Fort Worth announces direction for future of downtown public library

The City of Fort Worth plans to move forward with building a new downtown library from the ground up and will repurpose the previously purchased building at 512 W. Fourth St. as a community arts incubator.

The building at 512 W. Fourth St. was acquired on Nov. 20, 2024, and was originally intended to become the new Downtown Library. Further evaluation of the property continued after the purchase, and many findings led leadership to determine that the location would not be the best choice to proceed with as a modern public library.

“In addition to expert architectural and design assessments, we’ve continued to take community input on what Fort Worth residents want in a downtown library,” said Assistant City Manager Dana Burghdoff. “As residents and advocates continued to highlight needs in the arts community, we realized we were presented with a unique opportunity to pivot on the building’s intended use.”

The 512 W. Fourth St. building will now be transformed into a community arts incubator. Mayor Mattie Parker appointed Bob Jameson, former President & CEO of Visit Fort Worth, to chair a working group made up of Councilmembers Elizabeth Beck, Macy Hill, Deborah Peoples and Jeanette Martinez along with a diverse group of community members and stakeholders including Wesley Gentle, executive director of Arts Fort Worth. Once all community appointments are confirmed, the working group will gather public feedback and develop recommendations for how the space can best support Fort Worth’s creative community. The community arts incubator group will bring forward recommendations in the fall.

The City remains committed to establishing a modern library presence downtown. A new 20,000- to 30,000‑square‑foot library will be constructed at a yet‑to‑be‑determined site. Property Management and City leadership are currently reviewing potential locations that can accommodate public parking and the amenities residents identified as priorities during community engagement sessions. Architecture and construction firms will be selected as planning progresses. Additional public input opportunities will be offered.

Photo: The 512 W. Fourth St. building will now be transformed into a community arts incubator.