WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=JnhbdWOyZ1g

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: JnhbdWOyZ1g):
- 00:00:26: Opening Music: Atmospheric Heat Sounds & Introductions
- 00:10:21: Welcome and Opening Remarks from Superintendent Kushner
- 00:15:45: Presentation Overview and Instructions for Public Comment
- 00:16:34: Presentation: Ferington Field Project Context and Objectives
- 00:20:49: Public Comment: Charles Drifus - Parking Lot Solution
- 00:24:27: Public Comment: Evan Ferington - Honor the Legacy
- 00:31:38: Public Comment: Margaret Deamos - Scenic Corridor Concerns
- 00:34:27: Public Comment: Jerry Tracy - Historic Preservation
- 00:40:22: Public Comment: Lon Burnham - Carnegie Library Lesson
- 00:44:55: Public Comment: Michael Ryan - Previous Development Attempts
- 00:47:49: Public Comment: Willis Wyers - Preservation Expertise
- 00:51:29: Public Comment: Carol Roark - Reversionary Interest Warning
- 00:54:43: Public Comment: Steve Klein - Holistic Historic Preservation
- 00:57:22: Public Comment: Gordon Appleman - Request for More Information
- 01:01:10: Questions & Answers: Deed, Cost Estimates, Soccer
- 01:10:28: Concluding Remarks, Attendance List, and Closing Statements


Part: 1

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[music] [music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat.

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Heat. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. N. Heat. [music] [music] [music] Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. N. [music] Heat. [music]

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[music] [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] [music] [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat.

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>> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat up here. [music] Heat. [music] [music] [music]

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Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Hey. Hey. Hey. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. staff. We have a uh presentation that

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our deputy superintendent, Miss Kelly Spencer, will be delivering to you all. It'll be on the screens and then following that we will open the floor for any comments. You would just need to go around to the podium here and we'll take your comments. And at this time

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before we begin, we want to introduce our superintendent for brief welcome and comments and then we'll go ahead and get started with our presentation. Well, hello there. Um, first of all, uh, thank you for being here. I think this is incredibly important. We got someone

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way in the back over there. Um, one of the things that, uh, I've understood about Fort Worth is very clear that I'm I'm a newcomer, even though I own a home here now, but there are some things that you don't step into and you let others help you work through

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it. And I heard about this Ferington Field uh a couple h two months ago and my second week here uh where's Miss Spencer? Yeah. What did I do? Call you on a s text you on a Saturday morning

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and said, "Can you open up Ferington Field? I need to drive through it. I need to sit through it. I need to walk through it." And I did for about an hour or two. I walked the field, took pictures, sent it to people. You can almost feel it. Um, I am not a Notre Dame fan, but when you walk into that stadium, as a matter of fact, I

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can't stand Notre Dame because I'm a Miami Hurricane, but um, but if you go into that stadium, it's something you feel much like sort of the the Cotton Bowl. You just know where you are. And it's not just about athletics, it's pageantry and bands and activities and

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history. And after reviewing some things and after talking, we realized that this [clears throat] decision should need needs to be made with a lot more information and openness cuz I I was not comfortable with making a recommendation to the board. Who makes the ultimate

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decision? Not me. And I think it's fair for us to rethink this. It's going to cost us about four 3 months probably, right? About 3, four months. But you know what's not going to cost us? making the wrong decision or feeling tainted that we did something wrong or

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too quickly. So, we're bringing the RFP back without a doubt. Um, but we also need to hear from the people that were here. Um, I don't think many of you were here during um Roosevelt's time during that year.

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I'm a history teacher. I'm hoping not. Uh, but I do remember some of the u hallowed things that were built during that era that are still being preserved and and restored and kept because once

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once you don't fix it up, we tough decision. So instead of that, let's let's get back to drawing board. Uh, I see a relatively um peaceful crowd, which is nice to see every once in a while in this room,

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[clears throat] but um I I only said one security person. I'm not sure we even need one. Um, however, we're going to sit back and listen and we're going to talk about and and the history is fine. Um, we got to give you obviously only so many minutes

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because we have a lot of folks that want to talk, but we want to make sure that you talk about how you see it progressing, how what you would like to see there. It's going to cost roughly 50 to 55, maybe 60 million to get it back to standards by doing it appropriately,

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by making it safe, making it ADA compliant, but still being used. The track can't be used, correct? Because there's only six lanes, right? >> Six and a half. Seven. Yes. And it's used often. I mean it during

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football season it's used a lot. Uh JJ, would you stand up and call the He's the athletic director for the district and his office is actually at >> the field. Correct. Um and it >> it needs a lot. And if we're going to do it, we're going to need it to do it right. The problem is I don't have 55

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million. I can write a check, but it probably won't clear. But I don't have 55 million to take from schools. I can't do it. Our schools need it. Our schools need it. So, >> we need to hear your ideas. We're gonna try and keep you to three minutes. I'm not I'm not going to just shut you down

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like a board meeting, but we're going to let you know try and wrap it up because we need to hear from everybody. But it's important that we hear from you. We're getting some online writeins. Correct. Yes, sir. >> And we're live. So, if you want say hello to the people online, >> um we're online, which is great. Those that are online, I don't know where you

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are, but please write in your thoughts as well. This is true community effort. This is true transparency. This is gathering some information to make sure that when we rewrite the RFP and the company that does, the law firm that does it, they are going to get these

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comments. They're going to get this video and they're going to see what everyone says because we want to make sure that we make the right decisions as we move forward. So, I'm going to hand it back to the uh chief of staff and you can go ahead and conduct and we'll hand you the mic. try and keep it

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about three minutes. Um, we'll remind you, but it's not a board meeting. So, we we have some latitude here. Um, so, >> um, whatever you if you guys would like to stand up and come to the podium or stand. Yeah, come to the podium and talk if you don't mind.

