[Atomic Glee]

Museum Place is a large multiblock mixed-use urban development now underway in the Cultural District just outside downtown. The development grows from the big University/Camp Bowie/West 7th/Bailey intersection and is right next to the Modern Art Museum and the Kimbell Art Museum. It will cover 11 acres.

The project will feature 173,000 square feet of ground-level retail space, 130,000 square feet of Class A office space, a hotel (likely an Aloft, judging by the renderings), 40 purchasable condos, and 500 rental apartments. In addition, it will feature a new Post Office designed by Venturi, Scott Brown, and Associates.

Renderings:

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplaceoverview1a.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplaceretail1.jpg

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplaceresidential1.jpg

The buildings containing office space:

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplaceoffice1.jpg

The Post Office:

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplacepostoffice.jpg

Work underway:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1238/872076860_4c4dbada6d.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

Drilling underway on the first building:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1004/1183880832_62a181b3aa_o.jpg

Here's a better view of the new Post Office going up as part of the development. It was designed by Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Associates:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1404/1259102510_f2c9a84b00_o.jpg

Those poles in the plaza have an interesting story. The poles were, a long time ago, the supports for an advertising billboard. The billboard was there until 2000, when the downtown tornado came through. The billboard was blown away, and the poles were bent by the tornado. So, the poles are a very visible reminder of the power of nature. They are being incorporated into the new plaza, and that side of the post office will feature a mural of a huge thunderstorm crossing the Texas prairie along with the Post Office “Neither snow nor rain…” motto.

[KevinFromTexas]

This looks nice. How much of this stuff exists there now? Impressive rendering.
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplaceoverview1a.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

This looks nice. How much of this stuff exists there now? Impressive rendering.
http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplaceoverview1a.jpg

Of the detailed drawings, the three museums along the left side (of course), the buildings along the upper edge (University of North Texas Health Science Center), and the buildings across University along the lower edge are current existing. Everything else will be new.

Although, all the stuff along the lower edge of the rendering is being wiped out for the huge West 7th development by Cypress Equities, so that's not fully accurate either.

[Atomic Glee]

It has been confirmed - the Museum Place hotel is an Aloft. We have gotten official confirmation on this, after months of rumors indicating that direction. (So if you've been reading Fort Worthology, you're ahead of the game. :) )

Meanwhile, the first building is underway:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1111/1392578697_78de04a2a6_o.jpg

Several other blocks are being demolished now as well. Here's one - this Texaco will be replaced by a glassy Flatiron-style office building with ground-floor retail. The island had already been demolished when I took this photo:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1011/1393471200_53b9b5b856_o.jpg

These first two buildings are shown in this rendering:

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplaceoffice1.jpg

Here is the site plan, for the curious:

http://fortworthology.com/blogpics/museumplace_retail_plan.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

The Texaco is gone - that didn't take long. The Flatiron building will rise on this site. The historic building behind it will *not* be torn down - it will instead be integrated into the development, with its parking lot being converted to a new road with on-street parking.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1037/1411766633_8429c3ce2c_o.jpg

The first building is on its way.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1001/1412651766_e5d4c26bdf_o.jpg

Finally, fencing is at last up on the site of the new Post Office.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1101/1411767061_668f97b438_o.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

Here's a quick map I made showing all the current 7th Street projects in relation to each other:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1394/1438915767_aa3e850872_o.jpg

Orange - Museum Place
Blue - West 7th
Red - Redeveloped Montgomery Ward building
Yellow - So7

[Atomic Glee]

As we watch the first two buildings now getting underway at the big Six Points intersection...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1132/1465853883_7f9611e9b5_o.jpg

...another part of Museum Place that I have neglected to cover is already going vertical.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1257/1465854125_b92702cbfc_o.jpg

According to the documents I have, this is a live/work complex, set up for ground-floor retail with attached apartments above in classic New Urbanist live/work style. A great addition to this neighborhood. Also note the new Ken Schaumburg-designed Village Homes townhome development already complete on the right. Museum Place is already attracting more density.

