there are areas of concern, he suggests hiring a specialist who can dive deeper to provide a more comprehensive diagnosis and estimate repair or replacement costs.

Pace yourself. “Never look at more than three houses per day,” Calahan cautions. “By the time you start looking at your fifth or eighth house, you will have forgotten what you thought about the first two you saw. Give yourself time to consider and absorb what you liked or didn’t like in each house.”

Know your limits. There’s so much competition from fellow buyers right now that the house-hunting process can get a little (OK, more than a little) frustrating and disheartening. “Recognize that by the time you find the perfect starter home, 15 other buyers may have found it too,” Calahan says.

He’s seen buyers make offers on seven or eight homes and get outbid on all of them. Even so, Calahan urges buyers to calculate how much they can realistically afford and not get tempted to overbid. “If the most you can afford is $250K, then that’s where we should look,” Calahan says. “We’re not going to up your limit to $300K if that’s going to be financially detrimental. I don’t want any of my buyers to become house poor. You still need to buy groceries, make car repairs, and take a vacation sometimes.”

Sweeten the bid. While Calahan doesn’t recommend bidding sky high, there are still ways he says you can make your offer stand out in a crowded market by putting down more earnest money, proposing a shorter option period, and offering to pay for survey and title fees. “You don’t want to break your budget, but you can make your offer more competitive by going the extra mile to help the seller net as much money as possible,” Calahan says.

MONEY TALK

Gary Linville, vice president and senior loan officer at Legacy Mutual Mortgage, gave us the lowdown on some of the financial ins and outs of buying a home.

Cash is king. “You have to be a diligent saver to buy real estate — especially with your first house, when you don’t have equity from an existing home,” Linville says. While you can get an FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan with as little as 3.5% down, Linville says that it can be advantageous to put more money down — up to 20% of the purchase price — if you are financing the purchase through a conventional lender.

Get your ducks in a row. Buyers need to make sure they have all the documentation necessary to get preapproved for a loan. Linville says that typically means W2 forms, pay stubs, bank statements, and government IDs. Be prepared to explain any large non-payroll deposits you might have recently made to your bank account. And get ready to read and sign a lot of paperwork. “The application and disclosure forms used to be about 10 or 12 pages — now it’s around 80-pages long,” Linville says.

Don’t get lost in the internet. “The main thing is to get with someone you trust — both in terms of your real estate agent and your financing,” Linville says. “It’s important to have someone who is willing to sit down and explain the whole process from A to Z.”

Keep rates in perspective.

Yes, interest rates have crept up a little bit recently from all-time lows, but they are still very low relative to historical standards. When Linville bought a house almost 30 years ago, his mortgage carried an 8.5% interest rate. “Now you can lock down a rate that never changes

for 30 years at around 3.25%!” he exclaims. “That’s practically nothing — and you can deduct the interest.”

MIXING IT UP FOR GOOD

Fort Worth has been growing rapidly for years. This growth has pushed up land values and housing prices, which may benefit some sellers and homeowners but can pose problems for people on the lower rungs of the property ladder or those trying to take their first steps toward home ownership.

“Residents in many low-to-moderate income neighborhoods are concerned about whether they can afford to keep living in their communities as areas gentrify and property values rise,” says Victor Turner, director of the Neighborhood Services Department for the City of Fort Worth. “In many cases, both newcomers moving to Fort Worth and existing residents need affordable housing options.”

There’s not much that individual buyers can do to prevent gentrification that displaces long-term residents and changes the long-term character of a neighborhood. Turner says that municipalities and developers are the ones with a responsibility to include affordable housing units in development plans. “Mixedincome housing increases diversity and ensures the continued existence of affordable housing options in thriving neighborhoods,” he says.

Turner says the City of Fort Worth has provided partial financing for several successful mixed-income developments in the metro area including Mistletoe Station, Enclave at Westport, and Three77 Park.

Dreaming of Home

So you’re ready to splurge and trade up to your dream home? Not even the high-end of the market is immune from the supplydemand imbalance that’s pushing up prices and forcing buyers to compete in a battle royale.

That said, Susanna Gorski Barolomei, an associate broker at Williams Trew, says buyers should know that dream home inventory is out there. “You just have to be creative and patient,” she says. Bartolomei says many high net worth individuals looking for newer homes are drawn to suburbs like Westlake and Southlake. Just west of town, she points to a new development for estate homes that has opened at Montrachet, where lots alone have been listed as high as $2 million.

Meanwhile, Philpot notes that some homebuyers with deep pockets are opting to build on rural land further west in Aledo, Willow Park, Annetta, Weatherford, Godley, or Cresson and make the 30- to 60-minute commute into Fort Worth.

For buyers who would rather stick closer to the urban core, Bartolomei is partial to neighborhoods in the heart of Fort Worth and on the west and southwest sides of town. “If we are talking about dreamy, old-fashioned neighborhoods with mature trees, I would

recommend areas including Rivercrest, Colonial, and Westover Hills,” she says. “In terms of newer, central core developments, the Edwards family has done a great job in Riverhills combining new construction with an old, established neighborhood feel.”

If views are important, Bartolomei is partial to the bluff lots on Alta Drive and Crestline Road. “There are multiple homes currently available on the bluff with historical flair, gorgeous sunset views, and acreage,” she says.

What if you want to start with a blank slate and customize a newbuild from the ground up? “Land has gotten really expensive in the central core,” Bartolomei notes. The going rate for a good-sized lot is around $500K, although prices can range from $350K all the way up to over $1 million for a larger lot on a golf course or in Westover.

So what sort of amenities are dream homebuyers seeking these days if money is no object? Smart homes are popular. “People want to be able to control everything in their home from an app on their phone,” Bartolomei says. On the practical side, safety-minded buyers are looking for homes with built-in tornado shelters. Buyers are also placing a premium on privacy, home gyms and offices, plus gracious outdoor spaces.

In terms of home furnishings and fittings, custom woodwork and millwork can make a high-end home stand out. Stainless steel appliances are still de rigueur, but Bartolomei thinks buyers are going a little wild in the kitchen, moving past the all-white look that was all the rage a few years ago and splashing out with playful color and quartz or marble countertops. Custom cabinetry completes the pretty picture.

How about gut rehabs and teardowns? Philpot says that Tanglewood, Ridglea, and Overton Park are all popular spots for down-to-the-studs’ renovations or teardowns. He does note that buyers considering this option should check to make sure that historic overlays or HOAs won’t interfere with their plans. Buyers also need to tally up the financial pros and cons of renovating versus tearing down and building from the ground up. “A good Realtor should be knowledgeable about remodeling costs,” Bartolomei says. “Right now, remodeling can cost just as much as building new — sometimes even more, depending on what lies beneath. I’ve had a lot of clients who were looking at buying a fixerupper and decided that it made more sense financially to build new.”

ONE DAY, THAT CREEK MIGHT RISE

Whatever kind of home you’re planning to buy, you can review flood maps from FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to see if a property is in or near a known flood zone. Be sure to check when the FEMA map was updated since flood zones can and do change over time. Even if your prospective home does not appear to be in a FEMA flood zone on the most recent map, there’s still a chance that it might flood in an extreme deluge. But the FEMA maps give you one more layer of data that can help you make an informed decision whether to put in a bid or keep looking.

STAY INSIDE THE LINES

Whether you’re starting with a blank slate on an undeveloped piece of property or planning to tear down an existing structure and start anew, Realtor Mark Philpot urges buyers to check the survey first to make sure there aren’t any easements, floodplains, or anything else that could limit what they are able to build on the site.

“A survey will also clearly delineate boundary lines,” Philpot says. “I’ve heard stories where buyers assumed a property’s boundaries were based on fences, but the survey showed the fence was actually outside their property and encroaching on someone else’s land.”

It’s better to be safe by double-checking the survey to make sure you can do what you want before you close on the property.

Are You Down With It?

