How will Fort Worth Stockyards expansion blend with its Old West atmosphere? What we know

Since the Fort Worth Stockyards revealed plans for a major expansion, one common question from readers is whether the new construction will jeopardize the historic Western character of the district.

One reader asked the Star-Telegram: “How will this expansion be able to blend in with the Old West atmosphere of the Stockyards? I am especially concerned about condos and hotels.”

The almost $1 billion expansion, which will nearly double the size of the Stockyards on what’s now mostly surface parking and livestock pens behind Billy Bob’s Texas, will include at least 295 units of multifamily housing and three hotels with a total of 500 rooms. It also will add underground parking and 300,000 square feet of commercial space.

Plans haven’t been finalized, but here is what we know so far.

How will redevelopment change the Stockyards’ appearance?

The master developer and operator of the Stockyards, Hotel Drover and Cowtown Coliseum is Majestic Realty Co., in partnership with The Hickman Companies.

They consider the expansion Phase 2 of the development of the Stockyards, following the repurposing of Mule Alley’s old barns into retail shops and construction of the Drover.

Craig Cavileer, executive vice president of Majestic, has told the Star-Telegram that they aren’t going to add a swath of new construction that looks modern and out of place in the Stockyards.

There aren’t as many existing structures to renovate for Phase 2 as there were for Phase 1. Still, the developers say they are committed to buildings that blend in with historic structures and reflect Western heritage.

“The challenge over there is putting this puzzle piece in there and not look like you just inserted it next door, but that it’s enveloped into the story of the place,” Cavileer said.

Fort Worth firm M2G Ventures , which worked with the owners to bring retail partners to Mule Alley, will also partner with them on Phase 2 of redevelopment.

The plans for buildings in Phase 2 have not been finalized. But some may be taller than what’s there now.

Fort Worth’s Zoning Commission on July 10 will consider changing the maximum building height in parts of the Stockyards Historic District from 40 feet to 55 feet. An amendment to the existing zoning ordinance would need to be approved by City Council.

How did Stockyards developers preserve Mule Alley?

When Majestic proposed the Mule Alley project in 2014, it faced significant pushback from community members who were concerned it would damage the historical nature of the Stockyards. At the time, the old mule barns had languished in disrepair for decades, and the empty street was used for parking.

The developers reused as much original material as they could, restoring 100-year-old windows, hand-laying about 500,000 bricks and repurposing old fire doors and horse troughs.

Mule Alley architects consulted local preservationists and history experts before construction began.

The horse and mule barns, built in 1911, once housed more than 3,000 animals. But they hadn’t been used in more than four decades and were falling into ruin.

The project added about 180,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space in Mule Alley when it opened in 2021.

Nowadays, the project has been deemed a huge success by both city leaders and some of its original critics .