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Fort Worth's 2005 Population


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In their poorest areas, the city is actually building single family housing because the private sector would too often build shoddy homes that quickly became undesirable.

I do not think that that statement is acurate.

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I do not think that that statement is acurate.
Some people understandably will question a decision by the Fort Worth City Council to create an entity that will expand the city's efforts to build homes in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

Critics might legitimately ask, "Why is the city in the homebuilding business? Shoudn't that be a function for the private sector?"

But city officials have an equally understandable response.

They're undertaking the homebuilding role primarily because builders from the private sector largely have shunned low- and moderate-income areas -- such as southeast Fort Worth and the north side -- where the city plans to construct housing.

Moreover, city officials want to ensure more good quality housing stock is built in those older, central-city areas. Some of the new housing built by private builders in such areas has been of marginal quality and is viewed by longtime residents as a detriment to their communities, city Housing Director Jerome Walker said.

On Tuesday, City Council members -- sitting in their capacity as directors of the Fort Worth Housing Finance Corp. -- voted 7-2 to create and provide $600,000 in funding for FW City Construction, a new entity that will build approximately 25 homes in the next year, Walker said.

The city will act as general contractor for the homebuilding program, relying on the expertise of city employees who have construction-related backgrounds and have worked in city-supported housing programs.

The city will hire private subcontractors to do the actual construction...

...Plans call for the city construction outfit to build three- and four-bedroom brick homes of 1,400 to 1,800 square feet. The city will provide subsidized financing that will substantially lower costs to homebuyers. The city housing department receives federal funding for programs that subsidize costs for home purchases by those with low and moderate incomes.

The homes are expected to be priced at $90,000 to $140,000, with amenties including ceramic tile, his/her master closets, wood-burning fireplaces with a built-in TV hutch, and brand-name appliances.

The new city effort is an expanded and more ambitious version of an "infill housing" program that the city launched in 1996. That program, which has relied on general contractors from the private sector, has resulted in the construction of 110 new homes, as well as a 160-unit senior housing development.

FW Star-Telegram 3/14: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/14094575.htm
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Yep. Things have been growing like crazy in FW the last few years and it's just getting started. FW is predicted to surpass Dallas eventually, according to some experts. However, it's not going to take a FEW decades. Maybe 2 at the most. And, with the addition of the Trinity River Vision in FW, things are only going to excellerate in the next few years. FW will probably reclaim the title of 4th largest city in Texas before the end of the decade since Austin is slowing/shrinking now. Another thing to keep in mind. FW's population predictions do not include annexation number... FW does not include those in projections/estimates. Those numbers probably won't be reflected until 2010. Even scarier - FW is only 50% built out... and has first rights to annex more than double the current city square mile land mass. Looks like FW is following Houston's philosophy when it comes to growth...

I wish FW had a football team - that bad boy went to Arlington so FW can't claim it. Arlington is another city that is about to boom thanks to the Cowboys. They're already approaching 400,000. But, when the Super Bowl comes to Arlington, FW will definitely get the spill over from it.

Sorry I just don't see the stuff talked about here happening. If it does though, I'm happy for Fort Worth. I might be a Dallasite and the response that i don't see the population outgrowing Dallas could seem like a logical response from someone from Dallas due to the assumed competition from people from Dallas and Fort Worth. Yet, I've always looked at Fort Worth as Dallas's sister city. Like, we always have each other's back. But I don't see Fort Worth ever outgrowing Dallas. Sure it has the land to outgrow Dallas but once Dallas has completed all of its development on open land, Dallas will probably immeaditely starting annexing other cities to allow growth. Another Reason why I don't see Fort Worth outgrowing Dallas is because of their lack of urban growth. Sure they might have all these amazing new projects but what you forget is that Dallas does to. Also the NCTCOG urban population growth charts between 2000 and 2005 shows that Fort Worth is not really in the game. This link leads you to the NCTCOG population growth and prediction area. http://www.nctcog.org/ris/demographics/for...e&thevalue=DAL2 This is why I believe Fort Worth will never overtake Dallas. If it does though, I'm happy for Fort Worth its out sister city.

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But I don't see Fort Worth ever outgrowing Dallas. Sure it has the land to outgrow Dallas but once Dallas has completed all of its development on open land, Dallas will probably immeaditely starting annexing other cities to allow growth.

Smart Guy, how could Dallas annex a legally incorporated city? Is there something in the incorporation papers of these suburban cities that allows Dallas to do so? State law certainly does not allow it, unless the smaller city voluntarily dis-incorporates, or otherwise ASKS Dallas to annex them, similar to what the town of Houston Heights did to become part of Houston.

