Sundance Square
There’s a square in Fort Worth, Texas that was once the heart of a bustling regional center with one of the busiest commercial districts in America. The red brick buildings are now home to shops, restaurants and apartments. The former Sundance Square has been revitalized by business owners like Laura Miller and developers such as Gerald D. Hines Interests Limited Partnership, who have helped turn the area into a lively and vibrant community.
At the height of its success, Sundance Square boasted more than 50 blocks of restaurants, salons, clothing stores and theaters. Businesses that helped make life in Fort Worth possible thrived. In 1876 a team of entrepreneurs made a deal with the government and received almost 150 acres of land to develop as an investment and growth area for their city. The only condition was that they had to follow through with development or face forfeiting the land back to the government. The businessmen announced plans for a “cultural and social center” with a public market, houses, stores, businesses, schools and churches. They named the area after Sundance, Wyoming, where the men had learned of their good fortune. The city leaders didn’t want to risk their investment by installing unsafe water lines or sewers that could potentially provide a health hazard to the workers who were busy developing the area. Thus they named the new town for Sundance Square in Fort Worth, TX. 
The city was built in a large circle surrounding the courthouse. Each of the buildings had a basement floor that was built on solid rock and accommodated by tall pillars. When the wet season hit, flooding was not uncommon. The center of Sundance Square is now occupied by a reflecting pool.
There were attempts to build around Sundance Square in Fort Worth, TX with grand hotels and retail shops, but they never came to fruition due to lack of funding. Construction started before the deal was finalized and any new building had to be demolished, which happened several times.
After a flood devastated Sundance Square in Fort Worth, TX in 1908, Congress approved funding for the Trinity River levee system that would help regulate flooding. This resulted in the implementation of a plan to move the railroad tracks out of Sundance Square. The business district began to decay after this move and many buildings stood empty. The city finally placed a moratorium on the new buildings for almost 20 years in order to prevent further flooding.
In the 1960s, the city of Fort Worth began demolishing its aging buildings that were deemed “eyesores” and replacing them with modern, high-rise structures. Sundance Square was left empty for several decades and became an eyesore itself. Then in 1994, Gerald D. Hines Interests Limited Partnership, a Houston development firm, acquired the 19-acre site and decided to revitalize it.
The area became a three-block retail and entertainment district with the first phase completed in 1998. It now serves as the centerpiece of Uptown Fort Worth, which is Fort Worth’s urban center. Today visitors flock to the area for nightlife, fine dining and shopping that include unique restaurants like Cowtown Coliseum Steakhouse and upscale clothing stores like Armani Exchange.
The Square’s five acres consist of cozy shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. It hosts regular live music events that attract the area’s large workforce. One of the most popular is Sundance Square Plaza Stage which hosts over 100 performances per year including appearances by local musicians and touring artists from around the world.
Sundance Square is owned and managed by a public/private partnership between its owners, Geduldig Development Group (GDD), and the city of Fort Worth. It was recently selected as a finalist for the “Best New Major Retail Development” by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). As a joint venture between GDD and KDC Real Estate Partners, Sundance Square has already received numerous awards, earned 5-star reviews on Yelp, and been featured in national media.
Uptown Fort Worth Partnership operates Sundance Square. The Partnership is a public-private partnership formed to revitalize Sundance Square and Uptown Fort Worth as an urban center. Spearheaded by the City of Fort Worth, the Partnership includes contributions from local businesses, foundations and residents. The Partnership is committed to enhancing downtown Fort Worth’s economic vitality and quality of life for area residents, workers and visitors through programs that promote tourism, retail development and community events.
Sundance Square Plaza Stage is an outdoor venue located in Sundance Square that hosts a variety of cultural performances, including live music events. It consists of 14 free-standing white tents, each with a capacity ranging from 100-1,200 people.
