As Frank Sinatra once crooned, “It was a very good year”—and for Fort Worth, that sentiment rings true in economic development. \n\nThe city has secured $6.2 billion in total investments, with $5.3 billion of that amount concentrated in the fiscal third quarter alone, marking the strongest year for economic growth in over a decade, according to a report presented by the city manager’s office to the Fort Worth City Council on September 9. \n\nSo far this year, 4,000 new and retained jobs have been recorded across the first three quarters. \n\nMajor wins include Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron committing over $650 million in capital investment and creating nearly 900 jobs through two new production facilities. \n\nThe third quarter also saw the approval of development terms for the $61 million Evans and Rosedale mixed-use project in the Historic Southside and progress on a proposed $620 million expansion of the MTU Maintenance facility at Perot Field, expected to generate around 1,200 new positions. \n\nDowntown development continued with the Lancaster Tax Increment Financing zone supporting the adaptive reuse of the Oncor building and the former Binyon O’Keefe warehouse into 430 new apartments, including 130 affordable units. \n\nAnother highlight was the advancement of Westside Village, a $1.7 billion mixed-use district that includes the largest addition of Class-A office space in Fort Worth in the past four decades. \n\nThe city’s economic development pipeline remains robust, with 74 active projects in areas such as business recruitment and urban revitalization currently in progress. \n\nTandy Leather Factory, which relocated its headquarters to Benbrook earlier this year, announced plans to open a flagship location in Artisan Circle within the West 7th district in early 2026. The 7,900-square-foot space at 2973 Crockett St. will include classrooms, event areas, and product-making stations, with $150,000 allocated for setup, as per filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. \n\nHiley Automotive Group, based in Arlington, expanded into northeast Texas by acquiring Lakeside Chevrolet in Rockwall. The dealership will operate as Hiley Chevrolet at the same location. The transaction was facilitated by Performance Brokerage Services. Founded in 1990 by Randy Hiley, the company now led by his sons Jason and Matt operates 14 dealerships across Texas and Alabama. \n\nDigital Alpha, an investor focused on digital infrastructure, has backed Sprocket Networks, a fiber network provider. The funding will support the Fort Worth Fiber Project, a 300-mile backbone currently under construction, designed to deliver multi-terabit capacity for residential, commercial, and government applications. \n\nPeachtree Group, a commercial real estate investment firm, acquired a 131,040-square-foot industrial facility in Mansfield, fully leased to Ferguson Fire & Fabrication at 800 S. 4th Ave. \n\nWorkforce availability has become a critical factor in attracting business, surpassing even location in importance. This bodes well for the region, as Dallas-Fort Worth ranked first among large U.S. metropolitan areas in attracting new workers, according to Lightcast’s 2024 Talent Attraction Scorecard. \n\nThe metro area also placed fourth in high-earning job growth and topped the “competitive effect” metric, which measures regional advantages independent of national or sector-wide trends. Austin followed closely, ranking in the top 10 across all categories. \n\nNotably, Granbury, a smaller city near Fort Worth, ranked fifth among metros with 50,000 to 100,000 residents and led in drawing college-educated professionals. \n\n— news from Fort Worth Report\n\n— News Original —\nBob on Business: Fort Worth economic development so bright it’s wearing shades\nAs Frank Sinatra sang, “It was a very good year.” \n\nIn this case, not for “city girls who lived up the stairs,” but for Fort Worth economic development. \n\nThe city secured $6.2 billion in investments, with $5.3 billion of that in the fiscal third quarter alone, making this already the strongest year in economic development in more than a decade. \n\nThat is according to a report from the Fort Worth city manager’s office delivered to the Fort Worth City Council at its Sept. 9 work session. \n\nThe total of new and retained jobs was 4,000 for the first three quarters of the year. \n\nThere were major project wins such as Taiwanese firm Wistron bringing to Fort Worth more than $650 million in new capital investment and nearly 900 new jobs for two electronics manufacturing plants. \n\nThe third quarter also