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The city announced Royal Capital as the master developer for the Evans and Rosedale urban village, in Fort Worth’s Historic Southside neighborhood. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
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Eight months after cutting ties with a developer tapped to redevelop Historic Southside, the city of Fort Worth announced a new master developer for its Evans and Rosedale urban village project. 

Royal Capital, a Milwaukee-based company, was chosen to lead the project after the city launched a new search in March. The city reviewed 11 applications, and said in a press release it selected Royal Capital based on its creative thinking, business equity practices and experience securing financing for projects in difficult markets.

“We believe our core principles of candid-thoughtful-agile will lead to a vibrant place-based community investment that will become a leading destination for live-work-play for many years to come,” Royal Capital founder and CEO Kevin Newell said in a statement. 

The company’s financing experience was a priority for the city, which canceled its contract with former master developer Hoque Global for its inability to successfully finance the project under deadlines laid out by staff. Hoque Global also struggled to attract minority subcontractors as required in the incentive deal it received from the city, according to previous Fort Worth Report coverage. 

Hoque Global planned to construct a $70 million mixed-use, walkable urban development on Evans Avenue and Rosedale Street in exchange for $19.7 million in land, grants and payments from the Southside Tax Increment Financing District. The details of the Royal Capital contract are still being finalized as the project takes shape, a city spokesperson confirmed in an email to the Fort Worth Report. 

“Next steps will involve community engagement, as Royal Capital will be collaborating with the city and the Historic Southside community for the remainder of the year to help define the project,” the city wrote in a statement. “It’s important that the community has a chance to provide their input, which will help inform the term sheet/contract.”

If any incentives are required, city staff will provide updates through the Fort Worth Local Development Corporation and City Council, according to the statement.

The developer was announced two days after the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association’s monthly meeting. President James Walker said that the association is awaiting further details before making a statement.

The project itself has been decades in the making. The city first began acquiring parcels in the area in the ’90s, and issued two unsuccessful calls for development proposals in 2002 and 2006. It looked like new life would be breathed into the redevelopment plans in 2021, when Fort Worth first announced the Hoque Global contract, only for those hopes to be dashed in December 2023.In February, two months after city officials announced their decision to part ways with Hoque Global, Geraldine Williams, also known as “Miss Jherre,” was one of several citizens who shared frustration over the development process.“Why does it appear so easy to develop everywhere in town but here?” Williams, who also serves as the secretary for the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association, said.

Geraldine Williams, better known as Miss Jherre, speaks at the community meeting on the Evans and Rosedale redevelopment project at the Ella Mae Shamblee Fort Worth Public Library, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sandra Sadek | Fort Worth Report)

Before rebooting the search for a developer, Fort Worth ISD school board trustee Wallace Bridges asked city staff to assure residents that the city has learned from the Hoque contract.

“Can we have a little bit of acknowledgment of mistakes that were made and how do we avoid that happening again, because there were red flags along the way,” Bridges said. “Many of us tried to say, ‘Hey, it don’t look like this is going to work,’ because we’ve been down this road before.”At the February meeting, Mayor Mattie Parker acknowledged that the timeline was fast but reassured residents that the city would include their voices in the process.

“The city does need to apologize,” Parker told residents gathered at the Ella Mae Shamblee Library. “The timeline, while aggressive, and while (it) may cause some pause, I think you need to hold us to that. At the same time demanding that your wishes and vision are the plan.”

At the time, city officials planned to use federal COVID-19 pandemic relief dollars to pay for the redevelopment project. To meet federal regulations, Fort Worth needed to spend the money by the end of 2026. 

However, that equation has now changed following a unanimous June City Council vote, where council members decided to use city dollars rather than federal funding.

Fort Worth resident Johnny Lewis holds Historic Southside redevelopment plans in front of his house. His wife, Shirley Lewis, developed the plan for economic growth in the area in partnership with the city of Fort Worth in the early 2000s. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)

Now, 6 acres sit ready to be transformed into an urban village. The properties that make up that acreage are part of the Historic Southside, which once made a name for itself as a hub for Black commerce in Fort Worth. Over the years, the neighborhood has been home to key Fort Worth Black establishments such as Mount Zion Baptist Church, the Fort Worth Tarrant County NAACP and the Lenora Rolla Heritage Center Museum, which houses the Tarrant County Black Historical Genealogical Society.

“I’m excited to work with community members, together with Royal Capital Group, on this redevelopment,” District 8 council member Chris Nettles said in a statement. “I look forward to making sure the redevelopment efforts at Evans and Rosedale are focused on needed economic revitalization that honors the legacy of the area.”

Over the last few years, excitement has grown for the National Juneteenth Museum, a potential anchor in the neighborhood. It has been touted as a significant part of the greater redevelopment of Evans and Rosedale. 

“We appreciate the city’s intentional and deliberate selection process, and are excited about the possibility of collaborating with Royal Capital in the ongoing effort to make the Historic Southside a premier destination for residents and guests,” National Juneteenth Museum CEO Jarred Howard said.

The selection of Royal Capital doesn’t mean construction will start immediately, however. The company intends to work with the city and community to finalize site plans throughout the rest of the year. Delays in getting the generational project off the ground have previously drawn ire from residents, many of whom have called for changes at Evans and Rosedale for decades.

The Fort Worth Local Development Corporation will receive a briefing about the project at its Sept. 24 meeting, and the city plans to schedule a community feedback session afterward. There, residents and businesses will be able to meet the development team, provide feedback and ask questions.

Marcheta Fornoff covers arts and culture for the Fort Worth Report. Reach her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org.

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