For years, Crescent Real Estate Chairman John Goff commuted past a 5-acre plot in the heart of Fort Worth’s affluent Cultural District. Despite a desire to see something be built on the prime plot of land, the local developer—who has owned The Crescent Dallas three different times—never dreamed of developing it himself.
Plans for The Crescent Fort Worth did not manifest until 2020 when Mary Ralph Lowe, CEO of family-owned energy company Maralo, visited Goff in his home for a beer after securing a contract on the land.
“It was a head-scratcher as to why more had not been developed in the area,” Goff says. “There were numerous failed attempts to do a hotel on this land, but they were all just yet another project—frankly ugly, somewhat high-rising, middle-end hotels. None of that product was embraced by the Cultural District. And, architecturally, they were really problematic because all the developers who preceded us wanted to build too high, and they would eclipse the views of the local museums that boast historic architecture across the street.”
Lowe, who happens to be Goff’s neighbor, had yet to close on the purchase when the two business leaders sat down for a drink. Real estate development was not her forte, so while the two bantered, Lowe expressed interest in assigning the contract to Goff once she did ink the paperwork. Crescent would develop the property with Lowe serving as the investor.
The one stipulation Lowe had was that Goff had to open a bar named Ralph’s—after her late father who helped drill more than 500 wells in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico. “That was easy,” Goff says with a laugh. (Ralph’s is the property’s half-private, half-public rooftop bar and lounge; it’s set to open sometime this month.)
I want this development to be the living room of Fort Worth.
John Goff, Chairman, Crescent Real Estate
Today, four years later, the land has blossomed into a mixed-use anchor in the Fort Worth Cultural District. The 200-key hotel has opened to rave reviews and has already set a new benchmark for occupancy in the city.
The 160,000-square-foot office building is completely leased, and the ink just dried for a second adjacent office building due to demand. Tenants range from oil and gas companies and banks to money management firms and family offices. The multifamily property that has 170 units is seeing early success, as well.
“The challenge in office development right now is you’ve got to charge in the $50s per square foot in rent to build a really nice office product that’s in an urban environment with a parking garage,” Goff says. “There were no office buildings in the city that were charging those kinds of rents. So we had to make a big bet that we could attract tenants because of the amenities here.”
The Crescent Fort Worth, which is a district in and of itself, also boasts a 26,000-square-foot Canyon Ranch Wellness Club and, once the development is fully built out, it will be home to up to eight restaurants—including a Duro Hospitality concept that will draw inspiration from iconic polo clubs from around the world.
Additionally, Goff has received approval from the city to assist in redeveloping four city blocks on Camp Bowie Boulevard that stretch from Montgomery Street to University Drive. “It’s going to be a much more walkable area with much better lighting, much better landscaping, a better streetscape, and we’re going to slow the traffic down. We have the design done, and that will get underway very soon,” he says.
But the developer doesn’t plan on stopping in Cowtown. He is adding a residential tower at The Crescent Dallas and is shopping the Crescent Hotel concept in various markets across the country. “We have six new locations that we’re currently working on,” Goff told D CEO. “That’s not to say all those will happen, but we’re working on them.”
A Weekend Staycation in Fort Worth
As I walked into The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth, I was transported to a world away—despite just being 40 miles from my home in Dallas. The bold architecture was executed by Denver-based Oz Architects, and the eye-popping art was curated by local art dealer John Runyon.
As Goff says, “Fort Worth was ready for a high-end hotel.” And upon entrance it seemed the property delivered. I began my long weekend by wrapping up some work at The Circle Bar, the property’s lounge just outside of its signature restaurant, Emilia’s. I sipped on the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and nibbled on a bowl of its parmesan and rosemary French fries—I admittedly got lost in the bowl of fries while staring at an intriguing piece of art (shown at right).
Walking around Fort Worth’s Cultural District is a must, especially on a beautiful Friday afternoon. Just across the street from the hotel is the Kimbell Art Museum, and adjacent to that is the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Kimbell’s museum structure is a work of art by itself—the Roman-inspired architecture perfectly contrasts with its collection of pieces by Michelangelo, Monet, Picasso, and more. The Modern Art Museum is a quintessential neighbor boasting tons of natural light and a beautiful reflecting pond as well as a collection of fascinating pieces that date back to World War II—plus, Fridays are free.