So you’re thinking of the big “D” word? That’s “downsizing,” of course. Maybe your kids have finally flown the coop, and you find your voice echoing down cavernous halls. Or perhaps you’re tired of trudging up and down stairs all day and are looking for a simpler one-level home. Or maybe you’re a minimalist millennial who would rather spend time exploring your Fort Worth and your money on experiences rather than furnishing that umpteenth bedroom. Whatever your circumstances, if you’re a small-is-beautiful kind of house hunter, rest assured that Fort Worth has plenty of options for

you too. “I’d suggest buyers check out neighborhoods like Arlington Heights or Mistletoe Heights, Berkeley, and possible Fairmount,” Reed says. “All of those areas are inside the 820 Loop and near amenities that people want such as grocery stores, cleaners, pharmacies, and restaurants.”

Reed also recommends Oakhurst, which she calls an up-and-coming neighborhood near downtown, as well as the Bluebonnet Hills neighborhood near Tanglewood and Texas Christian University.

One thing for buyers to consider is that all of these are older neighborhoods where much of the housing stock was constructed in the 1920s and ’30s. “I’ve lived in an older home, so it would not bother me at all,” Reed says. “I know the issues, and I know who to call if a problem pops up, but for many homeowners who have only lived in a 1960s or more recent home, they may be hesitant to bid on a home that’s 90 or 100 years old.”

Buyers who are looking in areas with older housing stock should do their research to find out whether the neighborhood has an historic overlay. “Fairmount and Mistletoe are both historic overlay areas, but Oakhurst is not,” notes Reed. If the area does have an historic overlay, buyers may be limited in terms of what changes they can make to the home’s exterior. Reed suggests that buyers with questions on specific properties or areas contact the Historic Preservation office in the City of Fort Worth.

It’s hard to find a smaller newly built home, Reed says, because soaring land prices in the Fort Worth area have builders packing maximum square footage onto each lot. She does mention a 55-plus community being built southwest of Fort Worth called Ladera at Tavolo Park that has floor plans starting around 1,500 square feet.

She also points to a couple of new pocket neighborhood developments of mini homes being built in Kennedale — Moderno with modern farmhouses as petite as 800 square feet — and a similar senior-designated development called The Cardinal.

Dustin Wright | Jeff Bell | Earl Bilbrey | Diane Grove

Bauman, Dalton Carroll, Dustin Wright, Aubrey Pearson, Mike Mannion

Front Row (seated): Bernie Christian - The Christian Group (817) 269-1660 | Terri Christian - The Christian Group (817) 269-1660

Nikki Cloud (682) 559-2210 Top Row (standing): Amy Moody (817) 300-8196 | Anthony Galindo (817) 716-9107

Danielle Farr (817) 913-0667 | Kelly Biedenharn - The Biedenharn Team (817) 870-8860

Adriana Blanco - The Blanco Group (817) 713-9233 | James Biedenharn - The Biedenharn Team (817) 870-8860

Fernando Espinoza - Espinoza Realty Group (817) 733-6397 | Flor Alvarado - Alvarado Realty Group (817) 897-0209

If you are considering a career in real estate or you’re looking to make a change, we’d love to meet you! Please call Erica Lawrence at 817-501-4062 or Wes Griffin at 817-343-0797.

Top Realtors 2021

If you don’t know the ropes, buying or selling a home can appear like a maze of unfeasible tasks. Hence, why it’s important for you to find someone who knows the ropes. A fighter for you in the ring. A real estate agent.

Our annual Top Realtors list is comprised of Greater Fort Worth’s top producing agents. This is no popularity contest; to make this directory, agents had to produce results. All names that appear on this list had a minimum of $8 million in sales as reported by their broker or retrieved through Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data. If you’re in the market for a new roof over your head, we recommend taking a gander at these fine agents.

Our Method The Top Realtors 2021 list was compiled by pulling a mix of Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data and broker-reported data to ensure as accurate and comprehensive a list as possible. The MLS list, provided to us by a trusted individual agent in Tarrant County, was first vetted and checked for accuracy. The magazine editorial staff then reached out to Greater Tarrant County real estate brokers to provide data on individual sales. The two data sets were then combined to create our Top Realtors list. All individuals or brokers on this list are reported to have sold over $8 million in real estate over the last calendar year.

TOP REALTORS 2021

INDIVIDUALS

$8 MILLION PLUS

Sherri Aaron Texas Real Estate HQ

Curtis Abernathy JP & Associates

Juan Manuel Acosta

RJ Williams & Company Real Estate

Jamie Adams Compass

Cindy Allen DFWMoves

Katherine Allen Keller Williams

Brandi Allison Alliance Properties

Flor Alvarado Keller Williams

Gaylene Anders

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Curt Anderson

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Jeannie Anderson Compass

Kristina Anderson

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Jeffries Anderson

LEAGUE Real Estate

Christy Arnold Keller Williams

Erin Arnold

Keller Williams

Frankie Arthur Coldwell Banker

Scott Ashford

Elite Agents

Kim Assaad

Compass

Rees Atkins Williams Trew

Michael Avidon

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Deborah Bailey

Christie’s International Real Estate ULTERRE

Frances Bankester RE/MAX

Kelsi Bannahan Real T Team

Mary Barakat

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Marcy Barkemeyer

Keller Williams

Nicolina Barnes

Keller Williams

Kristin Barnett

LEAGUE Real Estate

Susanna Bartolomei Williams Trew

Ellen Batchelor

Coldwell Banker

Denise Batdorf

Century 21 Mark Bowman

Justin Bays

Keller Williams

Timothy Beary

Keller Williams

Beverly Beasley Keller Williams

Andra Beatty Andra Beatty Real Estate

Christi Beca eXp Realty

Kimberly Bedwell

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Jeffrey Bell Keller Williams

Michael Bellows

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Traci Benson

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Jared Benson Model Realty

Joseph Berkes Williams Trew

Amy Berry Compass

Steve Berry Williams Trew

Renuka Bhandari

Keller Williams

James Biedenharn

Keller Williams

Earl Bilbrey Keller Williams

Todd Bingham

Willow Real Estate

Sandra Binner

Coldwell Banker

Lisa Birdsong Compass

Gary Bisha

My Castle Realty

Jackie Black

Texas Best Properties

Erika Black

The Platinum Real Estate Group

Crystal Blake Keller Williams

Jolynn Blake Pender Blake Group

Adriana Blanco

Keller Williams

Tanner Blankenfeld

Keller Williams

Shaley Blanks

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Brenda Blaser

Keller Williams

Sherri Blasingame

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Jeffrey Blasko RE/MAX

Jamie Bodiford

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Julie Bologna eXp Realty

Sheila Bonn Keller Williams

Pam Bookout

Coldwell Banker

Penni Boot

Century 21 A-One Realty

Jodie Boutilier Coldwell Banker

Joan Boyd Keller Williams

Steven Bradbury Coldwell Banker

Donna Bradshaw RE/MAX

Beth Brake

Keller Williams

James Bransom Bransom Real Estate

Clay Brants

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Laurie Brants

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Jeremy Bravo

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Rachael Brenneman Keller Williams

Laura Brewer

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Brady Bridges Reside Real Estate

Casey Briner Your Home Free

Cathey Briscoe Briscoe Real Estate

Jim Brosche Compass

Matthew Brown Coldwell Banker

Jennifer Brown

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Charles Brown Keller Williams

