The City of Fort Worth will begin consolidating its operations into one downtown building starting Jan. 1, 2024.
City functions are currently dispersed amongst more than 15 office spaces. Officials are looking to enhance the current consumer experience, facilitate teamwork across departments and support the next 50 years of operations through one city hall building, said Tenyan Farley, the vice president of client solutions at Athenian Group.
Farley said the efficiency of the city will be enhanced by bringing together departments currently occupying multiple buildings across Fort Worth — all onto one floor.
Following an analysis of whether to buy, rent or construct a new building, the city purchased the former Pier 1 Imports headquarters for $69 million — the same price the building was built for, Farley said. When the planned renovations are complete, the project will cost $226 million, with about $155 million put toward upgrades.
The building, which was constructed in 2004, will receive many eco-conscious renovations, including updated lighting and HVAC systems, high-efficiency plumbing and more utilization of natural light, Farley said.
Renovations were also ordered to increase the capacity of the building from around 900 people to roughly 1,600 people to accommodate city needs.
Farley added that, along with updates to the existing building, contractors will be adding a brand new 28,000 square-foot city council chamber, which will be attached to the exterior of the building.
Some city departments will remain in their current offices including the Park & Recreation, Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance due to the nature of their operations, Farley added.
All departments destined for the new building will be moved in by Quarter 3 of 2024, and the new council chamber will be completed in Quarter 1 of 2025, Farley said.
Currently, the city is attempting to ease the transition to the new workspace by creating the “Concept Floor.” Located in the new building, the collaborative space has welcomed more than 800 visitors and is intended for city workers to experience what day-to-day life will look like as well as work out any problem areas before the official move, according to the city.
