December 26, 2025
Community
Article by Dan Hasse
Meadowbrook Golf Course in Central Meadowbrook reopened in October after receiving a once-in-a-century $15.5M course renovation along with a new maintenance facility. The picturesque property opened in 1924 as the Meadowbrook Country Club, then became a municipal golf course in 1937. It begins a second century as golfers returned in droves. Meadowbrook Golf Course is the only city golf course located within a neighborhood
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The Gateway Park Action Coalition officially launched in October by introducing itself at a city council meeting. This nonprofit was created with the goal of ensuring the timely and transparent execution of the Gateway Park Master Plan through active community engagement, strategic partnerships, and persistent advocacy. The park sees 600,000 visits a year. Sports tourism has become an important economic generator, and with its three artificial turf soccer fields, two natural turf soccer fields, and seven softball fields, organized sports is a popular reason to visit.
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Texas Blossoms, which began by planting trees along Randol Mill Road in east Fort Worth, celebrated its tenth anniversary as a nonprofit. About 1600 flowering trees have been planted by this organization on the main thoroughfares in east Fort Worth. The organization has now expanded to serving the entirety of Fort Worth, with special emphasis given to community areas and libraries. In addition to planting trees, Texas Blossoms has commissioned multiple murals to help accomplish its goal of making the community more enjoyable. Texas Blossoms aims to further expand by creating local chapters in other large Texas cities.
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The YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth cut the ribbon on a reimagined Eastside Community Impact Center. Located on a16-acre wooded site, the newly renovated location features a technology center, meeting space, demonstration kitchen, food pantry, workout areas with exercise equipment, a room for group exercise classes, and Y Playhouse, which offers two-hour child care for members. In late May, a new pool opened, which will also operate as a community pool, so Fort Worth residents who are not members of the YMCA and their guests can swim for a nominal fee.
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There are always opportunities for community interaction, and 2025 was no exception. The Greater Meadowbrook Family Festival drew about 250 participants in April. White Lake Hills held its annual July 4th parade, and in the fall, held its 10th annual 5K run. At Reby Cary Library, West and Central Meadowbrook teamed up for a National Night Out event that drew about 150 visitors with exhibitors, free hotdogs and ice cream, and giveaways. Horses, a goat, several dogs, and a robot dog were part of the evening.
Commerce & Transportation
Texas A&M chose east Fort Worth as the location of its new $24.5M Emergency Management Hub. The 100,000+ square foot facility will serve as a regional resource for both coordination and education. In addition to housing emergency supplies, it will offer hands-on training and teach emergency preparedness so communities can respond more effectively to future challenges. An eight-month Emergency Management Academy kicked off in the fall, offering area recruits and selected police, fire and EMS employees statewide credentialed training in field response methods to emergency situations.
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Performance Foodservice opened a new refrigerated warehouse on East 1st Street. At more than 350,000 square feet, this new distribution center will serve as part of the food supply chain for restaurants, schools, hotels, convenience stores, and healthcare facilities. The state-of-the art facility adds a new local source for employment as well.
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The University of Texas Research Institute (UTARI) opened a $2.3M netted drone testing facility to help in the testing and training of drone projects. In addition to being open to the UTA community, the flight test area can be used by businesses and local governments. Known as the Maverick Autonomous Vehicle Research Center, it is dedicated to advancing research, safety and innovation in unmanned technologies.
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A great deal of transportation planning has taken place in east Fort Worth in the last several years, resulting in the Fort Worth City Council approving the East Berry Street Corridor Plan in May and the Eastside Transportation Plan in August. The goal of these plans is to enhance safety and comfort for all users, support transit, and provide necessary elements to spur economic development. The plans would redesign roadways to support walking, biking and transit for residents. In the case of the Eastside Plan, TXDOT reached the 60% roadway redesign milestone for the reconstruction of East Lancaster Avenue, hosting a public meeting for comment. Utility construction should start in about fifteen months, followed by the total reconstruction of the Lancaster corridor from Riverside Drive to Loop 820. A stormwater management system and five new traffic signals added, and eight- to twelve-foot-wide shared use paths will be added on both sides of the roadway for pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The project is scheduled for completion by late 2029.
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The East Loop 820 project is essentially complete. Stretching from Randol Mill Road to Pipeline Road in Hurst, the new roadway includes a much safer interchange with SH 121 (Airport Freeway) in Hurst. South of this improved section of roadway, the reconstruction of the last remaining original portion of the Loop began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2028. Known as the Southeast Connector, it will improve connectivity from Brentwood Stair Road to Interstate 20, including interchanges with US 287 and Interstate 20.
Housing
The grand opening of Hughes House Phase One took place in the fall in Stop Six. Named for legendary Dunbar High School basketball coach Robert Hughes, Hughes House provides high-quality housing as part of a broader community revitalization effort. The 162-unit mixed-income development is the second of six phases of the Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative. The third phase, Babers Manor, is expected to open in early 2026. Hughes House Phase Two will follow the opening of Babers Manor later in 2026.
