Sandvick Architects, Inc./City of Fort Worth
A rendering of the proposed Le Méridian hotel in downtown Fort Worth
The Le Méridien hotel chain is looking at downtown Fort Worth for its next location — namely, the historic Hotel Texas Annex next to the Hilton.
On Thursday, the City of Fort Worth's Downtown Design Review Board (DDRB) approved plans for the project. The Annex, located at 815 Commerce St., was originally built in 1970 to serve as a 230-room extension to Hotel Texas (where President John F. Kennedy stayed prior to his assassination in Dallas). Hotel Texas is now the Hilton Fort Worth; the Annex closed in 2006 and has been vacant since.
The Annex stands at 13 stories. A parking garage extends from the basement through the fifth floor, while the hotel begins on the sixth floor — a U-shaped structure that wraps around a courtyard and a pool. Along with restoring the hotel rooms, developers plan to repair the courtyard and pool, add a restaurant to the first floor, and also build a rooftop penthouse.
Sandvick Architects/City of Fort Worth
Developers of the proposed Le Méridian hotel plan to restore the building's courtyard and pool.
According to the DDRB, the building's "exterior will remain largely unaltered," aside from the addition of signage, a canopy, and other elements.
Peter Ketter of Sandvick Architects told the DDRB he anticipates construction to begin in the second quarter of 2021, with the hotel opening early 2023.
Sandvick Architects/City of Fort Worth
A rendering of the proposed Le Meridien hotel in downtown Fort Worth