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>> We do that. We have a presentation first. >> Oh, yes, we have a presentation. So I I'm going to use the mic so that I know I don't need it for the crowd, but we have the v the the live stream going so they need the mic for us to capture the audio. So Miss Kelly Spencer is

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going to go through this presentation with you briefly and at the end of that presentation we invite any or all of you to join us at the podium to give us comments about the presentation, comments about the future of Fington Field. We are not doing a Q&A. We're

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just going to be listening today. And please know that we have staff here that is going to be capturing all of the comments so that we can prepare a report for our school board. >> Good evening. As Dr. Kushner mentioned, my name is Kelly Spencer. I have the pleasure of serving Fort Worth ISD as

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the deputy superintendent of district operations. Uh tonight is about hearing from you. Uh but want to give a little bit of information. So, we have a couple of slides before we get started just to provide some context about the catalyst for the project and what we're hoping um

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to clear up tonight. It's not going. Thank you. It's this just >> technology. G. It was kind of working that way. Here we go.

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>> There we go. >> So, starting uh with a quote uh from John Henry, Ferington Field is the binding thread in the story of Fort Worth. It is the place that binds us regardless of the dividing lines of age, ethnicity, gender, and neighborhood. Uh

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so the catalyst of what we're calling the um Ferington Field project is Fort Worth ISD um as many of you desire to preserve the legacy of Fington Field. It does require extensive uh rehabilitation

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and renovation to address its accessibility deficiencies, safety needs, and improvements that align with today's stadium standards. Uh there was an assessment that was conducted um around 2021 and in that it is estimated

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that that the deficiencies um identified at that time have um an estimated cost of approximately $26 million. Um, so we are looking at the possibility or the feasibility of selling selling or leasing the property around Ferington

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Field um to allow us to preserve that legacy while completing the necessary upgrades and renovations um that will are able to provide the students and the community of Fort Worth a stadium that they deserve. Now, the purpose of today's meeting

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primarily is to gather feedback from you, but we want to assure you uh those that are listening online and those of you that are in the room that we are not demolishing or disposing of Ferington Field. Uh the students of Fort Worth ISD

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um will still have um access to the stadium and will still um compete in athletic competitions there. And so the renovations and the upgrades are to support that continuation. So tonight um with those two things in mind, we want

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to hear from you. Um taking comments online. So please type those in, but also individuals who would like to come to the mic to speak so that so that those who are online can hear you. um but to give us feedback about what you'd like to see or thoughts you have

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regarding the future development of the property around the stadium. So with that, I believe you were ready to go first. >> I state my address also. >> No, you don't need to do that, but we'd love to hear your name. >> I'm Charles Drifus of 2416 Clark Place.

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next year. >> I'm Charles Drifus of 2416 Parkplace and I went all the way through school here. It was just great. Anyway, friends, there I only see one solution that is

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both inflationproof and will keep this land from being taken forever from the cultural district. that is for the school district to maintain control over the land and contract the operation of a parking lot to a private parking lot

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operator. It's inflation proof. You can raise the price every year. You need to let everybody that's you need when there's an athletic event, it needs to be free to everybody. When there's not an athletic event, there are plenty of people parking there because it's safer than that entertainment district across

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the street. And there'll be a lot more as they build apartments. leasing. Y'all are under tremendous pressure, but if you lease it [sighs] and allow improvements, the pressure will be much

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greater. You will be crushed by insider real estate interests at renewal time. There's no way if there if there's a private building on that land that the lease will not be renewed forever. It will not be part of the cultural district. The

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next museum will not go there. The next auditorium won't go there. The next wonderful cultural district improvement, public improvement that we can imagine will be foreclosed forever. We'll be stealing land from our

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grandchildren. I have watched now and documented for 50 years how insider real estate interests have profitered by selling off public lands in Fort Worth. We're out of public land in this neighborhood. It's booming. You bet you

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can sell it and it'll be stealing from your grandchildren. I think it's great to bring in people from the outside and I think it's great that they want us to understand our land heritage. That pretty much concludes it except our land heritage.

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Our land heritage is lifetime living in Fort Worth is not those little 50 or 60 foot lots that sell off every generation or more. It is our public spaces. It is our schools. It is our stadiums. It is especially our parks and open spaces.

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These indeed are our land heritage. But you're dealing with real estate insiders whose land heritage is their country clubs and country combs. They're not ours. The pressure if you allow any development on this land will be will

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crush you at renewal time. Save it for the cultural district. Save it for Save it for us. Save it for our grandchildren. Thank you, doctor. It's really good to have met you. Thank you, ma'am. It's good to have met you all.

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If I could ask everyone to if they've graduated from one of the schools here, one school around here, please announce that. What school, sir? >> Pascal tonight. >> Please announce that so we can get an understanding of your history as well. Thank you very much for being here.

