Fort Worth’s Panther Island development is taking shape, with new perspectives emerging, according to a consultancy firm’s latest report.

This ambitious venture piloted by the City of Fort Worth aims to create a San Antonio-style riverwalk and waterfront development along the Panther Island Pavilion, as previously reported in The Dallas Express.

Estimated to cost $1.1 billion, the project will potentially transform over 200 acres north of downtown and open up 5 miles of shoreline.

Through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers digging a system of canals to address the various stormwater needs of Panther Island, it will also serve to shore up the area against flooding from the Trinity River.

As previously covered in The Dallas Express, a new analysis from the Texas Water Development Board found that nearly 6 million Texans are living in regions prone to flooding.

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Earlier this year, the city hired HR&A Advisors to assist in navigating the Panther Island project to ensure its success.

“To some extent, I see our role as facilitating and distilling a collective vision for Panther Island, more than generating it ourselves,” explained Aaron Abelson, HR&A managing principal, according to the Dallas Business Journal.

The findings outlined in the report revealed that stakeholders in this mixed-use district are increasingly envisioning the development as a vibrant hub for business, entertainment, and outdoor recreation. Previous plans emphasizing the development of residential units appear to be falling by the wayside.

Although Andrea Duffie, a spokesperson with Fort Worth’s economic development department, said that the Panther Island project will be a “flexible space” for people to “live, work and play,” no concrete plans have been made, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Yet there has been considerable private investment in the area already, with Austin-based Seco Ventures buying 26 acres over nine parcels and Dallas-based Centergy Retail setting sights on building a residential tower in the Left Bank development.

HR&A’s report stressed that the investors and developers of more than 500 acres of public and privately owned land needed to work on a unified strategy to make the most of what could very well be a boon for Fort Worth.

“Panther Island is crucial to the region’s economic development. The scale and location can help capture and fuel long-term residential and employment growth,” the report read, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Moreover, the consultants noted that the new district held great promise for flexible mixed-use projects both large and small. Yet it stressed the need for an identity that would not only complement the surrounding neighborhoods and existing historic sites but also be distinct.

The district is envisioned as a pedestrian-friendly space accessible via multiple transportation methods. According to the report, the district should be connected through a walkable, open-space network.

HR&A has now been tasked with investigating ways to fund some outstanding infrastructure upgrades as the vision for Panther Island slowly takes shape.

“Panther Island has been a long time in the making, and this report really clarifies priorities and next steps for the project at this point in Fort Worth’s overall development,” said Robert Sturns, Fort Worth’s director of economic development, according to the Dallas Business Journal. “Our needs today are different than what they were twenty years ago, and we look forward to building upon this foundation as the project moves forward.”