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Fort Worth City Council will vote on whether to purchase the property at 512 W. Fourth St. for a future, permanent downtown library. The building currently houses The Center for Transforming Lives. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
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Just over a year after Fort Worth closed its central library branch, a new permanent downtown library location could be on the horizon. 

The city announced July 31 that it plans to purchase a historic downtown Fort Worth building, located at 512 W. 4th St. and renovate it to become a new library branch. The decision still needs City Council approval, with a vote scheduled for Aug. 13.

“The new Fort Worth Downtown Library will enrich the downtown cultural landscape and serve as a vibrant hub for learning, innovation and community engagement,” council member Elizabeth Beck, who represents the area, said in a statement. “This historic building holds a special place in the hearts of Fort Worth residents and is a testament to Fort Worth’s dedication to preserving our city’s history while advancing our future to meet the evolving needs of our diverse community.”

If council approves the deal, city staff could begin planning the building’s renovation in early 2025, according to the announcement. Library spokesperson Theresa Davis said there is no estimated timeline for when the location could open. 

She said staff is asking council to approve an allocation of $6.5 million to purchase the building. Those funds, plus an additional $6.5 million for the building’s renovation, will come from the sale of the previous downtown library building. The previous library building, located at 500 W. 3rd St., was officially sold to national real estate investment and development firm Dart Interests for $18 million in May 2023. 

This spring, City Manager David Cooke said the city has $15.9 million left from the library sale and plans to use $3.4 million for a far northwest library. At the time, Beck said she worried that using funds originally dedicated to a new downtown library to pay for other projects would make it harder to find a location when the time came. 

“This council made a decision based on some information, I won’t even say it wasn’t good information, but just on some assumptions that we would be able to find a building rather quickly and operate a downtown library again, and we can’t,” Beck, who could not be reached for additional comment Wednesday, said at the time. 

District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck listens to public comments during a City Council meeting on June 4, 2024. (Alberto Silva Fernandez | Fort Worth Report)

Last summer, the city announced initial plans to reopen the downtown library by leasing the main floor and basement of a building at 100 Main St. The plan fell through in November when the city ended negotiations to lease the space, saying at the time that “a long-term agreement would not be mutually beneficial.” 

In March, the city opened the Downtown Express Library, a room at City Hall where residents can check out books and use free Wi-Fi. The space features more than 800 items but does not include computers or a lounge area. 

Repurposing a historic site

The proposed site for the downtown library currently houses the Center for Transforming Lives, a nonprofit agency focused on reducing poverty among women and children in Tarrant County. The organization plans to build its new headquarters on a tract of empty land at 3001 S. Riverside Drive. 

The five-story building, built in the late 1920s, first served as the headquarters for the Fort Worth Elks Lodge fraternity, according to Historic Fort Worth Inc. archives. The Center for Transforming Lives, then known as the Young Women’s Christian Association of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, purchased the building in 1955 and has been headquartered there since. 

Now, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Texas Historical Commission’s registry of historic landmarks. 

“(The city) truly appreciates the historic nature of the building and the role it plays downtown,” Carol Klocek, CEO of the Center for Transforming Lives, said in a statement to the Report. “We couldn’t ask for a better buyer.”

Trish Rodriguez, the center’s director of communications, said she’s happy to see the city poised to repurpose the building and continue its historic legacy. 

The center hopes to relocate to its new space by the end of 2024 or early 2025, Rodriguez said. The larger space will allow the center to assist 30% more families in its first year, she added. 

Jerre Tracy, executive director of Historic Fort Worth Inc., said the building’s place on the national register will ensure that its history will be preserved as it steps into a new era of use. 

“A new use is always a good message if you care about historic buildings in your city,” Tracy said. 

She recalled when the Center for Transforming Lives renovated the building after taking it over from the Fort Worth Elks Lodge and said the building was easily adapted to fit the organization’s needs. She noted that historic buildings are generally made of “sound” materials that hold up well under multiple renovations. 

“This is an amazing gift to the citizens of Fort Worth,” Tracy said. “They’re going to have a building with a historic past that has been positive in our city.”

Downtown branch to address community needs

Davis, the library spokesperson, said she’s hopeful that council will approve the purchase of the building. The purchase will allow the library system to meet the needs of residents across the city, especially those who have been vocal about wanting the downtown library replaced. 

“We’ve heard loud and clear from downtown residents, as well as residents across the city, that having a downtown location was so meaningful. They felt it was important to the cultural fiber of the city, as well as to a vibrant downtown life,” Davis said. “So we’re excited to be able to continue that in that central downtown area that is obviously quite important to our residents.”

Reed Bilz, who previously advocated for a more robust downtown branch, said she’s glad the city has identified a new location for the library and hopes to see it address the needs of the community. 

She noted computers and a lounge area are essential community needs, especially for people experiencing homelessness. At the previous downtown library, staff reported hundreds of incidents — ranging from verbal conflicts to threats and assaults — involving a small, consistent group of homeless patrons. City officials later brought in additional security at library branches. 

Reed Bilz speaks at a Fort Worth City Council meeting on June 4 at City Hall. (Alberto Silva Fernandez | Fort Worth Report)

Bilz, who previously served on the city’s library advisory board, said a downtown library isn’t just about checking out books; it should also serve as a place for people to connect and work, she said. She criticized the city’s decision to close the previous library without a solid plan in place for replacing it, and she said the Downtown Express Library was not an adequate replacement. 

“The thing in the City Hall is worthless. There’s no computers. There’s no lounge where people can sit and read and work on computers, and parking is limited, also,” Bilz said. “It certainly is inadequate. It’s not a downtown library.” 

City to solicit community input on library plan

Portions of the building not protected by the historic registry will require major renovations to serve as a modern library location, according to the city announcement. Davis said renovations will be designed based on community needs, which staff plan to solicit from residents in the coming months. 

Although no concrete plans have been made yet, she said the city will use online surveys and community meetings to gather feedback from residents on the library plan. For now, residents can sign up for email updates to stay up to date on the project, she said. 

“We know that it’s been frustrating for residents, and we are very excited that we’re making progress and that we can demonstrate our commitment to continuing to provide services for the downtown community,” Davis said. 

For now, residents can access the Downtown Express Library until the permanent downtown branch opens, she said. 

Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org or @bycecilialenzen. 

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.