[Atomic Glee]

Rolling forward...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2284/1689592465_6499e02c77.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2242/1690446944_0e5994ab69.jpg

Now closed, the Wreck Room awaits its date with the demolition crews as Museum Place moves ahead with its construction.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2265/1689583471_54ef10b62f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/1796705923_34c84b65e5_o.jpg

The site where the Texaco used to be at the big intersection has been cleared for the construction of a glassy Flatiron-style office building with ground floor retail. The rendering above is a newer rendering of that building.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2165/1797546470_7be8f51681.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/1796706161_e48018f9d0.jpg

With its cranes in place, the office/residential/retail building at the big intersection between 7th & Bailey has started rising from its site. With its location, this will be a very prominent building, not only at the big intersection but from farther down 7th towards downtown. It should have a commanding spot in the streetscape.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/1690444574_6195aa2a77.jpg

Work has now gotten underway on the new Post Office at the big intersection between Bailey and University. The tornado-bent poles that will form the centerpiece of the Post Office’s plaza have been temporarily removed so as not to interfere with construction crews.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2239/1690449330_ed4da5e268.jpg

The nearby existing Post Office will be demolished for another large mixed-use building.

There's a nasty suburban-style 7-11 in the middle of the property that is getting demolished for a new mixed-use structure. 7-11, though, wanted to try and make a big improvement on their old presence, so they're going to move in to Museum Place. It turns out that this building...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2066/1689597329_719064a226.jpg

...is where the 7-11 is moving to. It will have condos above. The 7-11 is going to be reworked into a "corner store" type of place, and guess what - I've been able to get ahold of a couple of renderings of the finished product. I believe some small details have changed since these renderings, but this should give a pretty good idea of what this little building will look like. I think they've done a fantastic job of integrating the 7-11:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2160/1734745642_90113d7928_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2135/1734745870_1a61f64df5_o.jpg

Down the street...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/1690455406_0f2eee7d42.jpg

The building on Camp Bowie that formerly house Auto Restyling Center, Inc. and Pro Cuts looks to be next in line for demolition, as Midwest Wrecking has already parked a trailer on the site. It will be demolished for another mixed-use residential/retail structure. This is on the west end of the development - virtually everything between here and the big intersection is being demolished for Museum Place.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/1690452628_1b823b3729.jpg

The cranes watch over the Wreck Room and 7th Street Barber Shop, all of which will be demolished for the development.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2041/1690460556_55a3b43856.jpg

Domain and Backwoods will also be demolished (as will the office building to the west) and replaced with new mixed-use residential/retail structures and an Aloft hotel. Backwoods looks to be moving to the Shops & Lofts at So7, down 7th to the east.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2080/1690459832_d53e3814db.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/1689591643_20d1e7100a.jpg

Finally, the historic retail structure near the big intersection between Camp Bowie and 7th (home of the Great Outdoors sandwich shop) is virtually the only building in the development site that will not be demolished. It will, however, be integrated into the development - the building will not be changed, but its parking lot (seen above) will be converted into an extension of Barden Street, and will feature on-street parking.

[Atomic Glee]

Museum Place update:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2157/2375037906_2e8d0d6bdb_o.jpg

One Museum Place has topped out!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2374201917_50a8181247_o.jpg

Facade work is underway as well:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2301/2375035978_b6303b6040_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2375034904_ee0a72660d_o.jpg

The glassy Flatiron-style building is about to go vertical across the street:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/2374199579_94ec661001_o.jpg

7-Eleven's Corner Store & condo building is pretty well finished out now:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2315/2374199047_eaefe948a0_o.jpg

The new Post Office is moving right along as well:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2403/2375038174_869e93cf3e_o.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2564540492_cf507a54c1_o.jpg

Above, the big building of the development, One Museum Place, is getting more glass installed as its facade installation continues. This building will be home to ground-level retail, office space, and condos on the upper two floors. Below, a close-up of some of the facade work, showing the brick and granite that will make up the majority of this side of the building:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/2563713195_e8f3f6581d_o.jpg

Meanwhile, across the street:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2563712871_eeac41ea9f_o.jpg

The new “Flatiron” style building is about to head upwards towards its final height. The small triangular building will be ground floor retail and office space.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2564540986_3fa326bb8a_o.jpg

On the next block, crews are grading and prepping the site of what will be the development’s Aloft Hotel, which should be similar in height to One Museum Place and will likely feature Aloft’s distinctive roof treatment. The Aloft will, like every building in the development, feature ground-floor retail.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2563713065_0a0b70f979_o.jpg

Adjacent to the Aloft site, the pace is picking up on the realignment of Arch Adams Street. Arch Adams will now no longer connect straight through the site, as it does now; rather, it will shift over and run in front of the 7-Eleven Corner Store/condo building shown in the photo and the Village Homes townhomes already in place. The former alignment of Arch Adams will be closed and torn out, and a mixed-use building will run from the new Arch Adams alignment all the way over the old alignment and over the site of the current 7-Eleven store. This small map view shows the new alignment of the street and the presence of the mixed-use building in the old right-of-way, along with the large public plaza that will be created where the alignment shifts:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/2564678136_ea96c04e5f.jpg