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>> Thank you for speak. >> Anyone else would like to speak? Mr. Fington, you're almost up. >> Yes, we did. But you're I please speak them as well. I think it's important. >> I brought something special with me

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today. I jumped into the Fington box, >> Ferington family history box before I >> introduce your name, please, sir. So, >> Evan Ferington. I'm the grandson of I'm Evan Stanley Fington the third. I mean, yes. Ferington III. I'm the grandson of

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Yes. Ferington. And uh I have the foundational document for the Fort Worth ISD athletics department right here typed out by my grandfather in either 1922 or 1923. You can see it and it is

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titled the development of the department of physical education in the Fort Worth public schools. And in this complex age, children living in the cities are denied many advantages concerning the physical exercises and recreation that were enjoyed by our

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forefathers who lived in the farming districts or the smaller cities. So what was the problem they were facing at the turn of the century 20th century? Kids were coming off the farms congregating in cities and using their youthful energies for nonp positive reasons. they

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were getting into trouble. And so they used athletics as a form, a way to have a a structured environment for the kids to let out their youthful energies and learn sportsmanship and teamwork and those kinds of things. What do we have today? We have a bunch of kids tied to

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their screens. And so we need to get them out as well to use their youthful energy in positive directions. Um the and I've thought about this a lot. I kind of think we have things backwards and I've thought

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about it. I think the field must be improved first before the land around it has significant value. I don't think people will want to buy land or the ISD if it were to sell the land would not get as

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much money for land around an old stadium as it would around a shiny new penny. a refurbished really nice stadium. I want to caution the ISD, the board of managers to be careful about selling off or leasing parcels of land

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before the entire athletic uh vision is achieved until we know exactly what we're trying to do with Ferington Field and how this is going to how this is all going to play together. And the reason is a parking garage. Great idea. What a

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wonderful idea. And I was thinking the same exact thing. I think it's in my paper. Uh you it would be free for ISC athletic events, but if you're a tourist coming to Fort Worth and you're going to you want to run over to the Aean Carter or the the uh uh Will Rogers Memorial or

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whatever, then you're going to pay five or 10 to park on the lot because it's close. And that that helps the ISD. That's money coming into the ISD. Um, also the parcels uh directly adjacent contiguous with the the field. Um, I was

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talking to one coach back in maybe 2020. I was visiting the field and um it might have been one of your uh assistant superintendent and uh he was telling me we were just walking across the field and he was telling me you know Mr. Fington. This north endzone

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area between the north end zone and Lancaster Street. That would make a really good location for a new multi-story fieldhouse that would have state the art locker rooms on the bottom field level.

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Maybe a medical medical treatment area, state-of-the-art. It could have press boxes uh and places for officials calling the game. And it could also because I think Fington Field could turn into an economic engine. I really do. If

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it if it were marketed properly with the city of Fort Worth and the Chamber of Commerce, you could have NIA NCAA Division 3 bowl games, uh, playoff games, national championship games coming to Fington Field to play in

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historic Fington Field. When they learn the history of it, it makes the game even more special. Uh, and they bring their money. They eat at our restaurants. They stay in our hotels. It really And uh, you know, you can run youth sports through when when the ISD

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is not using it. You could run youth sports through Fington Field. You could have soccer games, flag football games of all levels. Um, and you could have until restaurants are built, until it is developed, until the

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stadium really gets going, you could have food trucks outside a food truck area. It could really be a fun place for kids to come and hang out and be kids. Uh, you could have you could have a, you know, your hot dog and hamburger stand.

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You could have uni de la Mexicana. See, you could have a good Mexican food. You could have uh whatever that whatever's there. It would it would be a a a real a carnival atmosphere, a place that that's happy. And our kids remember they they

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loved going to Fington Field. My grandfather started something in the early 20s. And I don't know exactly when it ended, but uh how many people >> He's giving you the time. 30 seconds. >> 30 seconds. How many people remember the

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elementary school relays? My grandfather brought all the elementary school students in the whole city together for relay races and you ran for your school. Uh so yeah, and I I think it stopped in the early '7s or something, but you know, it was a it was a joyous occasion.

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Everybody loved it. It was fun. Um so I think we have to let's get money from Austin. Let's talk to the historical folks there. Hey, we have a $20 billion trust fund, rainy day fund. Come on, we can we can at least ask.

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>> It won't hurt. >> But I would really appreciate it if we have an opportunity who's here from our comm's department. If we can take pictures of those electronically, >> at least have them with a good camera if we have someone here because it's important that we have these at least

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electronically. Um, I think those documents are worthy of posting somewhere and having them. Um, but thank you, sir. I don't know how you top I don't know how you top a grandchild speaking about a field that didn't [laughter] mean that, but whoever

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whoever would like to go next. Anyone please, we want to hear from you. [applause] >> Thank you very much, D. Hi, I'm Margaret Deamos and um had kids that graduated from Pascal High School. They also went to William James Magnet

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and JT Stevens Elementary. Um I serve on the boards of Scenic Fort Worth, the Cultural District Alliance in the West 7th Neighborhood Alliance. I live on West 7th Street within walking distance of Fairington Field and years ago I served as president of the Fort

