Fort Worth: from cowtown to model downtown.

In its youth, Fort Worth was a rough-and-tumble frontier town, home to the brave and the brawling. Today, Fort Worth embraces its heritage of the Old West while emerging as a model of downtown revitalization.

In the 1980s, a major redevelopment program began in downtown Fort Worth. Soon came skyscrapers, theaters, restaurants, a new performance hall, hotels, shopping, and public parks. In 1998, Texas Monthly labeled the city "Wowtown," calling its downtown the "hottest" in Texas. The National League of Cities awarded Fort Worth the James C. Howland Award for Urban Enrichment for innovative redevelopment in 1995.

Dancing in the square

Located on the north end of downtown is Sundance square, a 20-block area that will attract your members with its dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The red-brick-paved streets and courtyards are home to upscale restaurants, specialty shops, galleries, museums, movie complexes, and live theaters.

You'll want to stage an event in the new Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, a new $67 million, 2,056-seat facility in Sundance square. The home to Fort Worth's acclaimed symphony, ballet, and opera, Bass Hall is considered one of the "last great performance halls built in the 20th century." The City of Fort Worth also operates a 3,000-seat theater at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in the city's Cultural District.

In the heart of Sundance square is The Worthington Hotel, a 504-room hotel covering three blocks. Known for world-class service, it is the centerpiece of the Sundance square Downtown Entertainment District.

Across from the Bass Performance Hall stands the newly renovated Clarion Hotel with 297 guest rooms and ample meeting space. Within walking distance are the Radisson Plaza, where President John E Kennedy spent his last night, and the 434-room Ramada Plaza Hotel Fort Worth Convention Center. Several other hotel properties are located downtown, totaling 2,200 rooms within walking distance of the Fort Worth Convention Center.

What the City Offers You

A chief asset of Fort Worth is the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. One of the world's busiest airports, it offers about 1,100 flight arrivals daily and service to 160 destinations around the world. The city's central geographic location means it can be reached from either coast in three hours.

In their free time, your members can choose from among a wealth of cultural institutions. The Kimbell Art Museum, recognized as "America's best small museum," and the Amon Carter Museum, renowned for its collection of Western and American masterpieces, have garnered worldwide attention for their special exhibitions.

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas' oldest museum, displays 20th-century masterpieces and regularly scheduled exhibits showcasing modern artists. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History offers hands-on exhibits, ranging from paleontology to computer science, that will delight your members as well as their families.

The Fort Worth Zoo, consistently ranked one of America's best, replicates animals' homes in the wild. More than 6,000 native and exotic animals can be seen in the tree-shaded setting.

What's New in Fort Worth?

* Downtown's Fort Worth Convention Center begins a $40-to-$60-million expansion and renovation in February 2000 that will enlarge the facility to 200,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and 40,000 square feet of meeting rooms and add a 30,000-square-foot ballroom. Completion of phase one is expected in 2002.

* The Trinity Railway Express will link downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas, with service scheduled for operation in fall of 2000.

* The 22-story art deco Blackstone Hotel on historic Main Street was recently renovated and reopened as a 203-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel.

* The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway, which opened in March, can accommodate multiple meetings or special events for groups up to 1,500. All rooms offer a view of the speedway's 1.5-mile track. The speedway is the second-largest sports and entertainment facility in the United States.

* To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Fort Worth, daily cattle drives resumed in June along the banks of the Trinity River. Professional cowhands explain the role cattle played in the growth and prosperity of the city

* A 6,000-seat municipal ballpark is proposed to open in the spring of 2001. The $7.5-million stadium and 15-acre complex will house a Bobby Bragan Museum and meeting rooms with seating for up to 300 people.