Stephanie Browne Magnolia Realty

Alicia Brunson

Realty World Professionals

Cynthia Buck Keller Williams

Shawn Buck Strive Realty

Kurt Buehler

Keller Williams

Kellie Bullinger

LEAGUE Real Estate

Laura Bumgarner Ebby Halliday Realtors

Rebecca Buren

Keller Williams

Letta Burger DFW Legacy Group

Breanna Burkett Coldwell Banker

Angelique Burkett Keller Williams

Tiffany Burns Monument Realty

Suzanne Burt Burt Ladner Real Estate

Tim Byrns Iron Star Realty

Mark Cabal Keller Williams

Matt Callahan Callahan Realty Group

Carole Campbell Colleen Frost Realtors

Christie Cannon Keller Williams

Beth Caraway Burt Ladner Real Estate

Chad Carlson Social Realty

Marla Carrico Carrico & Associates

Brandon Carrington Hometiva

Dalton Carroll Keller Williams

Dana Cassidy

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Beth Caudill eXp Realty

Spencer Cearnal Front Real Estate Co

Tracey Chamberlain Ebby Halliday Realtors

Alexander Chandler

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Deanna Chavez eXp Realty

Jan Chavoya Compass

David Chicotsky

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Andrea Childress JP & Associates

Jean Christenberry

Keller Williams

TOP REALTORS 2021

Terri Christian

Keller Williams

Robert Cline

RE/MAX

Nikki Cloud Keller Williams

Kimberly Coatney

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Terre Coble

Keller Williams

Sue Cogdell

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Michele Colafrancesco

HBS Real Estate

Chad Collins Compass

Rena Connors

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Jonathan Cook Keller Williams

Lesli Cordero

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Sandy Cotton

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Michael Crain

Northern Crain Realty

Leigh Crates

Compass

Marsha Crawford

Compass

Matthew Crites Coldwell Banker

Jenevieve Croall

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Sharon Crockett

Compass

Allen Crumley Williams Trew

Michael Cunningham

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Marian D’unger Coldwell Banker

Sunny Darden Compass

Jan Davis

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Jordan Davis Keller Williams

Darin Davis

Keller Williams

Mary Margaret Davis

Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Team

Caryn Davis

Winston Properties

Mandie Dealey

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Elizabeth Deane

JP & Associates

Melinda Deckert

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Stephanie Deeds RE/MAX

Connie Deering

Keller Williams

Jaime Delgadillo

Marty Martinez Realtors

Wade Delk

Magnolia Realty

Kellye Demski JP & Associates

Michael Dennis Keller Williams

Mary Denton

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

David Devries RE/MAX

Dillon Dewald LEAGUE Real Estate

Matt Dill RE/MAX

Tanika Donnell

Tanika Donnell Realty

Zeke Dorr

Compass

Peggy Douglas Williams Trew

Danielle Doyle Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Sara Drehobl LEAGUE Real Estate

Erin Drummer Elevate Realty Group

Kristen Ducat KLT Real Estate

Rebekah Dugger Williams Trew

Jim Duncan

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Morris Duree Granbury Realty

Wendy Dusek

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Ida Duwe

Williams Trew

Tommy Dyer Coldwell Banker

Nanette Ecklund-Luker

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Renee Eiband

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Brandon Eichten Knock Homes

Ryan Enos Compass

Lisa Escue RE/MAX

Fernando Espinoza Keller Williams

Teresa Etheridge Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Dolores Fadal Fadal Buchanan and Associates

Danielle Farr

Keller Williams

Danna Fason

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Stacey Feltman

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Sanford Finkelstein Fort Worth Property Group

Becky Fischer JP & Associates

Brittany Fish RJ Williams & Company Real Estate

Brian Fisher

Insight Realty Network

Susie Fitzgerald Keller Williams

Toni Floroplus Agency Real Estate Group

Linda Fogle

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Coco Fontao

RJ Williams & Company Real Estate

Danny Force DFW Legacy Group

Steve Fortner RE/MAX

Lori Fowler Charitable Realty

Seth Fowler Williams Trew

Jennifer Frank Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Rick Fruge eXp Realty

Kathy Fuller Fathom Realty

Kim Gardner Keller Williams

Ryan Garton Keller Williams

Natalie Gary Best Address Real Estate

Mike Garza

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Beth Gaskill Keller Williams

Roslyn Gauntt

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Troy George Synergy Realty

Brent Germany Coldwell Banker

Reza Ghanbarpour Platinum North Realty

Rebekah Gilbert

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Susan Gilchrest

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Cindy Giles Keller Williams

Tammy Gill JP & Associates

Whitney Gillaspie Keller Williams

John Giordano

Christie’s International Real Estate ULTERRE

Nancy Givens

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Tim Goldsberry

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Alexa Goodman RE/MAX

Carmon Gordon

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Jacque Gordon Keller Williams

Stephen Gordon Keller Williams

James Graham Ginger & Associates

Teri Gray Coldwell Banker

Julie Gray

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Marty Gray Real Estate by Pat Gray

Tony Green Compass

Shelley Green Keller Williams

Paulette Greene

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Diane Grove

Keller Williams

Elyse Guthrie Keller Williams

Sha Hair

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Chase Hall

Chase Realty DFW

Chris Hall

Keller Williams

Dani Hampton

Keller Williams

Lori Hansen RE/MAX

Walter Hardin

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Gwen Harper

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Julie Harper

Insight Realty Network

TOP REALTORS L T O R S

THE WWG TEAM | ERIC WALSH JOHN GIORDANO RICK WEGMAN

DEBORAH BAILEY

THE WWG TEAM

TOP REALTORS 2021

Ken Harrell

Weichert Realtors

Keely Harris

eXp Realty

Christy Hart

Magnolia Realty

Jason Haugen

eXp Realty

Lisa Hawkins

The Property Shop

Rogers Healy

Rogers Healy and Associates

Tina Hearne

Tina Hearne Realtors

Bill Helton

Keller Williams

Lani Hendrix

Keller Williams

Bonnie Hennum

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Justin Henry

Justin Henry Real Estate Advisors

Eric Herron

Keller Williams

Michael Hershenberg

Keller Williams

Beau Hill

Direct Real Estate

Rachael Hill

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Lori Hinderliter

Coldwell Banker

Cami Hobbs

Keller Williams

Sharon Hodnett

Keller Williams

Christa Holbert

LEAGUE Real Estate

Adrianne Holland

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Daniel Holmes Engel & Völkers

Lee Holtzman

RE/MAX

Cassandra Homer Cassandra Co.

Angela Hornburg

Keller Williams

Christy Horne

The Christen Horne Team

Wendy Howard

Keller Williams

Haley Howard RE/MAX

Pam Hudson

Keller Williams

Will Huffman

Compass

Kacey Huggins

Keller Williams

Gavin Hughes

Coldwell Banker

Kathy Hull

Keller Williams

Lanae Humbles Twenty-Two Realty

Melanie Hunt

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Saman Ilangasinghe

Texas Properties and Real Estate

Mary Ann Izzarelli

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Lori Jacobson

DFW Legacy Group

Linda Jeffery Compass

Aaron Jistel

Listing Spark

Clifton Johnson eXp Realty

Felicia Johnson JP & Associates

Michelle Johnson Modern Edge Real Estate

Kali Jones

HBS Real Estate

Lee Jones

Toby Jones

Brittany Jones

Williams Trew

Stephen Kahn

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Alden Karotkin

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Kris Karr

Williams Trew

Sukhdip Kaur JP & Associates

Jody Kautz RE/MAX

Josiah Keas LEAGUE Real Estate

Sara Keleher

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Brandee Kelley Keller Williams

