The Fort Worth City Council has approved the temporary closure of Commerce Street between East Ninth and East 14th streets through November 1, 2025, to facilitate major construction work tied to the realignment of the downtown roadway.
The closure, requested by the City’s Transportation & Public Works Department on behalf of North Texas Contracting, will allow for the installation of new storm drains, sanitary sewer lines, water lines, paving, and general roadway improvements. These upgrades are part of a broader effort to straighten Commerce Street, which had been realigned in the early 1980s to accommodate a Fort Worth Convention Center (FWCC) annex.
During the closure, access will remain open for local businesses, as well as delivery and construction vehicles serving the FWCC via East 12th Street. The Commerce Street parking garage at the corner of Commerce and 14th streets will also remain accessible throughout the construction period.
Once straightened, Commerce Street will support several FWCC improvements, including:
-
Demolition of the underused annex to expand the number of loading docks from seven to eleven, plus two additional box truck docks.
-
Renovation and expansion of the southeast corner entrance, creating additional networking space and a new coffee bar in anticipation of the nearby Texas A&M campus development.
-
Preparation of a site pad for a future convention headquarters hotel east of Commerce Street.
The timeline for the Fort Worth Convention Center project is as follows:
-
August 2025: Southeast entrance renovation complete
-
Summer 2025: Loading dock expansion finished
-
December 2025: Phase 1 construction complete
-
Fall 2026: Phase 2 design finalized
-
Early 2027: Arena demolition begins
-
2027–2029: Phase 2 construction, including modernization of the existing convention center
City officials say the improvements will better connect downtown with ongoing development in the surrounding area and enhance Fort Worth’s convention infrastructure.
