It has been six months since the explosion at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. Small businesses affected by the incident are being notified that one lane of Eighth Street will soon be open to traffic, along with on-street permit parking and metered parking.
The tentative date for this reopening is July 22, though the City’s Transportation & Public Works Department is working with the contractor to potentially expedite this timeline.
Impact: Businesses located on Eighth Street between Throckmorton and Houston streets, on the south side of the hotel, were most affected by the explosion and its aftermath. The City of Fort Worth lost revenue from metered parking during the initial emergency declaration, and permit parking holders had to relocate during months of cleanup.
Importance: City staff met with the impacted business owners in the weeks following the explosion to assess their immediate needs. Concerns about revenue recovery were significant, as the road closure made it difficult for customers to access the businesses. In response, the City’s Economic Development Department, in collaboration with the Local Development Corporation, provided over $137,000 in grants to four small businesses in the immediate vicinity of the explosion to help offset revenue losses during the cleanup.
New Developments: Sandman’s contractor, First on Site, has completed temporary pavement repairs and is preparing to open one lane and parking after installing steel plates to protect the pit adjacent to the building. This crater, part of the explosion damage, is still under reconstruction. Steel plates will be placed over the hole to protect drivers.
First on Site anticipates completing this within two weeks and will open the lane earlier if possible. If temporary lane closures are needed due to repair operations, Sandman’s contractors will obtain the appropriate permissions. The street will be fully reconstructed before the hotel reopens, but a reopening date has not been determined. Updates will be provided as available.