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Worth ISD Council of PTAs. So I have both an historic um and a personally current interest um in the future of Ferington Field. Um my particular um point tonight is I want to remind um this decision makers who are watching

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online that Fington Field um is not only a part of the iconic um Fort Worth cultural district, but it also lies within one of the 38 scenic corridors or areas that are designated by the city of Fort Worth. Scenic overlays are subject

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to extradevelopmental standards that target the aesthetic and scenic um uh character of that area and Fington Field lies smack in the middle of it. Um to that point, I'd like to share a letter from the president of Scenic Fort Worth

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who should have received um that particularly points to the um the value of the trees on this property. Scenic Fort Worth is concerned about the conservation of the large trees on this site. We support their preservation and

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care as the process for the future of Fington Field goes forward. And I will just add a personal pin there. I've been monitoring these trees for the last couple years and they have not been taken care of and they have not been watered and u many of them have died and

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have been cut down and it breaks my heart. And so I hope that going forward um there will be a budget um current budget by the Fort Worth ISD to take care of those trees. We ask the Fort Worth ISD to have these trees appraised and given the necessary care during this

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period. Please don't ignore this economic asset. These large mature trees provide to the property. They are true value to the site, to the future use and development, and to the health of this community. Thank you. >> Thank you. Who was the author of that

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book? Um, >> this letter. >> Yeah, the letter. >> This letter is from Judy Harmon, Scenic Fort Worth. We're a chapter of Scenic Texas affiliated with Scenic America. >> Thank you. Want to make sure everyone heard that.

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Please, please just step up. Yeah. Fellow Pascal High School graduate, please. Good evening, Dr. Lacata. Thank you so very much for hosting this tonight. Uh, appreciate the warm and inviting atmosphere. Um, I'm Jerry Tracy and I'm

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a graduate of I [clears throat] guess Lily B, Clayton, Mlan, and Pascal. Love those schools. And, uh, it's wonderful to be with you tonight. Um, I also am the executive director of

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Historic Fort Worth, a 501c3 charity, if I can see here. Um, and historic Fort Worth is governed by 30 board members through and through we communicate with our members through eblast and mailings

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and that group is a little over 6,000. Um, our goal and they participate because it's to save buildings. um to impart information on fundraising events and to feature good work in

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preservation through a variety of avenues. We remain humbled by the governor's award presented to this organization in 2009. Fairington Field and Billingsley Fieldhouse are part of a 36 acre

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National Register Historic District. The result of a 97page National Register nomination that was commissioned by historic Fort Worth and accepted in 2022 by the National Park Service. These two

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public spar sports facil facilities a offer as a springboard of developmental opportunities for the eastern section of the Fort Worth Cultural District for a pre-approved restoration project. Both

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sports facilities may qualify for state tax credits that can be sold for up to 25% on the dollar depending and sold to the private market. Um, and that is depending on the project. They may also

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qualify for an additional federal tax credit worth another 20% on the dollar. When you combine the state and the federal tax credit, you get a total of 45% of the cost of the restoration could

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come back from people who want to invest in projects here like Fington's Fields Rehabilitation and Billings Lee Fieldhouse. Um, these two restoration resources need to be locally landmarked

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to protect them from demolition. That's good stewardship on your part. And to grant developers 10 to 15 years of property tax freezes on the city's portion of the owners adorum taxes. Um although public land in the cultural

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district can never be replaced, a careful compatible development plan by professionals who know how to stage projects to secure the preservationbased tax credits can help to research can

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help to revitalize the areas surrounding the historic sports facilities. Historic Fort Worth advises the Fort Worth ISD decision makers to research preservationbased development firms for your RFPs. Please send to them and to

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work with the Texas Historical Commission. Two corporations that do preservationbased development. One's in Houston and it's called Grow Community Development and I have the contact information here. The other is the

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National Trust for Community Investment Corporation. They would probably be most intrigued by this project. So, they need to be on your your RFP notification list. >> Can we have a copy of that? >> You certainly may. They certainly may. So much.

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>> Thank you. >> Anyone else? Oh, thank you, sir. Okay. >> Could we I think you have one. >> I do have one, but not in this. >> Is there any way you can grab it and email it?

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>> Yes. Yes. Yes. Uh >> it was in there. We will put it up. We >> on the same >> on the same website. We'll put the picture of it. And it's it's sort of like the arc around it. So [snorts] >> do we have the deeds?

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>> We have someone from the city. I'm sure they can help us get the uh >> Yeah, we'll put them up if we can grab them as soon as possible. Yeah. I don't know if we have them, but we'll get them somewhere. Billings is Billingsley Fieldhouse part

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of one of those tracks. >> Uh so it it is with some simulations associated. >> Yes. >> Can't hear on the white. >> Oh, sorry. >> How about how many more speakers do we have?