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Sure they might have all these amazing new projects but what you forget is that Dallas does to.
Did you read the DMN story "Dallas at the tipping point"? It was about a study they commissioned.

It found that as families moved out of Dallas to the suburbs and surrounding cities, so did the retail stores. Consequently, the sales tax base is diminished. As a result, Dallas is more dependent than it used to be upon property taxes to fund city services -- and thsoe services are already underfunded.

High property taxes and a lack of services isn't conducive to long-term growth. Not to mention poor schools.

Fort Worth, on the other hand, can annex any desireable residential or business district that pops up in its outlying areas. They're already growing fast. And I think they're well-positioned for the future.

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Well I missed that. Still, it is a small sum and should it expand beyond a certain amount, the council is going to need to get referendum approval. The citizens killed the hotel deal four years ago, and I am quite certain that they would mitigate too great an expenditure on something like this.

Also the NCTCOG urban population growth charts between 2000 and 2005 shows that Fort Worth is not really in the game.

You need to re-examine the data. NCTCOG's projections are being surpassed anually by FW's growth whereas Dallas' have been lowered in each of the past five years.

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I'm sorry Red that I was not clear about the annexation. I did not mean Dallas annexing Fort Worth, I meant Dallas annexing other cities when it ran out of developable land. Please tell me in the future when I'm being confusing, i have that problem.

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Smart Guy, you were not confusing at all. I understand that you are suggesting that Dallas would annex contiguous towns, as opposed to Fort Worth. I am saying that they cannot legally do that, without permission of those towns. In fact, I believe the towns would have to ASK Dallas to annex them.

All of us know that the suburban cities surrounding Dallas would NEVER agree to be annexed by Dallas. They believe that the City of Dallas has huge problems as a city, and would not want to become part of those problems. And the State Legislature is not in the mood to make annexation easier for big cities (mostly, because of Houston's aggressiveness).

Dallas, by and large, is landlocked. The only boundary that can expand is the very small southeastern one, but that is all floodplain, and not attractive for annexation. The City must find a way to reinvigorate itself, drawing middle class families back into the city limits. Otherwise, it risks becoming a southern Detroit.

In this way, Fort Worth, like Houston, is not in near the dire straits that Dallas is. They are protecting their ETJ, which will allow the city to annex additional tax base when needed. They also can annex additional population in the outlying suburbs. Dallas cannot do this. It can only create new tax base by convincing companies and residents to reinvest inside it's city limits. Since most of the return to the inner city that all cities are experiencing consists of singles and couples, while families continue to leave for the suburbs, it is strangling population growth in landlocked cities like Dallas.

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I understand what you are saying, i should've been more clear. By annexation I mean Dallas getting others cities and townships to join Dallas. I'm not very sure how cities annex cities, but i do know when cities run out of land they annex townships. the only annexation I know Dallas ever made was the annexation of Oak Cliff(I'm sure there must have been more annexations in the past). I do believe Dallas will be able to annex other cities with our improving safety department and our still developing mass transit will eventual show cities the greatness of Dallas and will make them want to join Dallas. Personally I've never liked all the competition between the cities in Texas. Mainly because I know by the time I'm eighty all the major cities in Texas will be connected as one giant metropolis and you won't even notice when you've left a city. I hope this region gets a name other than Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. A name like Crockett, in honor of what Davy Crockett did at the Alamo.

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I do believe Dallas will be able to annex other cities with our improving safety department and our still developing mass transit will eventual show cities the greatness of Dallas and will make them want to join Dallas.
Pass the crack-pipe dude, you've killed the last cell.
I hope this region gets a name other than Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. A name like Crockett, in honor of what Davy Crockett did at the Alamo.

Brilliant. Texas to name its "megalopolis" after a drunkard Tennessean...?

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I hope this region gets a name other than Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. A name like Crockett, in honor of what Davy Crockett did at the Alamo.

Seguin would be more honorable, IMHO. But that name is allready taken.

Besides, Things are just fine as they are. The large Texas cities have thier unique identities, and the competition and rivalry serve to improve all involved. Plus, the cities are so far apart, it will be 1000 years before they could possibly merge together. By that time, mayhem and chaos will be the name of the game. Natural limitations to growth will probably slow it all down at some point anyways, before we have to worry about that. And if by chance technology allows food and water to be plentifull in such a far future, further allowing such enormous growth to sustain, then eventually, we will see that our sun will expire, creating a cold uninhabitable planet, with little or no life left. Until the last living creature, is finally dead.

Take care.