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Construction for Palladium City Skyline shifted into high gear in 2025, as the development began to take final shape. The 243-unit luxury mixed-income complex is set to open its first units early in 2026. The complex will feature a wide range of upscale amenities for residents. Palladium USA’s pioneering commitment to working with the Central Meadowbrook neighborhood to bring the first new private construction on East Lancaster Avenue in twenty years has been exceptional—they even let the neighborhood name the complex!
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Avenue at Lancaster received approvals to begin construction of an 81-unit affordable housing community for seniors. To be operated by Texas Interfaith, the complex will provide wraparound services to its tenants to help provide a true sense of belonging. The property is forecast to open in 2027.
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In April, Trinity Habitat for Humanity launched the Opal Lee 100 Legacy Home Initiative, a bold plan to build 100 affordable homes for Fort Worth’s essential workforce families. The project, inspired by civil rights icon and local treasure Dr. Opal Lee, began with a ceremony for the first home of the initiative at 5600 Eisenhower Drive, marking a milestone in the city’s push for affordable, accessible housing.
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NexMetro, a builder of single-story cottage rental communities, announced Avilla Trinity, which will be located outside Gateway Park. This 315-unit market-rate development will mimic a single-family neighborhood and is designed to appeal to empty nesters and young professionals. Avilla Trinity represents a compatible use outside the park, and should bring additional suitable development along Beach Street in the years ahead.
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Irving-based apartment builder JPI began construction on a 398-unit apartment community on Ederville Road, south of Interstate 30 and just east of Cooks Lane. The complex, to be called Jefferson Ederville, is being built in partnership with Fort Worth Housing Solutions and will feature both affordable and market-rate units. The complex will open in winter 2026 and represents the first new market-rate apartments in east Fort Worth in years.
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Quail Ridge Apartments in Meadowbrook began a major renovation of their 300-unit complex. Owned by Atlantic Housing Foundation, the non-profit works to help low- and moderate-income residents improve their lives by providing quality housing and educational services, including back-to-school supplies, scholarships, and rent discounts for good grades.
Elsewhere in East Fort Worth
Texas Wesleyan University celebrated its 115th anniversary by opening the Moritz Fieldhouse. Its construction marks the next step in having a football stadium on campus, following the completion of the stadium field and lighting. Next is permanent stadium seating for 2,600 fans to create a true home-field experience, providing another asset in metroplex sports tourism.
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The final draft of the Woodhaven Neighborhood Conservation Plan was released, which is designed to foster a greater sense of community through the use of Tax Increment Financing money, which is available now. Recommendations include building a community center, adding amenities to Woodhaven Park, adding trees along main thoroughfares, and creating new gateways at Randol Mill Road and along Country Club Lane.
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Crescendo Development moved closer to new development with zoning and platting changes. These new possibilities could add add fresh vitality to Woodhaven, enhancing this important neighborhood as a great place to live.
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2025 also saw the completion of the Highwoods subdivision in Woodhaven. This community of David Weekly homes sits just east of the established portion of Woodhaven’s custom homes.
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Three new public art projects were announced for east Fort Worth. Perhaps the most visible will be tall letters spelling out Fort Worth along westbound Airport Freeway near Minnis Drive. An art installation for Eastchase Parkway will feature fifteen whimsical sculptural elements that form a storybook-like setting of fantasy insects, stainless steel mushrooms, a colorful ceramic tile frog, and an 8-foot-tall snail created from layers of weathered steel. The elements will be scattered across the intersection’s triangular median. A third installation is still in the preliminary design stage and will be sited in Gateway Park.
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Funkytown Mindful Market celebrated its third year of providing fruits, vegetables, eggs, and artisan products that are truly locally produced. Many of the products offered are produced on urban farms in east and southeast Fort Worth. This is the only fully licensed and permitted farmer’s and artisan market in east Fort Worth. They operate the first Saturday morning of each month at 1201 Wesleyan Street, on the Texas Wesleyan University campus.
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As part of its Good Natured initiative, the city of Fort Worth added 48 acres of open space with the acquisition of property located off Randol Mill Road, just east of Quanah Parker Park. The heavily wooded land forms part of the backdrop for the Trinity Trails as it curves along a stretch of the Trinity River. Late in the year, 16 acres of open space was added along Ben Street next to Tandy Hills Park in West Meadowbrook.
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Work began to construct a new Eastern Hills Elementary School after demolition of the existing 1964-vintage building. The new school will be built on the same site, with a capacity of 750 students. It will combine the West Handley and Eastern Hills school populations. Maudrie Walton Elementary School began a major building addition, which will increase capacity to 750 students and will open in August 2028 as well.