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>> Okay. We'll do questions at the end. >> Burnham. >> Thank you, sir. >> And I didn't get here to Fort Worth until 1953, so some people still think that I'm an outsider. [laughter] Um, and

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so as I look at all these young people in charge of the school district, I'm kind of in a state of shock. >> Did you just call me young? >> Pardon? >> Did you just call me young? >> Relatively speaking, uh, So, um, very proud graduate of Western

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Hills High School 71. Uh, I could tell you all my misdeeds in kindergarten and elementary school and middle school, but I'll save that for a later conversation. Um, first off, I want to make sure you have this historical context. The city of Fort Worth really screwed up when

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they lost the Carnegie Library because they messed up on the deed restrictions. We don't want the school district to screw up the same way. Period. And I'm relieved by what I see on the screen, but the fact of the matter is, you know,

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there's a whole lot of concern and distrust swirling in this community because of the um takeover. And uh we're not absolutely convinced you guys have a sense of the cultural importance of this

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facility. Yes, I ran track there and yes, I played trombone with a Monig middle school then a junior high. So, we all think it's really important and so if we're on the same page as far as saving the field itself, we should be

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talking about the gym and the parking lot. [snorts] Nobody's mentioned this, so I will. It would be a great sense of loss if the Christmas trees on the northwest corner were not for sale during the

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holiday season. So, don't kick them out of there. Um, I I could not agree more with all the other people that have spoken. There is a way to get to that. Um, uh, whatever it is, 25 million or 50 million. Maybe we start with the Sid Richardson

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Foundation to help us in fundraising. People can understand that's kind of an insider joke. Um, but uh, where there's a will, there's a way was our motto at Western Hills High School when we lost every football game that first season

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that Western Hills was open. And I believe where there's a will, there's a way we can save the entire facility. Because I completely agree with Charles Drifus when he talks about once you lose publiclyowned land, you will never

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recover that space. And if you're thinking about the children, which is what we're supposedly thinking about, open spaces are closing down at the very time children are spending more and more time living in apartments and not in

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single uh family households. So, I was kind of appalled at some of the sales that I heard about last night. I didn't read the agenda before I got here last night, so I wasn't really sure of where those cells were occurring, but stop.

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That board is an appointed board. Most of them don't have the same sense of history that those of us that have been here for a long time. So, please slow down all cells of all public school property and let's get a real evaluation

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of what needs to be done. And I'll be glad to be ask the Sid Richardson Foundation the be the first to ask for getting this grant program going. >> [applause] >> Thank you for that. So, I'm guessing that the historic first victory is really what you're talking about since

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you didn't win since they didn't win the first season, right? So, we're talking about the first history. I think you some some of the things you said were correct, sir. Uh there is this idea that the takeover, but if we aren't showing goodwill tonight, then there's no example of showing goodwill by being here tonight. So, I I think that shows a

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lot right there immediately. So, uh, another let's get through all the speakers first, please. >> Michael Ryan. I went to Blue Bonnet, Mlan, and Pascal. I wasn't here during Roosevelt time, but I did make it during

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Truman's time. So, I'll date myself a little bit. Uh just for the information with Ferington Field, there's been a lot of of work over the years on what ought to happen. In 2008, uh Dr. Johnson, who was superintendent at the time, and I

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sat down, we were going to put a uh performing arts center there uh that that would seat lots of people that would would meet the needs of the district. Uh then she went away. So that proposal went away. After that, uh, the

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next superintendent that that came in looked at that. We went to Mansfield to look at a 6,000 seat auditorium that they had for graduation. Put all that together. Uh, that was going to work out well. Matter of fact, we were even going to put the performing arts school there.

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A matter I sat during a a presentation for my son at the Naval Academy. I had to go outside and talk to the architects to make to tell them what the school needed. that went away because the board didn't have enough money to build that. So we

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put the fine arts school at at I am Terrell. Uh in the interim there was also a discussion about fine arts center being there and some of the money people in the city of Fort Worth, not the city uh staff but then within the city of

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Fort Worth decided that they did not want uh big development at Fington Field with fine arts. So, we ran Trail Drive right beside the stadium when it was supposed to go around to Faux Street. Uh lately, uh two and a half years ago, we

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met with the city of Fort Worth uh and the people that wanted to develop a soccer stadium there for professional soccer. That was the one way that we could pay for the renovation of Fington Field to keep the facade up, not have somebody tear it down, have a really

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nice stadium. Uh and that's where we were trying to go. And to that point, [music] we're here now. And there's nothing else I can say about it. So, I I just hope that that if we do any work around there to bring professional soccer in with the

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city of Fort Worth to make that happen, that uh we will work with them and lease the land so we never lose control of it. Thank you for the pastor. Good evening. Uh my name is Willis Wyers. I'm an architect. I'm wearing uh

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two sets of shoes tonight. Uh the first one as the president of Preservation Texas uh 501c3 organization like Historic Fort Worth that promotes uh the preservation and restoration of historic buildings, sites, and cultures uh

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throughout the state. I live in Mineral Wells, but I've got a whole bunch of friends here uh and colleagues in Fort Worth and very happy to participate in this discussion. Bington Field is such an iconic piece of public architecture

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and art in Fort Worth. It enhances the extraordinary architectural character of the surround surrounding cultural district blending in not only with the historic uh Aean Carter complex but also the magnificent contemporary museums

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also constructed of cast inplace concrete two and only two and three blocks away. It's an very uh fascinating juxtiposition of old and new. The historic stadium has solid architectural bones that can easily be adapted and

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upgraded to accommodate modern multi-purpose uses and functionality. Preservation Texas applauds and supports Fort Worth ISD for what basically for what's on the screen here tonight. uh for demonstrating vision and their

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commitment toward the preservation of this architectural treasure uh as well as its long-term adaptive reuse. Now, I'm going to step into my other uh set of shoes. Uh I was uh uh uh I'm actually originally from Dallas. I was the