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By annexation I mean Dallas getting others cities and townships to join Dallas. I'm not very sure how cities annex cities, but i do know when cities run out of land they annex townships. the only annexation I know Dallas ever made was the annexation of Oak Cliff(I'm sure there must have been more annexations in the past). I do believe Dallas will be able to annex other cities with our improving safety department and our still developing mass transit will eventual show cities the greatness of Dallas and will make them want to join Dallas.

DART is a regional transit agency, so it's success will not rely on the City of Dallas. As for surrounding incorporated cities, this is local politics at its finest. I am sure that these suburban residents are proud to call DFW home, but to give up local control over their neighborhoods to the politicians at Dallas City Hall is another story altogether. Most residents would never vote for that. It has nothing to do with making Dallas appear bigger and better. It has everything to do with politics.

You'll notice, this is not even being discussed. The reason is that the city leaders know it could never be approved. I have relatives living in Plano, and the derision they heap on Dallas is incredible, worse than suburban Houstonians trash Houston. It is not that they don't like living in DFW, it is that they can't stand City of Dallas politics. That is why those suburban cities exist in the first place.

Dallas must survive and thrive within the limitations that exist. It is not impossible, but it is not easy. The suburban cities must do their part to help. But, joining Dallas City limits will not be part of the solution.

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And Red, it is probably not likely as long as the citizens of Dallas continue to re-elect Laura Miller.

:lol:

I was tempted to put that in, but I didn't want that to make the post look "flame-ish". However, Laura Miller, as well as some of the public battles among city council-members, add to the resistance that these suburban cities would have to becoming part of Dallas. These feuding council-members would now become Plano's council-members. Plano residents will never agree to that, nor will the other cities, regardless of what "experts" may say about it hurtung the Metroplex.

Not to mention the perception that Plano property taxes may go to improve the less desirable parts of Dallas, rather than stay in Plano.

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Not to mention the perception that Plano property taxes may go to improve the less desirable parts of Dallas, rather than stay in Plano.

Absolutely. You do not see the Park Cities scrambling to join the city of Dallas for the same reason - and that is where a good chunk of Dallas' movers and shakers reside. For that matter, a good number have moved to Richardson and Plano as well.

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I'm sorry I've caused all these problems. Im just thankful though that I don't have rude behavior like Tcole who told me to smoke more crack and called me a Tennessea drunkard. I guess there so drunk they stole the oilers from Houston.

Hate to kick a man when he's down, but we ran the Oilers off. Unfortunately, the owner stayed in Houston. :lol:

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I'm sorry I've caused all these problems. Im just thankful though that I don't have rude behavior like Tcole who told me to smoke more crack and called me a Tennessea drunkard. I guess there so drunk they stole the oilers from Houston.

No rude behaviour? You havent been around here much, have you Smartguy. We are some of the rudest people around, when provoked, that is. It's part of our charm.

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For whomever might be in control of updating FW's population on the main thread/sub-forum, FW's new 2005 population is 618,600. Just thought I'd bring it to the forum's attention so it could be updated.

Yeah, it need some serious updating. Now it's up 661,850 from the last time Willy1 suggested that request :P

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Have people been moving there, or has the city been on an annexing binge (or both) ?

Largely a housing boom in the north. Fort Worth extends into nowheresville to the north (following the suburbs that blazed the trail north in Collin Co.) and houses are popping up like crazy. It looks al lot like southeast grand prarie in some ways (south of I20). Tiny tiny backyards in general, so the density will actually be pretty high. Very suburban feel, its what people are looking for I gather.

Jason

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Fort Worth is a good place. It is the better Dallas. I hope this growth spurt doesn't take them down some roads their neighbor to the east has paved.

This growth spurt will have little to no negative impact on the city as far as I can see. There are many things Fort Worth could learn from Dallas, and many things Dallas could learn from Fort Worth. Its easy to root for the underdog and see all the ways in which it is superior though, we all do it. In any case, I think north Fort Worth should be looking to Plano and Frisco to make this latest suburban style growth very successful rather than anyone else in the Metroplex, they've been there and done that.

Jason

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Im just thankful though that I don't have rude behavior like Tcole who told me to smoke more crack and called me a Tennessea drunkard.

Did you read my post? Perhaps you should re-read it. The suggestion was that you should stop smoking crack - a satirical reference to the issue that I found some of your assumptions and sugestions ludicrous; of the kind that would be put forward by someone under the influence and not thinking clearly.

And I questioned your wisdom, and knowledge of Texas history and the characters who contributed to it when highlighting that Davy Crockett was indeed a Tennessean, and a drunkard. A simple application of reading comprehension would indicate that I did not level the "insult" that you were a Tennessean.

It seems to me that you might want to consider changing your forum moniker...

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