The former home of a Texas Rangers baseball club co-owner and a shale gas pioneer was up for auction in December, but the market for homes built like a castle sans moat is apparently a bit limited.
The sale did not go through, so the home — with its seven bedrooms, 18 bathrooms and 19,359-square-feet of living space — is back on the market.
The estate, at 9553 Bella Terra Drive in the exclusive Montserrat enclave on Fort Worth’s westside, is now listed with Compass’ Duwe-Olsen Real Estate Group with an asking price of $7.5 million.
Built in 2006 by J. Lambert Custom Homes for former XTO Energy CEO Bob Simpson, the home was sold to its current owner in 2021 when the asking price was about $5.5 million, reports indicate.
The large, castle-like mansion is outfitted for royalty with indoor and outdoor pools, a professional-grade sports court, a climate-controlled wine room, a theater, a gym, a dedicated guest residence and a primary suite with a dedicated elevator to access a private office.
An interior shot of 9553 Bella Terra Dr. in Fort Worth. (Courtesy | Compass)
In December, Concierge Auctions received a bid of $6.72 million for the property, well below its then-$11.75 million listing price. But the buyer apparently ran into issues required for the bid, so it hit the market again in early March.
Drover no longer a newcomer
Hotel Drover, the award-winning Autograph Collection hotel in the heart of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, officially celebrated five legendary years on March 24.
Since opening its doors in 2021, the resort has earned global recognition while helping drive the Stockyards’ growth from 3 million to more than 10 million annual visitors.
To mark this milestone, Hotel Drover launched a commemorative anniversary webpage alongside a yearlong series of guest experiences, exclusive collaborations and a multimillion dollar investment in resort enhancements.
“When we broke ground in 2018, we promised to build more than just a hotel,” said Kristin Assad, chief operating officer at Stockyards Heritage Development Co. “Seeing Hotel Drover reach this five-year milestone as a global destination proves that the spirit of the West is as vibrant today as it was a century ago.”
Enhancements by Hotel Drover and its 97 West Kitchen & Bar so far include:
Debuting this summer, the resort will unveil an expanded version of Pour Horse, the vintage horse trailer-turned-bar. Inspired by retro Western charm, the bar will continue pouring handcrafted cocktails and refreshing beverages, specifically for the return of the Backyard Unplugged live music series starting Memorial Day weekend.
To better accommodate an increasing number of milestone celebrations, 97 West is expanding its outdoor patio capacity. That outdoor space will see a new structure featuring year-round temperature control.
Fort Worth multifamily changes hands
LeftBank, a 589-unit apartment complex at 600 Harrold St., was acquired.
Real estate firm JLL recently represented the borrower, Bow River Capital Partners, who will own the property.
Built in 2018, LeftBank is an apartment community featuring studios, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. LeftBank is located in the middle of the 1.5 million-square-foot LeftBank mixed-use development.
Bow River Capital is a private alternative asset management company based in Denver with $3 billion in assets under management across private equity, real estate and software growth equity.
Atomic chickens?
Foodie fans of wings can flock to another new offering, as Atomic Wings brings its New York-style buffalo wings to the city’s Near Southside.
The brand’s first Fort Worth location is at 1229 8th Ave. Leading the expansion is John Durik, a multiunit operator with a successful track record in the fast-casual space, including three Jersey Mike’s locations.
Durik will hold a grand opening in the second quarter of 2026. He has plans to add more Atomic Wings locations to his coop by the end of the year.
“We aren’t just opening a restaurant. We’re bringing a New York state of mind to Fort Worth,” Durik said.
The rapid multicity surge is managed by Texas-area developer Jalal Kapadia, who is taking flight with expanding the brand across Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin. Atomic Wings was founded in 1989 in New York.
New dealership revs up
Prim Construction completed construction of the new Hiley Acura Dealership at 3200 W. Loop 820. Designed by Jim Stephenson and Scott Garland of VLK Architects, the new building is 37,000 square feet with a 15,000-square-foot showroom. It includes 26 service bays, a fully automated car wash and features EV, electric vehicle, charging stations.
Prim was assisted by Worth Engineering, which handled the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering. Flanagan Associates worked on the civil engineering for the project.
Do you have something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis, business editor for the Fort Worth Report, at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
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