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director I retired as the director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department in 2019. Uh, and I've had uh over my 27-year career there, I've had the opportunity for to uh basically restore uh all of the historic buildings

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uh in the uh in the park system in Dallas, including the buildings at Fair Park and particularly and uh most pointedly uh uh in reference to our discussion tonight, uh the Cotton Bowl. So we had uh we had two major projects

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at the Cotton Bowl which was a a a decrepit old uh derelict stadium. Many similar issues uh with Ferington Field. But, uh, believe me, if we can revive, if we were able to revive the cotton

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bowl, uh, through two capital campaigns, I can promise you the the the, uh, restoration, a renovation, adaptive reuse of Ferington Field can be an effortless uh, project uh, for Fort Worth ISD. And I stand ready to assist

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uh, the the district in any way I can. Uh, I've personally written probably 600 RFPs in my career for projects very similar to this and would be glad to have that conversation or offer my u my

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uh expertise uh to the district for you to help with this. >> Thank you. [applause] My name is Carol Roark. I unfortunately am not a graduate of the Fort Worth ISD.

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I came to Fort Worth about 50 years ago to go to TCU and I married somebody who graduated from Fort Worth ISD. So, I hope it gives me at least a little bit of street cred. >> You're in charge of someone. >> I [clears throat] I'm in charge of someone who who I don't always manage

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him well, but but I try. Um, and I'm going to speak just just for a moment here and and give you one word of warning. Something that I found. I'm a historian, an archavist and a historian, and I love to dig through uh background material.

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And Susan Klein wrote a wonderful National Register nomination for Ferington Field and the Billingsley Fieldhouse. And yes, which let people know about its significance. And one thing that she

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pointed out and that I was able to get a little more documentation on tonight but or today, but a little more is needed is that when the city of Fort Worth sold

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the land to the Fort Worth ISD for Fairington Field and the parking, they said under the new agreement, the city will sell the land for the stadium outright, but will retain a reversionary

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interest in land surrounding it. The adjacent land will revert to the city in the event the stadium is sold or leased for any other use than recreation or athletics. I haven't found this in the

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deed records yet. I spent a little bit of time this evening looking, but it appears in three different pa places in the Star Telegram. So, it wasn't just a one-off. And I think that I think Lon

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Verna mentioned the fact that the city of Fort Worth had lost uh the downtown Carnegie Library because they didn't read about a deed restriction and didn't pay any attention to it. So, I'm just wanting you to be aware of it as you write your RFP and make sure that you

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don't mess up. >> Well, there's a reason why our attorney is here. He's sitting right there. I'm sure you may. >> Okay. appreciate that information and I have all of the articles that go that for the sale of the land and the

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setback the city and ISD negotiating and it's all there >> they believe that it's been told to me that that no longer an issue because the original the land

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sold it to the city with those and then the city sold it to the >> restrictions. Okay. Well, my understanding was that I don't know. >> Do we have anybody else that wants to

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come up to the podium to speak and we will have time for one or two more speakers to come up if anybody else would like to. >> Hi, thank you. Hi, I'm uh Steve Klein and unfortunately I also did not go to Fort Worth schools but uh my spouse is

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Susan who was mentioned who did the national uh register nomination and I was fortunate enough to be her assistant um on that and uh we developed uh just a real love for Farington Field and also not to forget the the gymnasium. I hope

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that isn't forgotten. and the the gymnasium. Um, my background is as a preservation architect. And so I want to stress again the importance of an RFP and [clears throat and snorts] to put into the RFP, you know, to have a

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historic preservation professional and also with this R RFP, I know it may work out in the end to um, you know, do different things with different portions of the land. But I also would stress to

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look at all of this again holistically because you know the stadium could use uh potentially functions on that land that could provide support. The gymnasium could also be supportive of of

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certain things that are built whether it be housing, retail. And you know the thing is with historic preservation um it allows for a lot of modifications. Um, I am also retired. I was the historic preservation fine arts officer

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for the general services administration, the federal government, and we were here in Fort Worth. So, again, like Willis mentioned, um, have been involved, you know, with the importance of the RFPs and worked on rehabbing historic buildings in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas,

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Louisiana, and Louisiana, and New Mexico. So, uh, you know, it's the type of thing for these type of projects to have as a component, you know, someone that has worked on these buildings. I know there are some people that have concerns about historic buildings, but

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yes, you can modernize [clears throat] them for today and still have them be very sensitive to the features that make them historic and that we all love. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you.

