Fort Worth City Council Advances Panther Island Form-Based Zoning and Mixed-Use Waterfront Development

City Council Codifies Panther Island Form-Based Code Under Vision 2.0

FORT WORTH, Texas — Propelling the ambitious redevelopment of the central Trinity River corridor, the Fort Worth City Council advanced updated zoning standards in mid-October 2026 for the Panther Island Form-Based Zoning District. Implementing the newly refined Panther Island Vision 2.0 Strategic Plan, the modernized municipal ordinances streamline development categories, reduce bureaucratic permitting friction, and establish rigorous design criteria for walkable, mixed-use waterfront neighborhoods.

City planners affirmed that the updated code encourages high-density residential infill, boutique ground-floor retail, and continuous public riverfront promenades. Council members also reviewed a targeted $12 million public-private partnership incentive package designed to catalyze construction on the island's premier 12-story mixed-use residential and commercial tower.

Bypass Channel Construction Reclaims Prime Riverfront Acreage

Coordinated in partnership with the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, active excavation continues along the 1.5-mile flood bypass channel. The federal-local flood mitigation initiative will safely decommission aging earthen levee structures, unlocking more than 50 acres of interior waterfront land for sustainable civic and private development while providing 100-year flood security across North Fort Worth.

Engineers reported steady excavation milestones across the northern riverbend, paving the way for bridge foundation installations and public canal construction that will link residential districts directly with regional recreational trails.

Trinity Metro Integrates High-Frequency Multimodal Transit Corridors

To ensure seamless transportation connectivity, Trinity Metro aligned service extensions with Fort Worth’s unanimously adopted Master Transportation Plan (MTP). Planners are designing dedicated transit circulators, including extensions of the branded Orange Line and zero-fare Blue Line, linking downtown Fort Worth directly across Panther Island to the historic Northside Stockyards district, reinforcing sustainable mobility across the booming metropolitan core.