Oleander West – Impressive New Mixed-Use Proposal For Near Southside – Seeking Investment/Financing

Oleander West is a new mixed-use development proposal for the Near Southside. Over two years in the planning, Oleander West is perhaps one of the most impressive mixed-use plans we’ve ever seen proposed in Fort Worth, featuring underground parking, a grocery store space, a rooftop restaurant space with terrace, residential lofts between 1,000 and 2,500 square feet with terraces, arcade storefronts, a two-screen art house movie theater (yes, really), and a central public-access courtyard. Developer Southside Associates and local modern architect Mark Gunderson have crafted a unique space with outstanding interaction with the public realm. Now, they’re looking for investors and financing to get the dirt turning on the development. Let’s take a look at what Oleander West is all about.

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Location wise, Oleander West is proposed for the 1.5 acre full block bounded by Oleander, 7th Avenue, Rosedale, and Hurley Avenue. A block off Magnolia and located on the pedestrian & bike-focused Oleander Walk, Oleander West would bring 123,600 square feet of mixed-use space – retail, residential, and office – to the Near Southside, should investment/financing be found to cover the development.

Taking advantage of the site’s 15-foot elevation change from east to west, Oleander West would feature a 90-car underground parking garage, accessed from the lower elevation of Hurley Avenue. The design is intended to accommodate car traffic while keeping the development’s public realm solely as a place for pedestrians and bicyclists. Four elevator/stairway towers would lead up from the garage to the central courtyard. Natural light would be admitted into the garage by a frosted glass skylight system which would also serve as an architectural element in the courtyard.

Atop the underground garage, a series of three and four-story mixed-use buildings would rise, surrounding the central courtyard.

On Rosedale, the development would feature a four-story mixed-use structure with a wide, plaza-like sidewalk on the northwest corner of the block. On the ground floor, an arcade storefront design would lead into a ground-floor space designed to house a neighborhood grocery store. The second and third floors would house additional office & retail space. The fourth floor would feature a restaurant space, featuring a large terrace covered by a trellis with a beautiful view of the Downtown Fort Worth skyline.

Next to the four-story building, on the northeast corner, would be a public park and access stairs to the central courtyard.

Here’s another view of the four-story building on Rosedale, showing the arcade storefront for the grocery store space and the rooftop restaurant terrace, as well as the parking garage access on Hurley Avenue.

This view along 7th Avenue shows the three-story mixed-use buildings making up the rest of the development, with lofts looking out over retail and the central courtyard. Numerous access paths into the courtyard line 7th Avenue. This view also shows the public park at the northeast corner.

Here, we’re looking at the Oleander Walk side of the project. Along Oleander, an arcade storefront shades several retail spaces – there’s a bar space, a restaurant space, and perhaps most ambitiously, a two-screen, 12,252 square foot art house movie theater at the development’s southeast corner, at 7th Avenue & Oleander: the Citizen Theater.

That’s right – the Citizen, which Spiral Diner creator Amy McNutt and her husband, chef/local filmmaker James M. Johnston, have been working on to bring a dedicated art house theater to Fort Worth at long last, would go in the Oleander West development.

Here’s another look at the Oleander side. Oleander West would feature a total of 14 lofts, ranging from 1,026 square feet to 1,566 square feet to two two-story units of 2,484 square feet. Many of the units would feature outdoor terraces. The development would also feature 18,456 square feet of live/work space.

A look at the interior courtyard. The courtyard would feature a frosted glass feature down the center (doubling as a skylight for the parking garage) with a potential flowing water feature along the glass as well. Retail space rings the courtyard, and loft terraces look out from the upper floors. Two symmetrical decks with outdoor fireplaces would also look out over the courtyard, for use by residents and retail tenants. The courtyard is designed as a sort of “living room” space for the development. A series of weekly activities would be programmed for all exterior/common spaces.

Another look at the interior courtyard, with a view of the frosted glass skylight feature and two of the four elevator/stairway towers providing access to the upper levels and the underground garage.

Beyond featuring accessibility for cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians, Oleander West would also be rail transit enabled, located directly on the 7th Avenue segment of the planned Fort Worth modern streetcar system.

Oleander West is one of the most ambitious urban developments we’ve seen proposed in Fort Worth. Near Southside leaders agree:

Fort Worth South, Inc. has been working for over a decade to transform the Near Southside as a vibrant, mixed-use district that attracts residents and businesses that are looking for a diverse and exciting urban environment.

Perhaps more than any other major project we’ve seen, the proposed Southside Associates project at Oleander Walk captures the character and appeal that we’re working to bring to the Near Southside. This will become one of the district’s most popular destinations.

–Paul Paine, President, Fort Worth South, Inc.

Southside Associates (led by local neurologist Dr. Susan K. Blue) has already purchased and cleared the previous structures on the block. Now, they’re looking for investors/financing to bring the project into the home stretch and get it built. If you or somebody you know might be interested in being involved, head over to the Oleander West web site and give Southside Associates a call at 817-335-4011.