Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Peter Licata recently walked into Farrington Field alone.
As his eyes scanned the historic stadium鈥檚 facade, he thanked the gentleman who showed up to unlock the . Licata felt it was important to spend an hour walking the hallowed grounds to understand its legacy and its importance to Fort Worth, he told the board of managers Tuesday night.
That visit prepared him for a meeting that offered the clearest public look yet at how the district 鈥� now under state-appointed leadership 鈥� plans to move forward on and surrounding land.
District officials and outside legal counsel presented the process behind , aimed at attracting private development around Farrington Field while preserving the stadium itself.
No decisions have been made, officials emphasized.
鈥淭his is a project with a single-minded focus,鈥� Brian Newby, managing partner of law firm Cantey Hanger, told the board. 鈥淓nsuring that what happens with that facility is in the best interest of not only Fort Worth ISD but the entire city of Fort Worth.鈥�
Newby outlined before the state takeover shifted authority to the board of managers.
FWISD seeking developers to purchase and build on seven tracts of district-owned land surrounding Farrington Field as part of a sports-anchored mixed-use project.
Two proposals were finalized in March, Newby said.
Those proposals have been scored, and staff are now developing recommendations 鈥� which were presented privately in executive session.
In next steps, the board of managers can choose to move forward, restart the process or reject proposals altogether.
If leaders decide to pursue a deal, they would under Texas law first have to declare the school district鈥檚 land 鈥溾�� before negotiating any potential sale or agreements with developers.
鈥淣o determination is going to be made until you have all of the evidence in front of you and you make that decision on behalf of the citizens of Fort Worth,鈥� Newby told the board.
The stadium itself is not included in any potential sale, officials said. Any redevelopment would focus on surrounding land while preserving Farrington Field.
A stadium with needs 鈥� and value
The district鈥檚 push comes as Farrington Field faces tens of millions of dollars in needed upgrades, including accessibility improvements, elevator access, locker room renovations and safety fixes.
鈥淚f you are in a wheelchair and you want to go buy a ticket at Farrington Field, you鈥檙e going to have a difficult time,鈥� Newby said.
At the same time, its location near the Cultural District makes it one of the district鈥檚 most valuable pieces of property 鈥� a dynamic that has fueled debate over its future.
The redevelopment concept aims to pair stadium improvements with adjacent private investment that could help fund those upgrades without tapping classroom dollars.
Last year, Fort Worth City Council and a potential renovation of the stadium using future property tax growth in the area.
At Tuesday鈥檚 meeting, comments from multiple residents reflected both the emotional ties to the stadium and ongoing concerns about how redevelopment decisions will be made.
Elected trustee Michael Ryan instead of selling it.
鈥淚t gives us a great income stream,鈥� Ryan said. 鈥淎nd if people default on whatever they鈥檝e got going on, we get to take it back over.鈥�
While district officials have said Farrington Field itself would be preserved, the current proposal includes Billingsley Field House, raising questions from preservation advocates about how the historic gymnasium will be treated in any final plan.
Martin Dahl, chairman of Historic Fort Worth鈥檚 public affairs committee, called on district leaders to preserve the stadium and the adjacent field house and ensure any development respects their historic designation.
鈥淓nsure any future development respects the national standing these two facilities have already garnered,鈥� Dahl told the board.
Following the presentation, Dahl told the Fort Worth Report he was encouraged that no decisions have been finalized but noted concern that only two proposals were submitted.
鈥淭hat kind of ties your hands,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would like to see more interest.鈥�
Evan Farrington, grandson of , also expressed cautious optimism while noting the limited number of proposals.
鈥淐ompetition鈥檚 great,鈥� Farrington told the Report. 鈥淵ou maximize what you get from the property when you have people competing.鈥�
Still, he鈥檚 optimistic about the stadium鈥檚 redevelopment and said he hopes any plan preserves the stadium鈥檚 prominence while creating new opportunities for use.
鈥淵ou cannot buy a historic football stadium like that,鈥� he said.
For now, district leaders stressed the process is ongoing 鈥� and that the board of managers will ultimately decide whether and how to move forward.
Board President Pete Geren, , acknowledged the weight of the decision ahead.
He recalled a line from Fort Worth author and sportswriter Dan Jenkins, who once noted that the city is unique in having its high school football stadium and rodeo arena right in its Cultural District.
Geren remembers 鈥済lorious days鈥� at Farrington Field 鈥� and some that were less so 鈥� he said.
鈥淲e take our charge very seriously in what happens with that crown jewel,鈥� he said.
Disclosure: FWISD manager Pete Geren leads the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. FWISD manager Laurie George is a member of the Report鈥檚 reader advisory council. FWISD manager Courtney Lewis is a member of the Report鈥檚 business advisory council. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or .
This first appeared on and is republished here under a .
