Hey Westoplexians,

This week feels like Fort Worth quietly turning a page. The old Convention Center arena is getting its last hurrah before the wrecking ball shows up, Weatherford's holding the line on your tax rate for a fifth year running, and out west, a grocery store I've been tracking for months finally opened its doors this morning. Throw in Restaurant Week hitting the big 3-0 and Weatherford investing in its lakefront, and you get a week that's less about any single headline and more about a city in motion.

Here's what caught my eye this week.

-josh

Assistant City Manager Dawn Brooks laid out the city's proposed Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund budget ahead of the Aug. 12 City Council meeting — $55.8 million in projected revenue against $55.7 million in expenditures, a razor-thin surplus that still counts as a win in municipal budgeting. Property tax rates hold steady for the fifth time in six years, while sales tax revenue — the city's biggest funding source — is projected to climb 4% to $22.28 million.

The money's earmarked for public safety and infrastructure, the kind of unglamorous spending that doesn't make headlines until it's the thing that's missing. Property tax revenue is expected to land around $13.7 million, which means sales tax is still doing the heavy lifting for city services — worth remembering next time you're grabbing dinner in town.

Here’s my take: local politics is where it’s at. As citizens, we focus WAY too much on national politics and not nearly enough on local. GET INVOLVED! Here’s why getting involved is so powerful… you’ll learn how government is actually supposed to work. And believe me, you’ll appreciate boring politics after peaking behind the curtain.

💰 Source: City of Weatherford → https://www.weatherfordtx.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/634

The Convention Center Arena — the round, spaceship-looking building downtown that's hosted concerts, rodeos, and college graduations since 1968 — is coming down in early 2027 to make way for a $606 million second phase of the convention center's expansion. In its place: a four-story building and a ballroom.

Before the wrecking ball shows up, the city's throwing the arena a proper send-off: a free block party called "It's Goin' Down" on Sept. 20, noon to 4 p.m., with live music, a historical exhibit, and giveaways. Almost 60 years under that roof, and it gets one more afternoon before the demo crews move in.

It’s bitter sweet, for sure…

🎟️ Read more here → https://joshuaharville.fathomrealty.com/post/fort-worth-is-tearing-down-the-convention-center-arena-heres-your-last-chance-to-say-goodbye

DFW Restaurant Week is back for its 30th year, running Aug. 10 through Sept. 7, with a preview weekend Aug. 6-9 for anyone who can't wait. Forty-three Tarrant County restaurants are on the list this year, with three-course dinners running $49-$59 and two-course lunch or brunch options at $29.

Here's the part that makes it worth booking: 20% of every meal at participating restaurants goes to Lena Pope, the 96-year-old Fort Worth nonprofit that provides counseling and behavioral health support for local kids and families. So it's dinner out that actually does something.

Food, community, and a good cause? What’s not to love about this?!

🍴 Source: Fort Worth Report → https://fortworthreport.org/2026/07/30/the-dish-fort-worth-diners-get-sneak-peak-at-2026-restaurant-week-menus/

The City of Weatherford announced it's moving forward with improvements at Lake Weatherford aimed at making the lakefront more accessible and inviting for residents and visitors. Details on scope and timeline are still light in the announcement, but the direction is clear: the city wants the lake to be a bigger part of everyday life out here, not just a drive-by.

Maybe this is the year Lake Weatherford stops being the lake everyone drives past and starts being the lake everyone actually goes to.

I love this! I want to do a deeper dive on this story, so keep an eye on my blog and subscribe! (pun totally intended)

🌅 Source: City of Weatherford → https://weatherfordtx.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/658

Texas clay soil doesn't play nice with a dry summer — when the ground around your foundation dries out and shrinks, that's when you start seeing cracks. A soaker hose running 15-20 minutes a few times a week around the perimeter (not right up against the slab) helps keep soil moisture consistent through August's heat. It's a lot cheaper than a foundation repair bill, and easier than most home maintenance you'll do all year.

Sprouts Farmers Market opened its doors in Weatherford this morning at I-20 and Center Point Road. But the interesting part isn't the produce aisle — it's the development deal that got it there: a 70% annual sales tax rebate the city approved after eight months of negotiation. I broke down the full story behind that corner and what else is coming to it.

📖 Read the full story → https://joshuaharville.fathomrealty.com/post/sprouts-opens-tomorrow-in-weatherford-heres-the-full-story-behind-the-corner-its-anchoring

There's a new Target headed for southwest Fort Worth — the first for that part of town, with the closest existing location about six miles north. I've got what we know so far about the site and what's driving the growth around it.

📖 Read the full story → https://joshuaharville.fathomrealty.com/post/a-second-target-is-coming-to-southwest-fort-worth-heres-everything-we-know

Fun fact for the week: downtown's Sundance Square gets its name from the outlaw hideout days of Fort Worth's old "Hell's Half Acre" — the Sundance Kid himself reportedly hid out in the neighborhood that's now some of the most valuable real estate in Texas. Just a reminder that this city's always been busy rewriting itself, one block at a time.

That's the week in Fort Worth. As always, if you have questions about the market, want a free home value estimate, or just want to know what's happening in your neighborhood — I'm one reply away.

See you next week,

Josh Harville
Real Estate Professional | Fathom Realty, LLC | SA-0682306 Westoplex Region: Fort Worth · Aledo · Weatherford · Benbrook & surrounding communities
📞 817-917-8923
✉️ [email protected]
🌐 http://joshuaharville.fathomrealty.com/
Instagram: @Westoplex_Harville
Facebook: Josh Harville - Realtor - Fathom Realty

📍 Not subscribed yet? Forward this to a friend who loves Fort Worth — they can sign up at westoplexharville.com