By Bob Francis and Cristian ArguetaSoto, Fort Worth Report

With construction of new homes taking place just a few yards away, city of Fort Worth officials used their ceremonial shovels to celebrate the beginning of construction on the four-bay, 11,000-square-foot fire station at 2200 Walsh Ranch Parkway.

The area, along with the Veale Ranch development just south of Walsh, will be important in attracting new companies to the city, said Fort Worth City Council member Michael Crain, who represents this areaDistrict 3, said.

“This will be key to our growth going forward,” he said. “This is attractive to new residents and to new businesses that want to come here.”

The Walsh development began in 2015, with the transformation of a portion of the 7,200-acre ranch at the intersection of Iinterstates highways 20 and 30 into new neighborhoods. The land has been owned by the F. Howard Walsh family since the 1930s.

The development is expected to have as many as 4,000 homes.

“We’re about 40%, maybe closer to 30%, there,” said Jim Henry, vice president of community operations, Republic Property Group, the Dallas-based company currently developing 1,600 acres of the ranch in partnership with the Walsh Cos. “We’ve made a lot of announcements this year, and there will be more to come.”

In April, Republic began work on another 138 homes in a new subdivision known as The Village, featuring homebuilders David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, High Street Homes and

Village Homes. Homes in The Village will start in the mid-$400,000s.

The area also has added an apartment community that opened in September. Modera Walsh, from Mill Creek Residential, includes 335 conventional apartments, 20 townhomes and 24 casita homes.

The area is attracting other businesses as well. A Cook Children’s location offers pediatric urgent care, as well as orthopedic and sports medicine specialty care.

More retail will come as the area grows, Henry said.

“It’s been great to see it grow and really build a community here,” he said. “This fire station is a big part of it.”

Fort Worth Report, October 12, 2023, Bob Francis and Cristian ArguetaSoto | View Original Article