Hotel News

Dallas Stars owner will transform historic Fort Worth building into hotel

W.T. Waggoner building in downtown Fort Worth.

Courtesy photo

One of downtown Fort Worth’s most iconic buildings will become a signature hotel that preserves its historic charm.

The W.T. Waggoner Building, located at 810 Houston St., is set to become a new Sandman Signature Hotel; Sandman Signature is owned by Canada-based Northland Properties, headed by Dallas Stars' owner Tom Gaglardi. It will be the second hotel of its kind in the United States; the first is in Plano, which Northland opened in 2018.

This project will add another full-service hotel in downtown Fort Worth, in support of the city's Economic Development Strategic Plan, which is designed to buff up downtown Fort Worth into a premier mixed-use business district.

The 20-story W.T. Waggoner Building was built in 1920, and was one of the tallest buildings in the area at that time. Architecturally, it is known for its ornate entrance lobby, as well as its vaulted banking lobby and elevator hall.

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was most recently used as office space by XTO Energy.

The new hotel will boast a minimum of 240 rooms and 1,500 square feet of meeting space.

As part of this effort, Northland has requested assistance with up to $8 million in costs for public improvements associated with the project, such as landscaping, utilities, and historical preservation and restoration.

These public improvements will be reimbursed by the city’s Lancaster Tax Incremental Financing District (TIF), contingent upon performance requirements that must be met by the hotel. The TIF reimbursement will not take place until the hotel has been open for two years.

"We're thrilled that Northland Properties is committed to preserving such an iconic Fort Worth building," says Robert Sturns, director of economic development for the City of Fort Worth, in a statement. "This project celebrates Fort Worth's past while still supporting the current and future growth of downtown, and we look forward to the Sandman Signature Hotel being part of our growing community."

When XTO sold the building in August 2018, it was with an eye towards making sure that downtown Fort Worth would be served well, says Ryan Matthews, VP at JLL, which helped broker the sale.

"In addition to its iconic status as one of downtown Fort Worth’s most recognizable and historic buildings, the WT Waggoner Building’s centralized location and the potential for future development on the remainder of the block make this a terrific investment," Matthews says. "XTO has been careful and mindful in identifying a partner who will ensure the integrity of these assets for the betterment of our city."

The sale also included the adjacent surface parking lot, one of the only remaining undeveloped lots in downtown Fort Worth.

"The historical relevance of the WT Waggoner Building makes this the perfect hotel asset for us," said Tom Gaglardi, President and CEO of Northland Properties, who also owns the Moxie's Bar & Grill concept.

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Death Penalty

Tarrant County man gets death for murder of convenience store owner

Tarrant County Sheriff's Office

Christopher Turner

A man received the death penalty for his 2020 cold-blooded execution of a convenience store owner.

According to a release from the office of Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a Tarrant County jury sentenced Christopher Karon Turner, 48, to death on November 20 for executing convenience store owner Anwar Ali during a robbery. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Charles Boulware and Allenna Bangs represented the state.

On March 27, 2020, at around 6:15 am, Turner, a convicted felon, wore a surgical mask and a glove and entered the Super Big Country Mart in an unincorporated area of Tarrant County south of Fort Worth. There, he held a gun to the back of Anwar Ali, the 62-year-old store owner, and walked him through the store.

Ali did everything Turner demanded, including opening the cash register to give him money. And yet Turner forced Ali into the bathroom and onto his knees, and shot him in the neck. Ali was discovered, dead in the bathroom, about an hour later.

Turner fled the store in Ali's Toyota minivan with the money from the register and Ali's wallet. In the van, he found more than $50,000 cash in a black bag. Over the next few days, Turner went on a shopping spree, buying cars, jewelry, drugs, clothes, and more. He and others used cash and a credit card that belonged to Ali.

Turner fled to Colorado where U.S. Marshals arrested him. On his body they found a firearm which was determined to be the murder weapon.

"This was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder," Boulware told the jury. "From the moment he was charged with this crime, he has tried to escape responsibility."

Bangs noted that before this trial began, Turner obtained the names of jurors and their telephone numbers, and gave them to an inmate charged with murder. At the trial on November 20, as Bangs addressed the jury, Turner tried to hold up a sign to the jury but was handcuffed by Sheriff's deputies who removed him from the courtroom, while he yelled out "she lied."

Ali came to the United States from Pakistan decades ago to pursue the American dream. Ali's son, Hussein, spoke in the courtroom after the death penalty was announced. "Thank you for giving us justice," Ali said. "I hope there are no more devils like this person."