The city has a problem with the buildings that house the municipal-owned Fort Worth Community Arts Center and Scott Theater, a complex whose beginnings trace to 1954.
The city of Fort Worth’s Property Management Department, citing an assessment by architectural firm Bennett Partners, has determined that the property on 1300 Gendy St. requires repairs costing roughly $26 million, according to city staff.
The city plans to study it. Mayor Mattie Parker has proposed that the City Council appoint a task force to look at future uses of the facility and potential funding sources for repairs, renovations and ongoing maintenance.
That committee is tentatively scheduled to present a report to the City Council at that body’s May 2 work session. The first order of business is for the council to approve a resolution appointing the task force on Tuesday.
That would appear to be a formality. The committee would be known as the “1300 Gendy Task Force,” according to an informal report to the City Council.
The building is currently leased by Arts Fort Worth for use as the Fort Worth Community Arts Center and W.E. Scott Theater.
The complex includes three architecturally significant buildings constructed over the years. The Main Art Gallery, designed by Herbert Bayer, opened in 1954; the Scott Theater and Solarium, designed by Joseph R. Pelich, opened in 1966; and the Art Museum and Porte Cochere, designed by O’Neil Ford Associates, opened in 1976.
Over the years, the property has been known as the Fort Worth Art Center, the Fort Worth Art Museum, and the Modern Art Museum, which moved into its stately building on Darnell Street in 2002.
The city, on advice from a previous task force, created the Fort Worth Community Arts Center and leased the property to Arts Fort Worth, a nonprofit responsible for maintaining the buildings.
“Arts Fort Worth, however, has lacked sufficient resources with which to fulfill this responsibility,” the informal report read, “and various components of the building have consequently fallen into disrepair.”
The task force would consist of 15 citizens, including City Councilman Leonard Firestone, who would serve as chairman:
- John Barnett, Fort Worth African American Museum Cultural Center.
- Lillie Biggins, retired health care executive.
- Johnny Campbell, Center Center Management Group.
- William Giron, Artes de la Rosa.
- Matt Homan, Dickies Arena.
- Wally Jones, Casa Manana.
- Glenn Lewis, Linebarger Goggan Blair.
- Estela Martinez-Stuart, Visit Fort Worth.
- Patrick Newman, Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
- Pat Riley, National Cowgirl Museum.
- Dawn Taft, artist.
- Scott Wilcox, Amon Carter Museum of American Art and Cultural District Alliance.
- Ann Zadeh, Community Design Fort Worth.
- A representative of the Fort Worth Zoological Association.
