Fort Worth Council Designates Historic Power Plant as 'Endangered'

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The Fort Worth City Council voted to designate the historic Fort Worth Power and Light Co. building as an endangered structure, which will provide a 15-year tax exemption to incentivize preservation and redevelopment of the 1912 steam-powered electricity plant located along the Trinity River.

Why it matters

The Fort Worth Power and Light Co. building represents an important part of the city's industrial history, serving as one of its primary power generation facilities that fueled the city's growth and development in the early 20th century. The endangered designation aims to safeguard this historic structure while also creating an opportunity for creative reuse that could turn it into a cultural, entertainment or mixed-use destination.

The details

Built in 1912, the Fort Worth Power and Light Co. building used the Trinity River to generate electricity for homes, downtown buildings, and the Stockyards meatpacking plants. It served as one of the city's primary power-generation facilities, supplying the majority of the electricity that fueled the city's growth, industry and modern infrastructure. The building sits at the crossroads of Panther Island and the Northside community, which the city hopes will create an opportunity for its restoration and transformation into a new cultural or entertainment venue or mixed-use development.

• The Fort Worth City Council voted on the endangered designation this week.
• The 15-year site tax exemption exceeds the standard 10-year exemption the city typically offers historic sites.

What’s next

City leaders hope the endangered status will safeguard the historic building's character while sparking innovation from those who might want to restore and transform it into something new.