Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision

Yesterday, in a blogging suggesting Fort Worth build a Rotating Tower, I mentioned that a current, slow-going project, known as the Trinity River Vision was a likely boondoggle.

Mr. Anonymous commented on the blogging and the reference to "boondoggle" with this:

"The TRV is crucial to the city's future. It's no boondoggle, and it's far more than what you're describing. It will serve as a critically important tool to give new residents an alternative to the idiotic suburban sprawl that cripples our wonderful city."

From Wikipedia, defining Boondoggle---"Boondoggle has come to refer to a government or corporate project involving large numbers of people and usually, heavy expenditure, where at some point the key operators have realized that the project is never going to work, but are reluctant to bring this to the attention of their superiors. Generally there is an aspect of "going through the motions"—for example, continuing research and development—as long as funds are available to keep paying the researchers' and executives' salaries. The situation can be allowed to continue for what seem like unreasonably long periods, as senior management are often reluctant to admit that they allowed a failed project to go on for so long. In many cases, the actual device itself may eventually work, but not well enough to ever recoup its development costs."

Note, I did not say the TRV project was a Boondoggle, I said it would likely become one. Now, why do I think this project may become a Boondoggle? Well. The proposed area is an industrial wasteland. I remember when Tacoma wanted to remove an old industrial plant from the waterfront called Asarco, it became one of the biggest Superfund pollution cleanups ever. I suspect when the bulldozers begin to do their thing and testing of the soil is done, bad things are going to be found.

Another reason I think this is a likely Boondoggle is originally the plan did not call for a flood diversion channel. That was added on so as to justify getting Federal money for the project. The Trinity River flooded badly at some point in the 1950s. After that, dam-like dikes were built to stop that sort of flood from happening again. Now those dam-like dikes are to be taken down due to the diversion channel supposedly being able to handle an epic flood.

Another reason I think this may turn out to be yet one more Fort Worth Boondoggle is I've seen so many since I've been here. The Sante Fe Rail Market Boondoggle where city planners claimed an extremely lame food court type thing was the first public market in Texas and was modeled after Seattle's Pike Place and markets in Europe. Instead it was a Boondoggle.

The Lancaster Avenue Redevelopment Boondoggle. Years ago a section of Interstate 30, that hovered above Lancaster Avenue, was removed, revealing a very run down section of highway, just south of another Fort Worth Boondoggle, that being the Convention Center, where few Conventions take place, and where a city-subsidized hotel is under construction which will likely turn into yet one more Boondoggle, when it fails to cause an increase in Convention bookings.

After the freeway came down the plans were to quickly fix up Lancaster Avenue, with landscaping. But for years it remained a heavily weeded eyesore. In the past year there has been some improvement. But there are still none of the promised restaurants or flurry of other development, except for converting an old building into lofts.

The whole Cabela's deal is sort of a Fort Worth Boondoggle.

The city of Fort Worth taking over the failed Mercado in the Stockyards zone is pretty much a Boondoggle.

So, it's no mystery to me why I think this Trinity River Vision may turn out to be yet one more Boondoggle. Mr. Anonymous said the vision is far more than I described. Yes, I failed to mention that part of the Visioneer's claims is that this will spur residential development, restaurants and other entertainment venues. Sort of the same stuff I read about what would happen with Lancaster Avenue and the Sante Fe Rail Market.

One good thing has been added to the Trinity River Vision, that being sprawling the project all the way to Gateway Park and restoring wetlands.

Now, I really hope the Trinity River Vision does not turn out to be a Boondoggle, I really do. But when you don't put such a thing to a vote of your citizens, when the person in charge of the project is the son of the Congresswoman who represents Fort Worth (this is what is known as nepotism), when you add bogus elements (an unneeded diversion channel), when there are great unknowns (a potential massive Superfund pollution cleanup), you've got a recipe for total Boondoggle.

Or so it would seem to me.