The Fort Worth City Council will vote on October 21 on whether to rename a portion of White Settlement Road, a move long supported by Native American advocates who have called for change due to the road’s historical ties to the removal of Indigenous peoples from the area.
The proposed new name, Westside Drive, would apply to a roughly mile-long stretch from the roundabout at North Henderson Street and Jacksboro Highway to University Drive. Developers behind the $1.7 billion Westside Village project proposed the name and agreed to cover the $26,000 cost.
“As part of major developments, it’s not unusual to see name changes to really create that place — that’s exactly what you see happening here,” said Council Member Elizabeth Beck, according to Fort Worth Report, whose district includes downtown and parts of White Settlement Road.
Beck said the change aligns with Fort Worth’s efforts to modernize its urban core. “Renaming the street makes it that destination that we want it to be,” she said, adding that the project represents “a really positive direction” for the city.
Westside Village will include office and retail space, apartments, and a luxury hotel. The project sits on 37 acres near Fort Worth ISD’s former administrative building and is led by FW Westside RE Investors, a partnership between Keystone and Larkspur Capital.
The name White Settlement dates to 1841, when Texas militia forces under Gen. Edward H. Tarrant attacked Native American settlements along Village Creek. The campaign forced Indigenous groups, including the Comanche, Kickapoo, and Caddo, farther west, clearing the way for white settlers. The road later connected Fort Worth’s military outpost to nearby homesteads.
City officials first considered renaming the street in 2021, but delayed action. Beck said procedural issues slowed progress until now. “It gives us the ability to address our members of our community that have for a long time said that the name of this road was painful,” she said.
If approved, the change would apply only within Fort Worth city limits. The portion of the road in the neighboring city of White Settlement would remain unchanged.