Will Kelly Compass

Jessica Kemp Fathom Realty

James Keoughan

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Kathy Kiefer

Keller Williams

Jeanenne Kienle

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Scott Killian

Scott Real Estate

Deanna King Coldwell Banker

Heather Kingston

Keller Williams

Aaron Kinn

eXp Realty

Hope Kirkpatrick

Webb Kirkpatrick Real Estate

Eliza Knapp

Horton Neely Realtors

Pam Knieper

The Knierper Team

Trish Knight

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Ginger Knox

Ginger & Associates

Debbie Knox

Keller Williams

Lucy Knox

Keller Williams

Andre Kocher

Keller Williams

Holly Koester

Keller Williams

Renee Kolar

Keller Williams

Ram Konara StarPro Realty

Heather Konopka

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Kendall Kostohryz

Williams Trew

Laura Ladner

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Kathy Lakatta

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Marianne Lamb

Keller Williams

Tanya Lang

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Kathy Lanpher

Williams Trew

Susan Larrabee

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Don Lawyer eXp Realty

Robby Lebus Compass

Sonia Leonard RE/MAX

Jacob Link

The Platinum Real Estate Group

Jonathan Lopez

Chase Realty DFW

Kay Lopez

Keller Williams

Shelby Love

Keller Williams

Randall Luna

Elevate Realty Group

Kaki Lybbert

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Talia Lydick

Williams Trew

Iveta Lynam

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Sarah Lyons

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Linda Magazzine

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Suzanne Maisto

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Irfan Malik

Keller Williams

Jack Mallouf

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Chrissy Mallouf

Keller Williams

Michael Mannion

Keller Williams

Kelly Marcontell

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Jay Marks

Jay Marks Real Estate

Josh Marriott

Keller Williams

Shana Martin

Martin Realty Group

Shawna Martinez

Texas Realty Exchange

Susan Mathews

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Susan Mayer

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Lori Mayo

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Sharon Mcbee Ellbee Real Estate

Dayna McCracken

Keller Williams

Kirk McDonald

Compass

Dillon McDonald

The Wall Team Realty

Danny McElroy

Keller Williams

Ashlee McGhee

Keller Williams

John McGuire

Clark Real Estate Group

Betty McKean

Keller Williams

Brad McKissack

Keller Williams

Kelly McLean

Williams Trew

Leonard McManaman

Keller Williams

Brooke McWhirter

Williams Trew

Tammy Melendez

Top Hat Realty

The Best Never Rest

Meet just a few of our Fort Worth Magazine 2021 Top REALTORS® winners! In a time like no other, these agents like no others helped propel the top luxury brokerage in North Texas to new heights in its more-than-60-year history. They are the top of the top. The best of the best.

Laurie Brants

817-919-9110 lbrants@briggsfreeman.com

“[Laurie] has deep local knowledge and expertise. [But] what really differentiates Laurie is her willingness to go the extra mile.” —James K.

Gwen Harper

817-301-6291 gharper@briggsfreeman.com

“Gwen is a pleasure to work with and has an expansive knowledge of the Fort Worth area and a great sense of humor.” —Sara W. via Zillow

Ashley Mooring

817-706-6344 amooring@briggsfreeman.com

Renee Eiband

817-946-3414 reiband@briggsfreeman.com

“When you consider your real estate agent as a part of your Fort Worth family, you know you have stumbled upon something special.” —Chris G.

Adrianne Holland

817-988-7955 aholland@briggsfreeman.com

“Knowledge of the market … network of professionals … [And] you can count on being impressed with her responsiveness, attitude and work ethic.” —Lance F.

Eric Painter

817-597-4519

epainter@briggsfreeman.com

“Eric’s diligent commitment was evident. He found a buyer and cultivated the relationship over a long period of time.” —Megan and Brady W.

Devon Reyes

817-586-5902 dreyes@briggsfreeman.com

“We had such a great experience that I’m not even sure where to start. Devon got us our dream home.” —Peter and Christina G.

“Adrianne stuck with us through thick and thin times. We trusted her expertise in getting us to our goals. Above all, her personality is above reproach.” —Robert R.

Caren Parten

817-229-9826 cparten@briggsfreeman.com

“She works so hard for her clients, making house-searching fun and easy. Caren found us exactly what we wanted.” —Callie A.

Alberto Reyes

817-586-5894 areyes@briggsfreeman.com

“Alberto Reyes and Devon Reyes approached every step with preparedness and precision. They study the data and understand the market.” —Matt and Valerie T.

Carrie Smith

817-905-4559 csmith@briggsfreeman.com

“We were immediately impressed with [Carrie’s] enthusiasm and can-do attitude. [She is] smart, hardworking and highly motivated.” —John and Barbara M.

Troy George and Lucy Noonan are honored to have been an integral part of the flourishing DFW Real Estate landscape over the past few decades. We are thrilled to help drive the evolution and growth of Tarrant County. We serve our clients with passion, integrity, and devotion resulting in lifelong relationships and clientele. We are grateful to the more than 230 families who have entrusted us this past year to find their private sanctuary and call DFW home.

¡ Westlake Real Estate - #1 in Properties/Transactions SOLD - #1 in Sales Volume with over $150M SOLD

¡ Experts in Luxury Real Estate - Westlake, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, and Fort Worth

¡ Over 230 Properties Sold and over $175M in Sales Volume (Year-To-Date)

TOP REALTORS 2021

Jennifer Menting

Fathom Realty

Araceli Mercado

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Kimberly Meyer Coldwell Banker

Sharon Michael DFW Elite Realty

Karen Miears Coldwell Banker

Mark Mikhail Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Tiffany Milan Keller Williams

Darlene Miller

Compass

Robert Miller Realty Hub

Chris Miller Williams Trew

Tanner Milner

Keller Williams

Matthew Minor

Compass

Chris Minteer

Keller Williams

Irene Mochulsky

Compass

Michelle Montemayor Keller Williams

Amy Moody

Keller Williams

Perry Moore

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Wynne Moore

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Carley Moore LEAGUE Real Estate

Lily Moore

Lily Moore Realty

DeeAnn Moore Moore Real Estate

Ashley Mooring

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Ann Motheral Coldwell Banker

Rachel Moussa Fathom Realty

Gina Mullen Keller Williams

Daniel Murphy RE/MAX

Meredith Murray

Keller Williams

Michelle Myers

Rogers Healy and Associates

Sherri Neal

Keller Williams

Kelly Nelson Williams Trew

Dan Nicoloff

Engel & Völkers

Mark Nolan

Coldwell Banker

Richard Noon Keller Williams

Lucy Noonan

Synergy Realty

Matt Norton Janus

Donna Noto Relax Elite

Starling Oliver

Keller Williams

Ted Olsen Williams Trew

M. Bryce Olson Fathom Realty

Kirstine Openshaw The Openshaw Realty Group

Carlee Otero Keller Williams

Sarah Padgett

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Eric Painter

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Jennifer Palma JP & Associates

Makenzie Pannell Williams Trew

Ashley Pantuso

Keller Williams

Barbara Pantuso

Keller Williams

John Papadopoulos Jones-Papadopoulos and Co.

Piper Pardue Williams Trew

Caren Parten

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Mey-Ling Pauri Ultimate Real Estate

Aubrey Pearson Keller Williams

Tonya Peek Coldwell Banker

Tommy Pennington Compass

Brenna Pennington Monument Realty

Spencer Perry Williams Trew

Linda Peterson

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Debbie Petty Williams Trew

Megan Phelps

Phelps Realty Group

Mark Philpot

LEAGUE Real Estate

Missy Phipps

Keller Williams

Ananda Phuyal

Beam Real Estate

Alisa Piedlau

Luxury Home Realtors

Rusty Pierce RE/MAX

Tommy Pistana Compass

Cindy Plano

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Kim Podsednik

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

John Pollock RE/MAX

Dotty Ponder

Keller Williams

Edwena Potter

Keller Williams

Brannon Potts Fathom Realty

Greg Potts

Social Realty

Jackie Prowse Williams Trew

Angelo Puma

Keller Williams

Spalding Pyron

Pyron Team Realty

Corrine Quast

Williams Trew

Lisa Quinn

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Maribel Ramos

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Michelle Rawls

Keller Williams

Melissa Reaves

Keller Williams

Gaye Reed Coldwell Banker

Mary Ruth Reeves The Wall Team Realty

Stephen Reich

Williams Trew

Chip Reid

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Kristi Reinertsen

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Devon Reyes

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Russell Rhodes

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Kevin Rhodes

Keller Williams

Jan Richey

Keller Williams

Anastasia Riley

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Kallie Ritchey Ritchey Realty

