Report to Members & Stakeholders

JULY 2000

JPS - Tarrant County will build a 76,000 square foot Public Health facility at the corner of S. Main and Magnolia to replace their facility on University Avenue near the Botanic Garden. Just north of the County’s new building, Tarrant County Hospital District will built a new 50,000 sf two story Health Center for Women on the southeast corner of Rosedale and South Main Street. FSB Texas will be the architect and Thomas S. Byrne will provide construction management services for these two new major medical facilities. Combined facility expenditures will be about $20 million. The existing dilapidated buildings will be removed in August; the site will be prepared in October; and construction will start on the new structures in January 2001.

Guadalahara Tire - This old tire store at the corner of Hemphill and Allen has been purchased by JPS along with properties east of it along the north side of Allen Street. The area will become a landmark corner similar to Main & Allen, and will be configured to provide additional parking.

The master plan for the John Peter Smith Hospital campus will eventually absorb the properties east of Hemphill, north of Allen, and south of Feliks Gwozdz. The five year capital plan calls for expenditures totaling $27.5 million for improvements, excluding furniture, fixtures, and equipment. This is in addition to the approximately $20 million mentioned above.

Samaritan House - Chairman John Forestner and Executive Director Steve Dutton hosted an event to accept the keys from Complete Care Services for the donation of the former Park Place nursing home at 929 Hemphill to Samaritan House. The 25,000 sf facility will receive about $600,000 worth of remodeling and reopen in May 2001 to accommodate 50 residents and Samaritan's administrative offices. Gideon Toal donated the interior design work, Morton Herman donate the legal work. Lee Rogers and Nations Bank donated the office furniture. Samaritan provides a supportive environment, housing, and resources for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Veterans Administration Clinic — The VA has acquired a group of properties across St. Louis Street from their clinic at 300 W. Rosedale for additional parking.

Too Much to Do, Too Little Time, Not Enough Money - We will postpone until next year the street festival on Magnolia Avenue. This will give us a chance to gather the resources to hold a quality festival celebrating the talents, and the people, of the near Southside.

Trimble Tech High School — The area south of Terrell Avenue across from the athletic fields is being acquired to permit a significant expansion of the high school campus. About $9 million will be spent beginning in September 2000 to add a new two story 31,498 sf Technology Wing to the east side of the school which will provide many new especially equipped classrooms for a variety of subjects. A 5,500 sf addition to the west side of the gymnasium will become the new Band Hall. 23,000 sf of existing space in the school will be remodeled for a variety of uses and the HVAC and electrical systems will be upgraded. Ames Fender is the architect. Other improvements include a new track, football field, baseball fields and tennis courts that will require the vacation of Terrell Street between Henderson and College.

A Loss - Two of Fort Worth South's earliest and most consistent supporters, Joe Brown of Brown Owens Brumley Funeral Directors, and W.E. "Andy" Anderson, a real estate investor and apartment owner, have both recently passed on. They will be missed and remembered.

Crime Stats — Hick-up! Causes are known, and they are being addressed.

Gallery Night - Local artist Janis Bryant & Lynn Hart will display their work at the Fairmount Neighborhood Library, 5^th and Allen, on Saturday, July 29 at 7:30 pm. Proceeds benefit the library.

Jean Bloom - On a related visual arts subject, artist Jean Bloom has moved her studio to 101 S. Jennings and plans a one-woman showing of her art in the beautifully restored historic Newkirk building at 1223 S. Main Street. The show begins with a reception from 6pm to 9pm, Friday, July 25, Jean paints very bright and colorful forms in three dimensional oil on canvas.

Membership - FWS has 177 members with these recent additions. Thank you.