Near Southside News

New mixed-use complex brings more food, shops, and parking to Fort Worth's Magnolia Avenue

A rendering of The 701 on the corner of Hemphill Street and West Magnolia Avenue.

Rendering courtesy of The 701

A new, 68,000-square-foot, mixed-use development called "The 701" is coming to the busy corner of Hemphill Street and West Magnolia Avenue on Fort Worth's Near Southside.

Dodson Commercial Real Estate will break ground on the project in a ceremony at 10:30 am Thursday, March 4, a press release says.

Named "The 701" for its actual address — 701 W. Magnolia Ave. — the development will maintain the 1920s, two-story cornerstone building currently home to Shinjuku Station restaurant and Panther City Salon.

Sleek new additions will include:

A new, 3,700-square-foot restaurant building fronting West Magnolia Avenue.
A new, three-story office and retail building anchored by architecture firm VLK Architects. VLK will occupy the entire top floor, about 26,000 square feet. The building includes a ground-floor restaurant and retail spaces and a second story for offices or medical tenants.
A vibrant pedestrian plaza with shop spaces and patios.
A new, on-site 200-car parking garage.

“The 701 is the first of its kind Class A mixed-use project on the vibrant West Magnolia corridor," says Dodson Commercial Real Estate managing partner Ryan Dodson in the release. "We realize the significance of this opportunity and have worked carefully with the Near Southside and the VLK team to thoughtfully integrate modern office, retail, restaurant, and structured parking with the charm and character of the historic buildings in the area."

He says the project is expected to bring more than 100 "high-paying" jobs to the area.

The significant Near Southside complex adds one thing that the corner desperately needs: more parking. The additional parking garage, along with the pedestrian walkway, will add connectivity to the bustling corner of Magnolia.

“We’re really excited about the project and what it delivers to our community on multiple fronts: sensitive preservation of those treasured historic buildings; new distinctive landmark buildings that complement their older neighbors; the central public plaza activated by local shops; and an extension of Magnolia’s energy around the corner to that key section of Hemphill,” says Mike Brennan, president of Near Southside, Inc.

The project is expected to be completed in early 2022.

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Police News

Fort Worth police officer fired for unjustified use of force

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A Fort Worth police officer has been terminated following his involvement in a use of force incident. According to a release, Officer Matthew Krueger was let go on December 18, following an investigation into an incident involving someone who was videotaping his actions while he was on duty.

On Sunday, June 23, Fort Worth police officers responded to a hit-and-run collision near 1000 Foch St. The incident involved a suspected intoxicated driver who crashed into another vehicle and a structure before fleeing the scene on foot.

While officers were investigating, a woman approached them and used her cell phone to record their actions. Krueger asked and advised her multiple times to move across the street. When she failed to comply, she was placed under arrest.

During the arrest, Krueger used force to take the woman into custody, resulting in injuries that required medical care at an area hospital.

After being treated, the woman was released from the hospital, booked into jail, and charged with interference with public duties, resisting arrest and/or detention, evading arrest, and making a false alarm or report.

Krueger had been with the department for just under eight years and was assigned to the Patrol Bureau at the time of the incident.

The Fort Worth Police Major Case and Internal Affairs Units began immediate and congruent investigations. Krueger was transferred from Patrol to a unit with no public interaction, pending the outcome of the investigation.

After a review of the Internal Affairs investigation, Krueger’s chain of command determined that the level of force used was unjustified and violated departmental policy. Police Chief Neil Noakes concurred and terminated Krueger’s employment.

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