The hotel has done a good job of complementing the local museums while not overshadowing them. Many hotels attempt to be an art gallery; The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth simply plays off of its surroundings. As Goff puts it, “We could never compete—we sought out to respectfully embrace the nature of art in this district.
“In many ways, this area is becoming a smaller, but comparable Knox-Henderson in Dallas,” Goff adds. “This whole area in Fort Worth will soon undergo a renaissance and offer an urban alternative to the city’s downtown.”
Our Friday evening was capped off with dinner at Emilia’s. Start with the buratta and the grilled Spanish octopus—you won’t be disappointed. My wife opted for the house-made Italian sausage pizza as her main. The thin crust had the perfect crisp, and the teardrop peppers added a nice zest to a classic pie.
I opted for the the Creste de Gallo pasta, which comes with rock shrimp and a blistered tomato fra diavolo sauce. I paired the pasta with some roasted Brussels sprouts topped with honey and herbs—again, you won’t be let down.
The next morning, we began right where we left off: Emilia’s. The breakfast spread is just as good as dinner. The steel-cut oatmeal and avocado toast are hits, according to my wife. The lemon ricotta pancakes and caramelized apple turnovers are also best in class—that, according to me.
A sunny Saturday called for a trip to the Fort Worth Zoo where we watched a lion cub chase a squirrel, a giraffe eat lettuce from our hands to its heart’s desire, and two cuddling tigers. The afternoon was capped with some shopping at local vintage clothing spot Vagabond Vintage Fort Worth and drinks on the patio at Little Woodrow’s—both just around the corner from the hotel.
If you prefer botany over zoology, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden also is near the hotel. It is the oldest public botanic garden in Texas that comprises of 120 acres of stunning garden grounds.
That evening, my wife and I indulged with a dinner at Blue Room, Emilia’s private area, which has a separate menu from Emilia’s. We got things going with five bite-sized hors d’oeuvres. Its everything bagel and lox hors d’oeuvre is a mini ice cream cone stuffed with smoked salmon and topped with everything bagel seasoning. We could have eaten probably 20 of those.
Be sure to ask if there are any off-menu hors d’oeuvres for the evening. I was lucky enough to score the tuna carpaccio, which is A1, sushi-grade tuna from the East Coast garnished with lemon zest, yuzu oil, and maldon sea salt—all squeezed into three bites.
We then moved on to a spicy Italian sausage tomato soup; the flavors were bold, and the heat packed a punch. Next up were Parker House rolls, and we couldn’t push away from them. Our waiter then suggested an intermezzo course—call it an intermission between starters and our main. We went with the wagyu bolognese, which was amazing.
For the mains, my wife went with the venison filet with a decadent blueberry compote. I couldn’t fight off the temptation for the fish of the day, an Atlantic striped bass, which was seasoned with garlic, shallot, white wine, rosemary, thyme, butter, salt, and toasted black pepper. It arrived served on a bed of polenta and sundried tomato relish garnished by nasturtium, an arugula-like micro herb.
To conclude, we stuffed our souls—there was no room elsewhere—with a serving of lemon meringue tart alongside a bowl of coconut sorbet. My wife and I walked off the dinner with a pleasant stroll around the neighborhood. Once Goff and the city give the strip a facelift, it will be even more enjoyable.
Sunday morning, especially after a delicious night of dining, would not have been complete without a visit to the Canyon Ranch Wellness Club. Guests have access to the massive gym and can book spa appointments and workout classes via the venue’s app. The hotel offers anything from yoga classes to spin sessions. The spa, which has rolled out a complete lineup of treatments and massages, also offers grooming for both women and men.
“I want this development to be the living room of Fort Worth,” Goff says. And indeed, safely distanced from the hustle of Dallas, I felt right at home in what is sure to become Fort Worth’s new common area.
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