Debbie Roberts

Keller Williams

Tom Robertson

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Donna Robichaux

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Dona Robinson

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Tara Roden Coldwell Banker

Victorya Rogers

Keller Williams

Carl Roland Burt Ladner Real Estate

Kay Rollins

Superior Real Estate Group

Clint Rose

Aesthetic Realty

Debbi Rousey

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

David Russell Compass

Carol Russo Compass

Jollete Ryon RE/MAX

Elizabeth Sackrule

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Maribel Saldivar

Universal Realty Texas

Dave Salisbury The Real Estate Station

Cassie Samons

JP & Associates

Cheyenne Sanders

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Shwe Sang Fathom Realty

Stacey Sauer

Keller Williams

John Schepps

Keller Williams

Cindy Schmidt RE/MAX

Tom Schneider

Keller Williams

Stephanie Seay

Keller Williams

Leanna Sellars

Keller Williams

Elise Sessions

JP & Associates

Jeannie Seth

Ebby Halliday Realtors

TOP REALTORS 2021

Swapnil Sharma

Compass

Ashley Shaw

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Patty Sheets

Coldwell Banker

Jami Shelton

Century 21 A-One Realty

Clinton Shipley

NTex Realty

Judy Shoemaker

Keller Williams

Sam Shrestha

Keller Williams

Grady Shropshire

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Terri Silva

Williams Trew

Stephanie Simmons Fathom Realty

Alan Simonton

Knob & Key Realty Partners

Lynn Slaney

Ebby Halliday Realtors

DeWayne Smart

Smart Realty

Carrie Smith

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Angela Smith

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Jeremy Smith

eXp Realty

Nicole Smith

eXp Realty

Chad Smith

Keller Williams

Terry Smith

RE/MAX

Kelly Snodgrass

JP & Associates

Pamela Snowden

Realty World Professionals

Carson Snyder

Living Real Estate Group

Laura Spann

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Beverly Spillyards

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Dan Stafford

RE/MAX

Cheryl Staley

Compass

Tara Stark

Keller Williams

Rozi Stone

Williams Trew

Patty Stoner

Premier Realty Group

Ruth Story

Keller Williams

Sherri Strayer

The Michael Group

Jim Striegel

JP & Associates

Lesa Stuart

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Tim Sues

Keller Williams

Carol Swanson

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Donna Swanzy

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Chaz Swint

Keller Williams

Pam Taeckens Coldwell Banker

Roxann Taylor Engel & Völkers

Kim Taylor JP & Associates

Jayme Taylor LEAGUE Real Estate

Heather Teems LEAGUE Real Estate

Vivian Tejeda JP & Associates

Sophie Tel Diaz

Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate Services, Inc.

Pamela Terronez

Keller Williams

Quan Thang

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Ashton Theiss

The Ashton Agency

Jennifer Ticer RE/MAX

Michael Tiller

Keller Williams

Paul Tosello

Keller Williams

Ginger Trimble Knox

Ginger & Associates

Amy Turner

Turner Massey Realty

Dennis Tuttle

Keller Williams

Jennifer Underhill

Keller Williams

Ross Utley

LEAGUE Real Estate

Ana Valdez

Keller Williams

Nick Van Der Gaast

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Vanessa Van Trease

Chateau Realty

Billy Vaselo

Keller Williams

Bethany Vaughan Compass

Cecily Verloop

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Tim Vibral

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Kristin Vivian

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Victor Vo RE/MAX

Jory Walker

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Laurie Wall

The Wall Team Realty

Eric Walsh

Christie’s International Real Estate ULTERRE

Janice Warman

Coldwell Banker

Joe Washburn

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Jeff Watson

Compass

Tammy Watson

Keller Williams

Debra Weber

Debra Weber Realty

Ginger Weeks RE/MAX

Richard Wegman

Christie’s International Real Estate ULTERRE

Julie Wells

Keller Williams

Karan Wethington

Keller Williams

Nolan Whisenhunt

Keller Williams

Josie White Coldwell Banker

Randy White

Randy White Real Estate Services

Raisa Wilfong RE/MAX

Juliet Williams

Ebby Halliday Realtors

John Williams Keller Williams

Carmen Williams

RJ Williams & Company Real Estate

Martha Williams Williams Trew

Patty Williamson Williams Trew

Greg Willis

Texas Real Estate Savings

Gina Wilson

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Stephanie Wilson

Magnolia Realty

Natalie Winchester

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Kimberly Windle

Keller Williams

Ann Winston

Winston Properties

Kris Wise Keller Williams

Monica Wofford Wofford Realty

Will Woods

Magnolia Realty

Beverly Wootton

Keller Williams

Lisa Wright DFW Fine Properties

Judi Wright Ebby Halliday Realtors

Brandi Wright

Wright Real Estate

Sue Wykes

Coldwell Banker

Richae Yeats

Keller Williams

Pam Yoakum

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Angie Yocum RE/MAX

Vikki York

Keller Williams

Bev Young Weichert Realtors

Kerry Zamora

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Samantha Zellar

Keller Williams

Stephanie Ziemann eXp Realty

John Zimmerman Compass

TEAMS OF TWO $15 MILLION PLUS

Ashley Mooring Real Estate Group

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Bellows Team

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Bilbrey Home and Ranch

Group

Keller Williams

Carlson Luxury Group Social Realty

Cavalle Keleher Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Mary Margaret Davis, owner/broker of Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Team, has “made it happen” for hundreds of home and property owners. With a gift for hearing subtle details, she creates a comfortable exchange of ideas, goals and desires that expose property selling attributes and discovers forgotten wishes that inspire buyers to say — “ah, this is the one.” Her ability and willingness to find all the information needed to make decisions has earned her a reputation for outstanding service and knowledge, hundreds of clients happy in their homes, and top industry awards including the Top Realtor, Fort Worth Magazine 2016–2020, 360 West Magazine’s Best Real Estate Agents & Top Producers 2019-2020 and Five Star Top Realtor Awards from 2015-2020. Call today and Mary Margaret’s 40 years of experience can “Make it happen” for you.

Mary Margaret Davis, Broker/Realtor with Spunky

TOP REALTORS 2021

Crates + Kelly Group

Compass

Duwe-Olsen Group

Williams Trew

Givens Brown Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Grove Team

Keller Williams

JB Ranch and Land

Compass

Jenevieve Croall Realty

Group

Berkshire Hathaway

HomeServices PenFed Realty

Karr Kostohryz Team

Williams Trew

Kay Lopez Group

Keller Williams

Kevin Rhodes Group

Keller Williams

Kim Gardner Group

Keller Williams

Kim Miller Group

Keller Williams

Lakeside Tower Team

Christie’s International Real Estate ULTERRE

Lori Mayo Real Estate Group

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Marcontell & Gilchrest Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Marriott Group

Keller Williams

Nanette-Luker Team

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Phelps Realty Group

Phelps Realty Group

Puma Properties

Keller Williams

Salinas Team

Keller Williams

Story Team

Keller Williams

Suzanne Burt and Laura Ladner

Burt Ladner Real Estate

The Biedenharn Team

Keller Williams

The Duwe-Olsen Group

Williams Trew

The Elizabeth Sackrule Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

The Mannion Group

Keller Williams

The Perry Group

Williams Trew

The Reid Cristy Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

The Urban Group

Williams Trew

Tosello Team

Keller Williams

TEAM GROUPS 3-6

$20 MILLION PLUS

Ayres, Ferguson, Smith & Mallouf Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Charlie Brown Group