Last, but not least:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/2564541286_1b9c75584a_o.jpg

Facade work is at last underway on the new Post Office between University and Bailey. The new Post Office, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Philadelphia firm of Venturi, Scott Brown, and Associates, will feature a large mural on ceramic tiles of a thunderstorm rolling across the prairie on the side facing the big intersection. This side will also be the site of another public plaza, and the tornado-bent steel beams that stood on this site since the 2000 tornado will be reinstalled in the plaza as a piece of sculpture. The bent poles have been seen on the construction site again recently as time nears for them to be put back in place.

[Atomic Glee]

Took a walk through the development - lots of progress:

One Museum Place is really coming together.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/2699925185_3d1471d009_o.jpg

The Flatiron's already got a great presence.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/2699925277_8e8d115e1b_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3076/2700740632_9bd00e7a7f_o.jpg

The Post Office and what will be its plaza. The tornado poles are back. They've made good progress on the rest of the Post Office - looks like they're saving the mural side for last.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/2699925469_7d39424baf_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/2699925599_40fff84060_o.jpg

Another angle on the Post Office.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2700741108_b368ce7e2f_o.jpg

The realignment of Arch Adams is well underway. On the left, you see the old alignment we’re all familiar with, which curved east and met up with Arch Adams on the other side of 7th directly. On the right, you see the new alignment, which will head more straight-on/slightly westward and meet up with 7th as a jog from the south portion of Arch Adams. Once this is complete, the old alignment of Arch Adams on the left will be demolished. Everything to the left of the new alignment will be demolished for a new mixed-use retail/apartment building, and the new alignment will be the entirety of Arch Adams through this area.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2700741206_580ec1a30f_o.jpg

Looking down the new alignment of Arch Adams. You can see the new on-street parking on each side - parallel on the left, head-in on the right. Museum Place will add extensive street parking to this neighborhood.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/2700741314_abbb9288b8_o.jpg

Inside the forthcoming new 7-Eleven Corner Store in the development’s 3300 West 7th building.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3107/2699926129_22075e13dc_o.jpg

7th Street frontage of 3300 West 7th. The sidewalks will be very wide. Head-in parking on the left.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2700741508_30656ef3a1_o.jpg

The former J & J’s Hideaway awaits demolition, to be replaced by a mixed-use retail/apartment building.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3033/2700741626_5f75c637e6_o.jpg

The old Post Office, which will be demolished when the new Post Office opens and will be replaced by a mixed-use retail/apartment building.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/2700741734_e7f5e1b7a9_o.jpg

Details of 3300 West 7th.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/2700741852_3e9359725d_o.jpg

Overview of 3300 West 7th. The building will be ground-floor retail with condos above. The primary retail tenant will be a new gas pump-less, more upscale 7-Eleven Corner Store, a new type of store the company is testing.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/2699926697_2c6a3b0c46_o.jpg

The big curb and slightly sinking roadway here mark the location of what will become the Museum Place central public plaza. This will be infilled with rougher paving stones/brick and made flush with the sidewalks, so that it can serve as a public space when closed for events. The sidewalks around it will also flare out and become a large public plaza.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/2700742034_6c9052cd10_o.jpg

Another view of the future plaza site.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2699926951_7956f36350_o.jpg

Site prep underway for the development’s Aloft Hotel, which will also feature ground-level retail.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2699927065_7754124b9d_o.jpg

The old 7-Eleven, which will be demolished and replaced by a mixed-use retail/apartment building.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2700742392_c70b11c4a3_o.jpg

More of the development’s new street parking. This is diagonal head-in along 7th. 7th Street through the development is being narrowed from four lanes to two with on-street parking.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/2699927249_61d450795f_o.jpg

Progress on the 7th Street facade of One Museum Place.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/2700742640_6855baf27d_o.jpg

One Museum Place storefronts.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2700742794_5c4c388a3c_o.jpg

One Museum Place and the Flatiron together.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/2699927649_25caf76fe1_o.jpg

The Flatiron.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2700742998_e7015a9962_o.jpg

One Museum Place facade and storefronts.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2700743114_0148687537_o.jpg

One Museum Place facade work.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2699927955_6a8390ae26_o.jpg