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Do we have anybody else would like to come to the podium before so we'll take this our last gentleman please join us thank you so much and then yes sir and then we will open up the floor if anybody would like to ask questions of staff and for

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those that are online we we do have the chat open we don't see any comments there yet online but we're happy to take any feedback online as well >> uh my name is Gordon Appleman. Went to South High Mount Alice Carlson Mlan Junior High and graduated from

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Pascal back from the old building. It's now Trimblete for a little history for y'all. I'm up here mainly to ask questions because I've been concerned that the public has not been given enough

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information to ask or make suggestions as to productive uses and novel ideas about how to preserve the historic nature of the whole area. And we've had a good example of that today. And I

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think it would help all of us if we had things like title opinions that would answer some of these questions. If we had estimates the the estimates that were made of the costs to refurbish the Fington Field because I've heard from

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other people different numbers about that. I asked for a copy of the tracks that were drawn around that stadium and some of them are on the west side and I can't see how anybody could put anything

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other than a food truck between the western entrance and University Drive. And so I think it would be critical for people to be able to see those tracks in order to make intelligent suggestions

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about how they could be used to support that stadium. Coupled with the idea that Margaret talked about as far as the height limitations, you get some tall buildings in there, that stadium will disappear in

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a sea of mixed use. the fattish mixed use. Everything is a mixed use these days and there's plenty of mixed use around there. There's hotels across Lancaster Street. Uh and so there's

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plenty of mixed use and I think that we just need to follow the suggestions of all the informed people. I'm just a lay person that doesn't know much about this, but I'm just interested in it. And and so um I I don't understand the

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numbers either. I was I read something that talked about $250 million dollars to do something or another. And now I'm today I'm hearing $26 million to bring this up to code. And I've talked to some people that say that it's pretty well up

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to code right now with meeting most of the ADA requirements. So, I'd kind of like to know who estimated $26 million to improve um what's already there. So, with that,

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I will close. And I appreciate you're making this opportunity available. I'm very much disappointed that no managers were here because it's different for them to watch this this discussion online than to be here and look them eye to eye.

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>> We asked them not to be here purposefully. So they did not have any type of conflict of being here, not being here because then you have a quorum and that would be >> Well, if you only had four people here, you wouldn't have a quorum. >> Yes, exactly. But if we had five, we would. So we h we weren't we can't just

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pick four. Yes. We can't tell five or four to stay home. So we went with all of them. So we're going to we'll come to the you if there questions that you'd like staff to answer. And please know that if we don't have an answer, we have staff here capturing the information and we'll be happy to do follow-ups. But if

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there's anybody here that has questions for us, I bring you the mic. Okay. >> It was just raised and apparently is in some minds is still at issue. Uh so it's a question for the Fort Worth attorney.

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Who is that? Hi, I'm Evan Farington. I'm also an attorney. former Texas Court of Appeals attorney. >> I actually think I know the answer to this, but we will we will verify. >> This has been, you know, in my family since I was a little I mean, well, since

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my dad was a little boy, since he kicked the first football in Fington Field in 1939 and uh so it's been an issue in our f my dad always told me about the deed reversion, etc. Um, but I'd read recent articles recently that indicated that it

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was no longer an issue that the city and ISD had come to some understanding and there had been some legal opinion rendered. So, I will ask you, >> we of course do not have those legal documents in front of us tonight. So, we will verify this, but it is my understanding that the reverter was

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reversed or released um before Trail Drive was built. But we we will pull those documents to verify that. >> That'd be fantastic. >> So each other's >> we have staff capturing all the

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questions as you guys are asking. So, if there's additional follow-up, our team is going to make sure that we do provide that follow-up and we can put up a frequently asked questions document on our website where we posted the presentation tonight. Mine is the money question. I'm shocked

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at the notion that it would be $25 million to bring Fington Field back up to standards. And I realize that there's some things that just need they needed to be done when I was in high school. All right, Miss Spencer can answer that.

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>> So, one of the um in approximately 2021, as I mentioned earlier, there was an assessment that was completed in engineering architecture um to determine the deficiencies that existed um needs of the facility as well as ADA

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deficiencies. And that assessment was taken and um an evaluation was done to estimate the cost associated with each of those repairs. Um I don't have that document in front of me but it would include things other than accessibility issues would include things like cracks

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in concrete. Um there's a non you know there's no elevator there. There's a lot of things that need to be done to address the accessibility issues. Um but that is a public document. We're happy to post that as well so individuals can see can see that um so that you can see

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all of the and again that was several years ago um but we do have that information. >> Thank you Miss Spencer. These are mostly administrative questions and one would be attention to

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the environmental protection act still in effect signed by Richard Nixon. Cumulative impacts cumulative impacts around the cultural district and through Twin Park are simply huge and recognizing them has been useful. uh

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when uh runaway governments have sought to destroy our land heritage. Cumulative impact analysis can keep federal funding away and I wouldn't want to you to lose this

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federal funding but cumulative impact analysis is indeed important. the consultant a consultant that sir a consultant I've I've seen a lot of consultant studies and when you go back and look at them they tell the staff what the staff wants to hear so they'll

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get the next job and I've seen it done on buildings that huge repair bill shrunk by more than half way down just as soon as the building was privatized it just is wonderful to watch and I've

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been watching 50 years what do you think of that u you don't know the consultants, but some of them are so governmentmentoriented that they don't even have their phone number in the book. [panting] They they're getting it and and this

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business about finance. Fington Field, our athletic facility and the land around it, this historic part of the cultural district does not have to balance revenue to continue to

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exist as a public facility. >> The revenue, >> yeah, do you think revenue is balancing this with revenue is a trap? >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, we'll provide a followup to that question, but that's not something

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staff can answer tonight. pay taxes. >> Miss Spencer, one question. When this originally came to the district, uh the people that came with it for professional soccer was also the city of Fort Worth. And are we still working

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with the city of Fort Worth to look at professional soccer in here? >> Well, we have two fine city employees in the back there. And I don't know if you guys were prepared to answer that question, but everything we're going to be doing is certainly with with their with >> [music]

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>> uh connection and communication with them. Uh and to address your statement on a quick answer, we're not looking to make revenue on this. What we're trying to do is get the revenue to fix it is really we're just trying to fix it is really our main objective.