Keller Williams

Dana Pollard Group

Keller Williams

Dani Hampton Group

Keller Williams

David De Vries Team REMAX

Dona Robinson Group

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

FloraVista Realty

Keller Williams

Gatsby Group

Keller Williams

Hershenberg Group

Keller Williams

Jeannie Anderson Group Compass

Joe & Kathy Hamilton Team

Keller Williams

Joseph Berkes Group

Williams Trew

Kim Pratt Team

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

Lang Team Realty Group

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Lionheart Real Estate

Group

Keller Williams

McElyea Realty Group

JPAR

Melanie Hunt Team

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Minteer Team

Keller Williams

On the Move Team

Keller Williams

Pantuso Properties

Keller Williams

Rena Connors Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

RG Real Estate Group

Century 21 Mike Bowman

Saling Real Estate Team

Keller Williams

Sharon Hodnett Team

Keller Williams

The Allen Crumley Group

Williams Trew

The Ashford Bobo Team

Keller Williams

The Ashton Agency

The Ashton Agency

The Boutilier Team

Coldwell Banker

The Christenberry Group

Keller Williams

The Deeds Group REMAX

The Dennis Tuttle Team

Keller Williams

The Helton Group

Keller Williams

The John Pollock Group REMAX

The Martha Williams Group

Williams Trew

The Reyes Team

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The Robichaux Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

The Sarah Padgett Team

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

The Spann Group

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The Tony Green Team Compass

The Verloop Group

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Triple Star Team

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Vaughan + Crockett Group Compass

WWG Team

Christie’s International Real Estate ULTERRE

Wynne Moore Group

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

TEAM GROUPS 7 PLUS $30 MILLION PLUS

Chad Smith Real Estate

Solutions

Keller Williams

Ginger & Associates, A Real Estate Group

Ginger & Associates

Rees and Piper Team

Williams Trew

Sophie Tel Diaz Real

Estate Services Inc.

Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate Services Inc.

Stephen Reich Group Williams Trew

The Davis Team

Keller Williams

The Gauntt Team

Century 21 Judge Fite Company

The Hornburg Real Estate Group

Keller Wililiams

The John Zimmerman Group

Compass

The Jonathan Cook Team

Keller Williams

The Kirk McDonald Group Compass

The Wethington Team

Keller Wililiams

817.690.7330 juliegray@ebby.com

817.614.1376 maryannizzarelli@ebby.com

817.291.6530 sarakeleher@ebby.com

817.905.3229 kathylakatta@ebby.com

817.654.8589 lindamagazzine@ebby.com

817.909.8834 suz@ebby.com

Julie Gray

Kathy Lakatta

Mary Ann Izzarelli

Linda Magazzine

Sara Keleher Cavalle Keleher Group

Suzanne Maisto

817.657.129

214.738.0473 wesleysackrule@ebby.com

817.706.8610 chipreid@ebby.com

Top Dentists 2021

Endodontics

Chad R. Allen

Sayeed Attar

Charles “Trey” E.

Brown III

Joseph Creasy

Steven Dazey

James A. Elliott

Lee A. Fulsaas

Ray C. Gillespie

Pei Kang

John W. Loeffelholz

Deborah Loth

Miguel Martinez

Francisco J. Nieves

Jill Peterson

Todd W. Remmers

John B. Struble

Casey L. Turner

Ryan M. Walsh

The research for the Top Dentists list was created by PRS (Professional Research Services) and is based on an online peer-review survey sent out to certified dentists within the Fort Worth area. Many votes were cast honoring excellence in all fields of dentistry. Inclusion in Fort Worth Magazine’s Top Dentists is based solely upon one’s standing among peers.

The professionals listed herein were selected by their peers in a survey conducted by Professional Research Services Company of Troy, Michigan. Professionals may be screened and selected through the verification of licensing and review of any infractions through various applicable boards, agencies, and rating services. For further information, visit prscom.com or email PRS at sshevin@prscom.com.

If you are a Top Dentist and would like to purchase your plaque, please visit prsawards.com.

General Dentistry

Kevin M. Altieri

Stephen Anderson

John Barroso

Amy N. Bender

Jessica H. Brigati

Stephen Brogdon

Jacob S. Brown

Kent R. Brown

Sean M. Cerone

Johnny Cheng

Michael Colangelo

Katie Coniglio

William Cook III

Gerald F. Cox Jr.

Thomas Dawson

Lee C. Dodson

Chad C. Duplantis

Jason Fowler

James B. Getz Jr.

Mark Givan

Michael J. Goulding

Gary R. Granger

Nikki Green

Erin R. Greer

Justin B. Harlin

Chris Hawkins

Brent Hicks

Lindsey Horwedel

Timothy Huckabee

Garrett Johannsen

Christopher Kim

James R. King Jr.

Kenneth D. Kirkham

Tim S. Knight

Justyna S. Laska

J. Bradley Loeffelholz

Gregory D. Martin

Keith Metzger

Sarah J. Morris

Partha Mukherji

Ashley Murrey

Karen Neil

Brett Nielsen

Thomas J. Novak

Tim Oakes

Depal Parikh

Sahil Patel

Chad Perry

Brit Phillips

Edward N. Reiter

Brent Robinson

J. Michael Rogers

David J.W. Sorokolit

Robert Sorokolit

Brent A. Spear

Gregg H. Tillman

Abby Fenn Treesh

Eric Wear

Gary L. White

William D. Whittle

Saam Zarrabi

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Brandon R. Brown

Craig E. Buchmann

Mazen Duraini

Eduardo A.C. Humes

David K. Hunter

Haroon Ismaili

Herman Kao

David W. Kostohryz Jr.

Todd A. Kovach

Diana Reyes Lois

James Macholl

David Parmer

Charles R. Payerle

Robert B. Peak

William F. Runyon Jr.

Gregory B.

Scheideman

Michael D. Sheppard

John P. Stella

Chris L. Tye

Michael R. Warner

Fayette C. Williams

Orthodontics

J. Moody Alexander

Daniel Bekish

Sheila Birth

Jae Brimhall

Jose G. Chow

Monte Collins

Thuy Do-deLatour

Brian Dugoni

Ron D. Groves

Bradley S. Hall

Cameron Jolley

Lester H. Kuperman

Jeremy Lustig

David McReynolds

David Mikulencak

Scott Myser

Mike Obeid

Anthony Patel

Evan Perkins

Nicholas Ridder

Paul Robinson

Christopher A. Sorokolit

Aaron Swapp

Shane Rex Tolleson

Pediatric Dentistry

Sandra Armstrong

R. Nelson Beville III

Jerod Brazeal

Austin Church

Julie Colwick

Debra C. Duffy

John R. Gober

Elizabeth Gold Rector

Drew Jamison

Jennifer P. Ketchel

Elizabeth Laborde

Mark C. Lantzy

E. Dale Martin

Bridget McAnthony

Jack Morrow

Janell I. Plocheck

Stan Preece

Robert Casey Stroud

Meghan Thorburn

Chris Walton

Amy Watts

John B. Witte

Danny Wright

Jason Zimmerman

Periodontics

Steven R. Alspach

Scott Bedichek

Farhad Boltchi

Steven K. Britain

Brent F. Gabriel

William M. Grover

Cindy H. Hsu

Rishika Kapoor

N. Joseph Laborde III

Shelby Nelson

Paula Ortiz

George D. Pylant III

Matthew Steffer

Elise Woody

Daniela A. Zambon

Prosthodontics

Khaldoun Ajlouni

James C. Fischer

Steven Fuqua

Jorge Gonzalez

Virgil Vacarean

¡ All employees (No contractors or day labor)

¡ Professionally trained Movers and Supervisors

¡ Drug tested, Background checked.

¡ Uniformed

¡ No tobacco allowed

¡ COVID precautions taken.

NOTE: All dentists featured in the following pages adhere to CDC guidelines and continue to practice the highest safety standards. Despite recent state-wide changes to COVID-19 regulations, dentists and medical staff continue to wear masks within their offices and when seeing patients. The following photos, which may not include dentists wearing masks, are not necessarily representative of an office’s safety protocols.

FOCUS Dentists

When asked their biggest fear, many people reply, “Going to the dentist.” It seems that there is something about sitting alone in a huge chair surrounded by unknown gadgets and the shrill of machinery that undoubtedly makes the stomach uneasy. However, the intention of dentists is not to scare you but to leave you with a dazzling smile. To help ease your mind, local dentists have purchased space to not only inform you of their skills but to gain your trust.

