Fort Worth leaders are positive about downtown’s post-pandemic recovery.

FORT WORTH, TX (CBSDFW.COM) – The explosive growth of North Texas continues, waves of new residents are looking for work and a good place to live. But the pandemic has stopped many large construction projects.

During their first annual State of Downtown Fort Worth event, leaders take a positive look at how downtown has rebounded from the pandemic.

Here are the highlights from Downtown Fort Worth Inc.:

• The cost of the city center development project: $2.3 billion.
• 2939 new housing units are at various stages of development.
• Residential unit count expected increase by 49.7%.
• The cost of renting apartments grew by 9% compared to pre-COVID peak.
• 1538 new hotel rooms are under development.
• Number of hotel rooms expected increase by 41.6%.
• The average daily rate for all categories of hotel rooms is up to 19.9% exceeded the pre-pandemic peak.
• Despite significant economic shocks, including the oil and gas collapse and COVID-19, office market occupancy is 85%.
• General sales of alcohol in the same store (proxy for general sales in restaurants and bars) now exceeding the pre-covid peak.
• $255 million Texas A&M University development will add three new buildings city center.

Numbers ranging from hospitality, public transportation, retail to office space show that the city has recovered from the pandemic, and the future of downtown Fort Worth looks bright.

“As we look to the future, the availability of more housing in dense downtown housing estates is a fantastic base for building retail dining and downtown retail,” said Andy Taft, president of Downtown Fort Worth Inc.

This summer, construction is scheduled to begin on a new convention center in Fort Worth and the Texas A&M campus in Fort Worth.