West side development
FORT WORTH — A new way of life is beginning in Fort Worth at what both residents and developers say is the city's first community of its kind.
Seventh Street Village is expected to change the culture of the city, and more changes to the emerging development were announced.
Madeleine Shero used to live in Dallas, where she loved the upscale neighborhoods built around young, single, urban professionals.
Then she started working at a wine bar in Fort Worth, and decided to give the hip development springing up along West 7th Street a try.
"I can walk to work, a six-minute walk, and I am close to bars, restaurants — everything," she said.
Zach Porter is one of the developers behind the projects. He began working on it eight years ago, starting with townhouses, after seeing that Fort Worth had nothing quite like it.
"We were the first to do this kind of urban, in-fill, mixed-use project," he said.
Today, the adjacent So7 and West Seventh developments are home to newly-opened condos.
"We have double-height windows; nice view of Trinity Park," Porter said.
Plus there are restaurants, and shops and a movie theatre.
Fort Worth Running Company moved here from another Fort Worth site it had called home for more than a decade. The store targets what it calls "fairly affluent" customers in their late 20s, 30s and 40s.
"That's who's going to be living here, and that's who we serve," said store spokesman James Newsom.
Empty storefronts are quickly filling in. This week, new tenants — including the well-known Chuy's restaurant and an upscale sushi restaurant — were announced.
Many merchants already in the neighborhood told News 8 they are already exceeding sales projections.
E-mail chawes@wfaa.com