saw the approval of deal terms for the $61 million Evans and Rosedale mixed-use development in Fort Worth’s Historic Southside and helped secure a proposed $620 million expansion of the MTU Maintenance facility at Perot Field, which is expected to bring approximately 1,200 new jobs. \n\nDowntown also saw some projects in the third quarter. The Lancaster Tax Increment Financing zone is supporting the preservation of the Oncor building and former Binyon O’Keefe warehouse by converting it from Class-B office space to 430 new apartments, with 130 affordable units. \n\nThe report also highlighted the public-private partnership developing Westside Village, a $1.7 billion mixed-use district that features the largest delivery of new Class-A office space in Fort Worth in the past 40 years. \n\nThe future looks bright enough to require some cool Sinatra shades too, according to the Report. Fort Worth’s economic development department has 74 open and active projects, including business recruitment/development and community redevelopment projects waiting in the wings. \n\nClearing leather \n\nTandy Leather Factory, which announced its headquarters’ move to Benbrook in February, said it is opening a high-profile location in Artisan Circle in the West 7th district in early 2026. \n\nThe company, which dates its history back to 1919 and was part of Charles Tandy’s Tandy Corp. empire, posted a video on its website showing what’s coming, including classroom space, parties and group event space and a station to make products. \n\nA filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows it will cost $150,000 to outfit the approximately 7,900-square foot space at 2973 Crockett St. \n\nIn January, Tandy Leather announced it sold its headquarters, including a store located at 1900 SE Loop 820, to food packaging company Colonna Brothers. \n\nHiley drives northeast \n\nArlington-based Hiley Automotive Group expanded its North Texas footprint with the purchase of Lakeside Chevrolet off Interstate 30 in Rockwall. The store will be renamed Hiley Chevrolet and continue operating at the same location. Performance Brokerage Services, a dealership brokerage firm, announced the sale. \n\nFounded in 1990 by Randy Hiley with the opening of Hiley Mazda and Hiley Volkswagen in Arlington, the group is now led by his sons, Jason and Matt. Hiley Automotive has expanded to 14 dealerships across Texas and Alabama. \n\nDigital time \n\nDigital Alpha, an investment firm specializing in digital infrastructure, has invested in Sprocket Networks, a provider of fiber infrastructure. \n\nThe capital infusion will be used for an expansion of Sprocket’s fiber network, in particular the Fort Worth Fiber Project, a 300-mile fiber backbone that is already under construction. \n\nThe network will provide multi-terabit capacity to support next-generation services for residential, commercial and government services and applications throughout the city. \n\nMansfield acquisition \n\nPeachtree Group, a commercial real estate investment firm, has acquired a new industrial facility in Mansfield. The 131,040-square-foot rear-load building is fully leased to Ferguson Fire & Fabrication at 800 S. 4th Ave. \n\nTalent, talent, talent \n\nIn a twist on the real estate maxim of “location, location, location,” economic development officials are quick to point to the need for talent, i.e. workforce, as key to attracting and retaining businesses to the area. \n\nSo it was good news that Dallas-Fort Worth was No. 1 among all large U.S. metros in attracting new workers, according to Lightcast’s 2024 Talent Attraction Scorecard. \n\nAccording to Lightcast, a global labor market intelligence firm, Dallas-Fort Worth was No. 4 among high-earning jobs and No. 1 in “competitive effect,” which explains how much of job change is due to a region’s unique competitive advantages, rather than overall national trends or industry-specific trends. \n\nWhile the Dallas-Fort Worth area notched the No. 1 slot, Austin was close behind and also ranked in the top 10 in all categories. \n\nIt should be noted that little ol’ Granbury, just outside of Fort Worth, came in No. 5 among small metropolitan areas with between 50,000 to 100,000 in population, scoring a No. 1 in attracting college-educated talent to the town. \n\n. \n\nDo you have something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis, business editor for the Fort Worth Report, at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. \n\nAt the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here. \n\nRelated \n\nFort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.