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>> That's why we pay tax. >> Yep. Exactly. add one thing. >> Do you have a question? Do you have a question? >> A question. Thank you. >> Concerning Billingsley,

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is it going to turn into the stepchild next to Fington Field? Can you tell us how you all will elevate its stature? I'm married to a man who went to Eastern Hills and he was a really short basketball player [laughter]

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and they'd bring in the really tall guys and he really loved that. But uh it was a wannabe situation. So tell us how we keep billings from stepping >> and we have time for one more question after that. >> So one of the reasons um other than

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ensuring radical transparency on reissuing the RFP is to seek clarity or to provide clarity to any um respondents about our desires for Billingsley. Um I do not believe that was clear um in the

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initial um solicitation because that is something that's a facility that we want to continue to be able to utilize for that to support the community as well. There's lots of different options that could exist and how we how that happens. I think we heard some of those tonight.

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Um there's compliments to the stadium, there's compliments to the cultural district. Um and so we'll be looking for respondents to provide suggestions for the best way to continue utilizing that facility um in complement of Fington

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Field. >> That's a So do you want to That's actually a good question. So the question was how do you decide to whom you send the proposal? Uh so heard some great suggestions tonight uh that we want to make sure that we get those to the preser the preservation groups for

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sure. Um typically the school district um posts um as required by law in written publication um generally in the commercial recorder. We will be doing a casting a wider net um this time and

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making sure that that is also sent to um real estate developers in the DFW area as well as throughout out the state. Um we want to get this out so as many individuals who would like to respond have the opportunity to do so. >> Like online.

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>> Yeah. Can we open up? >> Yeah, we can we can tell them to email the media desk. So, what we'd like Oh, I'm sorry, sir. >> So, as a community organizer, I almost always have a sign-in list so I know who was there and how to get back in touch

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with them, but you didn't tonight. Do you want one before we dismiss class? >> I I think we could. [laughter] That is awesome. Thank you for that reminder because not everyone identified themselves and we are on video. I I do want to say a couple things. We're going

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to try and keep some comments open because you guys probably like me or folks that process think about it and say, "Shoot, I should have said or how about this." So, uh, on that page, you'll have a link to where you can continue to add some thoughts and processes for the next 24 hours. This

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way, if you're like me, it takes it takes me 24 hours. It's about the time I've been on this job. 24 hours to process it. So, if you want to write down this, this email address, it goes right to our staff. Media Dia

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at media dia at fisdy.org. fwisd.org. That is our media email address. So if you see it on the website in case you think of something on your way home and folks that are listening think of

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something as well that's important. It's very important. Um >> we have one more Dr. Lato. >> Oh go ahead. >> You can close out. >> Finally right of >> I'll phrase it as a question. Are you aware? And you know, Ferington Field's always been my the thing I've been championing, but

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Billings League Fieldhouse apparently has some pretty impressive credentials on its own. >> And a a sports writer friend of mine told me, and I I don't know this personally, but >> for quite a number of years, the McDonald's All-American High School

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Allstar Basketball Tournament >> was hosted out of Billingsley. So, the top high school all-star basketball game in the country was hosted out of Billingsley Fieldhouse for quite a number of years. Talking about an

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economic engine, bringing people all in in from all over the country to play in an old school gym. That's pretty cool. >> That is I remember when I was in high school, I was invited to play in that game. Uh if about 6,000 people got injured before the game, I was 6,0001 to

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get on that team. So, I missed my opportunity there. Um, I I do want to leave you with one thing that's that's very important. As a superintendent, my first role is what? To educate children. That's why I'm here. We know that. But we also know, and I know I'm sure you you know this, sir, and many of you, our

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schools don't look like they did when you guys went to them. They have not been maintained in a way that we really need to look good. But more importantly, if I take money [music] in a capital budget that's as tight as you know how tight it is and put it towards a football field, I don't think I'm doing

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the right thing. So that's why we're in this position. Uh I just my contract got signed last night officially. I want to make sure that we do everything the right way. But it's hard for me to be able to find the amount of money to get from one place to another without taking

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from the classroom. And that's my priority. I am a former athlete. I know it's important. I know the history and that's why I walked it and I'm really appreciative of some of the things I heard tonight. I think the value in what you said tonight is very important and it gives us an opportunity to think

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about it and I think Miss Spencer has already wrote some things down that we want to make sure that we elaborate inside the RFP. But at the end of the day, I really my first focus is students and where they're sitting and such. So that that to me is most important, but hearing what you all have to say is

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equally important. So, I appreciate you guys tonight. Please sign the attendance list. Um, I am supposed to be downtown at 6:30 and I am about 25 minutes away from that. So, I'm hoping the traffic isn't too bad. We do have an open line of communication. I do get your emails.

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I do read them. Um, please continue that. Please continue that. And, uh, thank you for being here. Uh, I I don't know how to say thank you enough, but it it's made a difference already. And we feel it. And we feel it. So, thank you guys very very much. Appreciate it.

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>> [music] >> Clear. [music] Clear. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music]