Longtime locals remember the former Merrimac Restaurant & Discotheque Lounge, a restaurant along the Trinity River that also spun disco hits upstairs in the 1980s.
The restaurant, and the street in the area were named for Willis McIntosh, area restaurateur. Natives in the know also wistfully remember the salad and dressing served at McIntosh’s Mac’s Place restaurant. McIntosh, along with Lee Smith and O.L. Pitts of Fort Worth, once owned The White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island, known as the oldest tavern in the U.S.
Others may remember — or still have a hangover from — Daniel’s, a restaurant known for its nachos, margaritas and strawberry daiquiris located near the Merrimac Restaurant.
The restaurants, to say nothing of disco, are long gone, but that area is about to start dancing to a new beat.
Carriage House Development plans 337 apartments, plus retail shops and restaurants, in the 10-acre project located just off University Drive, south of Interstate 30. Called Merrimac Fort Worth, the site is just north of Trademark Property’s Westbend development, east of Ol’ South Pancake House and across the street from Simon’s University Park Village.
Leasing for the project has begun. Promotional materials indicate plans for artisan and local retail as well as “upscale and lively” restaurants. Could that include a return of disco? Might keep those platform shoes handy. Transwestern is handling leasing for the development.
Former Stockyards developer has another new, old project
The man behind the first phase of the Fort Worth Stockyards redevelopment for Majestic Realty has some new projects on his plate.
Craig Cavileer, who left Majestic Realty in a legal dispute last year, has acquired the historic Williamson County jail in Georgetown. Cavileer’s Delightful Development purchased the jail, which dates back nearly 140 years.
“I’m not sure what it’s going to be,” Cavileer told the Williamson County cCommissioners at a Feb. 10 meeting where they approved the sale.
“I know that hospitality is in our blood, so it’ll be hotel, restaurant and mixed-use,” he said.
Raising money flying drones
Portal Aircraft Inc., a Fort Worth-based aerospace company developing gas turbine-powered vertical take-off and lift drone systems, is currently raising $500,000 through Cowtown Seed, an angel investment subgroup of Cowtown Angels.
Portal Aircraft is a winner of the xTechSearch 9, a U.S. Army program that seeks innovative technology solutions from eligible small businesses. Portal Aircraft was selected from more than 840 applicants, with only 24 companies ultimately awarded. As part of that program, the company is beginning execution of its small business innovation research contract with the U.S. Army.
Portal Aircraft has achieved Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awardable status and has been encouraged to compete in the DARPA LIFT Challenge, a program that is testing novel drone designs that can carry payloads more than four times their weight.
Portal was recently invited to participate in the Army Expanded Air Maneuver Summit, an invite-only event.
The company is led by founder James Thurman, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, aerospace engineering professor at the United States Naval Academy and systems engineering/architecture lead at Lockheed Martin.
$1B for the Permian
Fort Worth-based U.S. Energy Development Corp. said its plans to deploy up to $1 billion in 2026 to expand its assets, with most of those funding going toward the Permian Basin. The company also spent more than $1 billion last year on acquiring assets.
Have something for Bob on Business: Send to bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
Bob Francis is business editor at the Fort Worth Report.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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