Can Fort Worth’s Sundance Square Recapture Its Former Energy?
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It’s been like an episode of As the Sundance Square Turns. After an ongoing exodus of tenants, the Fort Worth entertainment district’s vacancy struggles may be entering a new phase and have finally taken a turn for the better.
After years of increasing numbers of empty storefronts, there’s an attempt to stabilize leasing activity. JLL, a professional leasing services company headquartered in Chicago, announced this week they are now stepping in to support targeted retail leasing for Sundance Square. Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach later served as an executive chairman at JLL after the company acquired The Staubach Company in 2008.
Fort Worth’s shining example of downtown revitalization isn’t what it once was. As once-booming retailers fled and restaurants closed their doors, criticism has spread across social media among former tenants and area residents.
1970s Ideas
In the 1970s, Bass Brothers Enterprises reimagined the 37-block district, naming it after the Sundance Kid, who was known to have hung out in Fort Worth with his buddy, Butch Cassidy. The company, founded in 1960 by oilman Perry Richardson Bass, was started with Perry’s 1959 inheritance from his uncle Sid W. Richardson.
For a long time, Sundance Square was thriving with movie theaters, restaurants, and retailers. Its popularity and shiny reputation drew visits from the former President Bill Clinton in 1996 and multiple times from media darling, the ESPN’s GameDay show.
In 2019, the reins were handed to billionaire couple Sasha and Ed Bass. COVID hit in 2020, certainly dealing them a bad hand, but even after the global pandemic faded, things didn’t improve. The two have drawn plenty of side‑eye from residents and former tenants, who’ve grown increasingly unhappy about leasing decisions, the end of free parking, and the slow pace of new openings.
Onward, Sundance
So now the leasing contracts are in JLL’s hands, and there’s hope that someone will add the sparkle back to Fort Worth’s downtown playground. Michael Wheat and Isabella Burnette will lead the operation, overseeing a leasing footprint that spans more than 105,000 square feet of space.
“Sundance Square is where Fort Worth’s western heritage meets modern urban sophistication in perfect harmony,” said Wheat, according to JLL’s press release announcing the new collaboration. “We’re thrilled to partner with all those involved in ensuring Sundance Square is a vibrant source of culture and entertainment for Fort Worth residents and visitors for decades to come.”
Whether the Basses waved the white flag, got tired of the game or just moved on to other projects doesn’t matter. There are those who see this as welcome news for the beleaguered downtown spot.
“We see significant opportunity to further strengthen the tenant mix in ways that reflect both Fort Worth’s identity and evolving consumer demand,” said Ed Kraus, Vice President of Sundance Square, through a written statement. “With JLL’s experience and market insight, we’re well-positioned to build on the current momentum.”
Whether the partnership is enough to restore Sundance Square’s former energy remains to be seen, but the move signals growing pressure to reverse years of tenant departures and public frustration surrounding downtown Fort Worth’s signature district.
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I used to say downtown Fort Worth could teach downtown Dallas a thing or two. Let’s hope it gets back on track, leased up, and emerges as the destination it once was. It definitely has an appeal unlike any other.
I hope we can have some decent budget friendly eating places for those who want to come down town, would love to have a music venue something similar to Arlington music hall. We have enough high end places already. Let’s focus more for the regular folks?
And please return to lots of FREE evening and week end parking !!
I would like to see more daytime entertainment in Sundance Square Plaza when I visit.
A live music venue like in either the former Barnes and Noble location or in the former AMC Sundance Theater location would be great. Think House of Blues or The Factory in downtown Dallas, where well known national acts perform. Currently the only venue we have for them is Dickies Arena.
No, the city and Sundance don’t want live music downtown. I play trumpet. I’m from the city. I’ve played all over the world. But whsnbjbplayed a few weeks ago because I’m not Latino and the security didn’t like a white dude playing trumpet and jazz and blues outside razoos. But don’t fool ur self. It’s not successful only for one reason. Their attitude and maybe. They just don’t want it to be successful. They just moved Northside to downtown and made berry street a Starbucks
Not as long as Sasha has a say in everything.
We need a club similar to Buttons. Good food and music. Something grown and sexy.
Worked downtown during the late 80s into the late 90s. Loved going to Juanita’s across from the Worthington Hotel, Billy Miners, Caravan of Dreams, the AMC theater by Red Goose, the great lunch place that I think was called Grand Central Station that had a variety of lunch items kind of like the mall, Vicky’s above that where I would get great loaded baked potatoes, the old Mexican Inn downtown that my aunt and cousin worked at…so many memories. Streets would be filled with people after 5pm and pn the weekends. Now in my late 50s, we totally avoid downtown. There’s just not anything of interest to us anymore and forget about the parking! Back then, we had free after 5pm parking and on weekends. I don’t know how they can revive downtown but it would be nice and not just have Main Street Arts Festival or the holiday events.