The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Magazine.

Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics

SPECIALTY: Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics is one of the premier multi-specialty dental groups in the country. Born with roots in the Fort Worth Stockyards, the company’s team of 120-plus award-winning doctors provides a full range of general dentistry, orthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, and pediatric dental services in 29 Rodeo locations throughout the state of Texas. Rodeo fuels its brand reputation by providing a high-end Patient Experience. AWARDS/HONORS: The dentists and the company have won numerous awards including Best Place to Work in Fort Worth; 2014–2020 Fort Worth Magazine Top Dentists; 2019 Entrepreneur of Excellence Winner (Dr. Saam Zarrabi); and

2014–2020 D Magazine Best Dentists. INNOVATIONS: Rodeo has the largest production stages in the health care industry, with themed lobbies, upscale audio/visual equipment, and colorful window graphics that set the mood and experience backdrop. Additional color, music, fashion, and team vibe are mixed in to create an interactive pop art experience that sparks emotion and fuels one-of-a-kind interactions that patients share and remember. Patients are fanatical about the Rodeo brand and have submitted over 50,000 five-star Google and Facebook reviews! PICTURED: (left to right) Dr. Jinny Kim, Dr. Javier Ortiz, Dr. Sahil Patel, Dr. Saam Zarrabi, Dr. Brian Dugoni.

3204 N. Main St., Ste. 120 • Fort Worth, Texas 76106

817.380.5574

3330 Mansfield Highway, Ste. B • Fort Worth, Texas 76119

817.727.4189

2540 Gus Thomasson • Dallas, Texas 75228

469.325.1515 Coming Soon! 3557 N. Beltline Road • Irving, Texas 75062 RodeoDentalTexas.com

FOCUS DENTISTS

SPECIALTY: Orthodontics. We specialize in straightening teeth with braces and Invisalign, as well as specializing in the treatment of TMJ/TMD, facial pain, and persistent headaches caused by dental and muscle imbalance. We also offer simple orthodontic appliances for sleep apnea for patients that cannot tolerate or do not like the CPAP.

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:

Both Drs. Sheila Birth and Cristi Fletcher have Board Certification in Orthodontics. AWARDS/ HONORS: Both doctors are Invisalign Diamond+ providers, which means that they treat more patients with Invisalign than 99 percent of other Invisalign providers. MEMBERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS: American Board of Orthodontics, American Association of Orthodontists, Texas Dental Association, American Dental Association, Fort Worth Dental Association. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Dr. Birth is now starting to treat a third generation of patients with continued satisfaction of treatment. INNOVATIONS: We use a scanner and 3D X-ray, which are more accurate and more comfortable, replacing “gooey” impressions. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We treat all patients like they are family. MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to create “Better Smiles Forever.” FREE ADVICE: Always do your best for your patients. PICTURED: Drs. Birth and Fletcher.

Orthodontics by Birth & Fletcher:

4420 Heritage Trace Parkway, Ste. 300 Keller, Texas 76244

817.776.4118

109 W. Renfro

Burleson, Texas 76028

817.349.6070

3060 Sycamore School Road Fort Worth, Texas 76133

817.402.3157

2011 W. Bardin Road Arlington, Texas 76017

817.406.5329

bsfortho.com

Orthodontics by Birth & Fletcher

FOCUS DENTISTS

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Southwestern University, Bachelor of Science in biology; Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry, Doctor of Dental Surgery; Saint Louis University - Center for Advanced Dental Education, Orthodontic Certificate; Master of Science in Dentistry. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: One of my greatest professional achievements is the honor of working every day with an exceptional and compassionate team to serve the wonderful patients of Fort Worth. INNOVATIONS: Our office is at the forefront of technology utilizing the digital platform in as many ways as possible: digital scans, 3D CBCT imaging, and digital models to highlight a few. Our goal is to be forward thinking, forward moving, striving to improve and deliver the best patient care utilizing evidence-based practice, up-to-date technology, and innovation. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: At Perkins Orthodontics we strive to make your time in our office as one of the highlights of your day. Dr. Perkins loves to educate and build relationships with patients and parents. We treat patients and parents as family, and we love adding to the Perk Pack. FREE ADVICE: My dad’s advice to me was always “find something you love to do and do it with all your heart.” It’s not really work if it’s your passion. PICTURED: Jessica Quinn, Mel Smith, Shelly Wright, Dr. Evan Perkins, Sana Raheem.

Perkins Orthodontics

4763 Barwick Drive, Ste. 107 Fort Worth, Texas 76132

817.294.5021

Fax 817.294.9310 orthobyperkins.com

FOCUS DENTISTS

ROOT

™ Periodontal & Implant Centers

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Periodontics/Dental Oral Surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: Specialists – Periodontics. HONORS/AWARDS: Best of D Magazine, Best of Denton County. MEMBERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS: Director of Seattle Study Club of Fort Worth and Director of Seattle Study Club of Dallas, Texas Dental Association. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: ROOT™ has seven locations throughout DFW — one of the largest privately owned dental surgery groups in the United States. INNOVATIONS: Navigation-guided implant surgery, 3-dimensional imaging, laser gum surgery. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Our main purpose is to care for you as family so you feel loved. FREE ADVICE: Make sure to take care of your oral health as it also affects your systemic health and psychological well-being. PICTURED: Dr. Amit M. Patel, Dr. Steven Alspach, Dr. Gretchen Stern, Dr. Asfia Husain, Dr. Praveen Parachuru.

ROOT ™ Periodontal & Implant Centers

3409 N. Tarrant Parkway, Ste. 117 Fort Worth, Texas 76177

817.242.7668 (ROOT)

ROOTdfw.com

Other locations: Argyle, Carrollton, Dallas, Denton, Flower Mound, and Frisco

FOCUS DENTISTS

Nikki P. Green, D.D.S.

Fort Worth Cosmetic & Family Dentistry

SPECIALTY: Dr. Green’s expertise is in the intricate details of creating a customized, beautiful smile for every patient. She provides a gentle touch, listening ear, and spends time to truly understand the goals of each patient. Dr. Green’s extensive clinical training has been primarily in the realm of Cosmetic Smile Makeovers, Full Mouth Rehabilitation, Implant Dentistry and same-day crowns. INNOVATIONS: Dr. Green insists on staying on the cutting edge of dental technology and keeping up with the latest dental advances. Whether it’s their state-of-the-art facility, the experience of a porcelain crown prepared and placed in a single appointment, or watching your implant be virtually placed on a computer screen with greater precision, you know Dr. Green and her team will change the way you experience dentistry!

5720 Locke Ave. • Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.653.8879

ngreendental.com

Miss Cinderella

Francesca Brown became the 2021 Miss Cinderella on April 3. All of the candidates raised $382,548.26 for the Boys & Girls Clubs in Arlington. The runners-up were Edie Cravens, Olivia Pokrifcsak, Karoline Pompa, and Emma Woodard. Katie Wright was awarded the Carol H. Zimmer Award and the AOA Community Service Award. The scholarship winners were Cassidy Hoffman, Edie Cravens, and Toska Holsopple.

Francesca Brown PHOTOS

Miss Cinderella 2020 Mary Nelle Cravens bids farewell

Cooper Ferrell, Francesca Brown and Family

Brooke Birdsong, Francesca Brown, Preslie Cavett, Lynzie Chavez, Elena Coats, Edie Cravens, Kirstyn Dickey, Cassidy Hoffman, Toska Holsopple, Karina Laureles, Olivia Pokrifcsak, Karoline Pompa, Ainsley Rhodes, Ivana Tava, Emma Woodard, Katie Wright

Mary Nelle Cravens, Francesca Brown

Give Back

Because COVID-19 caused a delay or cancellation of the charity events this season, as a service to all the charities in the Greater Tarrant area, we are listing the new dates or cancellations as they come in.

