An Irving company plans to renovate the Bob Simpson Building in downtown Fort Worth and open it as a Residence Inn.
The $33 million project is scheduled to begin in March and is expected to take about a year to complete, according to a state filing. Icon Lodging lists the property as “under development” on its website.
A Marriott brand, Residence Inn is an extended-stay hotel, with suites that feature living spaces and full kitchens. At the Bob Simpson Building on West 7th Street, the Icon Lodging project is an example of adaptive reuse — the process of using an existing structure not originally built for the new purpose, such as converting office space into residential units or hospitality space.
The Bob Simpson Building is named after the XTO Energy CEO who is also co-chair of the Texas Rangers, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. XTO was operated from there after the company bought the building in 2003 and renovated it a couple of years later.
Acquired by Exxon Mobil, XTO has since moved its headquarters to Spring, a suburb of Houston. The Star-Telegram also reported that XTO made significant investments in downtown Fort Worth by revitalizing several properties.
In North Texas, Icon Lodging also owns Tru by Hilton Frisco Dallas, Home2 Suites by Hilton Irving/DFW Airport, Home2 Suites by Hilton Grand Prairie, Hilton Garden Inn Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Fairfield Inn & Suites Dallas Park Central, Cambria Hotel Richardson in Dallas and Motel 6 Fort Worth North-Saginaw.
Fort Worth-based Bennett Partners is listed as the design firm on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.