MAY 5

23rd Annual Cigar Smoker

The Fort Worth Public Library Foundation fwlibraryfoundation.org

May 8 Virtual Event

Beat Leukemia Ball

Leukemia Texas leukemiatexas.org

May 15

Doing the Most Good Luncheon Salvation Army

JUNE 12

An Evening in Paris Colleyville Woman’s Club c-w-c.org

AUG. 17

Clay Shoot & Luncheon

Big Brothers Big Sisters bbbstx.org/tarrant

Ongoing Donations

Make-A-Wish ntx.wish.org

Ongoing Donations

Parenting Center theparentingcenter.org

There’s nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people in this great community. As the city’s magazine — which has the eyes and ears of some of Fort Worth’s most affluent and philanthropic citizens — we feel a responsibility to give back to the people of the city that is our namesake, which is why Philanthropy is one of our core values.

Every year, Fort Worth Magazine sponsors more than 100 charity events, which range from luncheons to black-tie galas. The following promotional section is devoted to these charities and their fundraisers. We invite you to consciously peruse and consider lending a helping hand by either making a donation or attending these events.

Ongoing Donations Legacy of Women/Legacy of Men SafeHaven safehaventc.org

Ongoing Virtual Event Pivot with a Purpose Wings of Hope wingsofhopeequitherapy.org

PRINT IS MEMORABLE.

Print creates an emotional connection. Print builds relationships.

Physical material is more “real” to the brain, involves more emotional processing, is better connected to memory, with greater internalization of ads—all important for brand associations. (FORBES)

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Sundance Square Closings

These are stores and restaurants that have closed at Sundance since the beginning of 2020.

Ann Taylor Loft

Barse Sterling Silver

Bird Café

Dallas Cowboys Store

Earth Bones

Houston Street Toy Co.

Jos. A. Bank

Kinkade Gallery

Marie Antoinette Parfumerie

The Victory Over Violence - Hope Starts Here campaign helps sustain The Women’s Center of Tarrant County’s anti-violence initiatives— giving survivors the tools to heal from the devastating effects of sexual violence and empowering the community to prevent and respond to interpersonal violence through education and training.

To learn more about how you can help, visit womenscentertc.org.

2021 Champions

Psychotherapy Services & Yokefellows (PSY)

Janet & Glen Hahn

Piranha Killer Sushi

Pizzeria Uno

Retro Cowboy

Schakolad

Taco Diner

Taverna

Texas Rangers

White House Black Market

Willow House

Yours Truly

Source: Fort Worth Magazine research

Estelle Colored Glass. O’Keefe, whose products range from $25 into the thousands, is keeping limited hours during COVID, and Estelle is online-only, which Bass says will likely remain the case even after COVID.

“We want to have a gallery downtown,” Bass says. “I don’t know what it looks like. Maybe it’s a co-op, maybe it’s someone that wants to undertake it where you can come to downtown and buy a piece of art. An accessible piece of art. Not superexpensive but accessible art by a true Fort Worth artist.”

Bass is near the end of our visit, and it’s been about 90 minutes since we asked The Question. Bass is reflective.

“I have the deepest respect for Ed Bass” and what he’s done for the city, she says. The vision persists, she says. “Where’s the faith? Where’s the faith? Where’s the commitment to that vision? That’s the place I come from.”

(Marketing Sherpa, 2017)

FEATURED ARCHITECTS

Jason Eggenburger, AIA & Steven Halliday, AIA - 97w

Marta Rozanich, RA, RID, AIA - konstrukcio studio

Norman Ward, FAIA

Paul M. Dennehy, AIA - Dennehy Architects

2020 SPONSORS: MEDIA, GOLD & SILVER SPONSORS (see logos below) HOME ELITE: Bogle Constructs, Cendera Bank, Durango Doors of DFW, Entirely Interiors Inc., Gearheart Construction Co. Inc., Milgard Windows and Doors, Pinnacle Bank, The Lawn Firm, Inc., and Travis Construction, BRONZE: ALA, LLC, AquaFox Pools, BMC Design, Cantoni, Daltile, DJ’s Print and Promo, Fowlkes, and Norman & Associates, Inc. HOME: Ajax Glass & Mirror Co., Bottega Design Gallery, Expressions Home Gallery, Frank W. Neal & Assoc., Inc., Gholson Electric, Inc., MARCOZA Casting (DIv of Midland Mfg Co Inc), Parish Electric Co Of Fort Worth, Pierce Hardware, ProSource Wholesale, Texas Appliance, The Sherwin-Williams Company, The Woodwork Shop, and Webb Air FRIEND: HnH Engineering Inc., Hossley Lighting Associates, Mohawk Group, Redenta’s Landscape Design, St. Francis Veterinary Clinic, and Studio Art’s Desire

Photo Credits: Charles Davis Smith, FAIA, Lindsey Brigati Boren, AIA, and Jamie Lancon

With the support beams of the railroad above serving as the perfect frame, photographer Luke Simmons captured this candid shot of a friend while exploring under the Chisholm Trail Parkway bridge next to the Clear Fork Trinity River and University Drive. “I love this photo because it really captures what photography is all about,” Simmons says. “It shows that photography isn’t all about glamorous locations and beautiful models, but it’s more about the candid moments and real life.”

So you’ve snapped a cool pic of the city. We want to see it. Tag your photos on Instagram with #fwtxmag. The winning image will get published on this page — so hit us with your best shot. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 800.856.2032 | website fwtx.com

@lukegsimmons

PHOTO BY LUKE SIMMONS

Experience the Gilchrist Automotive Difference.

Faith Geiger is no stranger to Platinum Cadillac of Terrell, where the car-buying experience is easy — with online purchasing and door-to-door vehicle delivery. Geiger turned to the dealership for her most recent purchase, a 2021 Cadillac XT5. “I love the Cadillac brand and reputation — this car keeps me safe while feeling sporty,” says Geiger, Founder and Human Potentialist at Collective Growth. And though she relishes the luxuries of her midsize SUV, it’s the dealership’s unparalleled service that exceeds her expectations. The Fort Worth resident says, “At Platinum Cadillac, I’m treated like family, and there is zero hassle when servicing my vehicle … I receive concierge-style service which saves me time and energy.”

We Drive the Difference:

¡ Platinum Promise which includes:

- 2 years of oil changes, tire rotations, & multipoint inspections.

¡ Platinum Valet Service which includes:

-Online or over the phone sales purchase and delivery -Service pick-up and delivery

Family Owned and Operated since 1986. We tailor the purchase experience to fit your needs, not ours; because we don’t just want to sell you a vehicle, we want to build a relationship and become your trusted advisor for all purchases and service.

“We will work hard to earn your business for life.”

Stephen Gilchrist, owner Gilchrist Automotive

Justin Rudd, General Manager; Faith Geiger, customer; Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator.

RUGGED Elegance

Opulent and powerful, the high-tech Land Rover Range Rover is an elegant SUV that can meet the most demanding standards. For Westlake resident Tom Tierney, the unrivaled level of comfort and bountiful safety equipment are the key features of his 2018 Land Rover Range Rover from Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW.

When traveling in town or on road trips with his family, the vehicle quality and dependability make the experience more enjoyable, Tom says, “but if something were to go wrong, Park Place is simply a phone call away.” Tom says he has “a 25-year successful track record with purchasing from Park Place.” When asked why he is a repeat customer, he lists

dealership reliability as his No. 1 reason for doing business with Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW. “The biggest thing is intangible — reliability and knowing you are being taken care of,” says Tom, owner of Big Image Graphics, a signage and graphics company specializing in brand visibility nationwide. “I get a professional dealership and an expert and friend, Robert LaPenna, finance director, to work with that I trust,” he says. “Park Place is My Place because they treat their customers like family. They are good people … the best dealership in the metroplex.”