With help from state resources, the Central Handley Historic District is one step closer to redevelopment and revitalization.
The Texas Historical Commission recently named the east Fort Worth commercial district as one of 24 communities in the agency’s 2026 First Street Initiative.
First Street, which launched in 2024, provides training and networking help from the state agency for local leaders with projects such as small-business outreach and support, activating commercial spaces and redeveloping underutilized properties.
The First Street Initiative would help the Handley district gain entry into the Texas Main Street program, part of the nationally recognized Main Street America collaborative movement.
The national nonprofit is centered around revitalizing historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts through partnerships, resources, educational opportunities and grant funding.
The Polytechnic Heights and Historic Northside neighborhoods gained support for revitalization when Fort Worth officials partnered with Main Street America in 2022.
Fort Worth leaders and community members are confident the program will push forward the city’s goal of tending to historic areas.
“The initiative will help provide Historic Handley with a framework to preserve the community’s rich history while also creating new spaces that can support its future growth,” said the city’s revitalization manager Phillip Michael Smart.
While timelines and definitive plans are in the works, city leaders will approach the district’s makeover with a “thoughtful redevelopment” mindset, Smart added.
“City officials recognize that the neighborhood’s historic character and architectural style is central to its charm and sense of place,” he said.
Fort Worth’s economic development officials are prioritizing the city’s relationship with the Historic Handley Development Corp. to ensure improvements are “thoughtful, sustainable and lasting.”
Paul Kerpoe is one of east Fort Worth’s leaders advocating for investment into the Handley district. He spearheaded the urban district’s partnership with the First Street Initiative.
Since 2009, Kerpoe has served as a board member of the Historic Handley Development Corp. with the goal of bringing economic activity back to the historic area.
“Handley’s been in decline since the 1960s,” Kerpoe said. “We have been struggling.”
The construction of Interstate 30 and Loop 820 contributed to the district’s economic downfall, Kerpoe said.
The business strip, located off East Lancaster Avenue, was originally central to a railroad town established by the Texas & Pacific Railway in 1885. It was named after Confederate Gen. James Madison Handley, one of the first property owners in the area.
Handley’s location along a streetcar line between Fort Worth and Dallas led to increased traffic and ultimately a 20th-century business boom in the historic district.
After Fort Worth annexed the area in 1946, economic activity declined for the unincorporated town.
In recent years, the strip has become known as the city’s “Wedding District” due to the number of bridal shops it has attracted.
Partnering with the state historical commission will make the historic district eligible for financial support through the Texas Preservation Trust Fund. Grants will support business leaders as they plan the restoration and preservation of the district, Smart said.
Aside from funding, the new initiative will provide business leaders with guidance that allows local officials to develop their own goals while ensuring they can be implemented effectively, Smart added.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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.
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://fortworthreport.org/2026/02/23/state-initiative-will-preserve-history-draw-growth-to-east-fort-worth-business-district/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://fortworthreport.org”>Fort Worth Report</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cropped-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&quality=80&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>
<img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://fortworthreport.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=417958&ga4=2820184429″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: “https://fortworthreport.org/2026/02/23/state-initiative-will-preserve-history-draw-growth-to-east-fort-worth-business-district/”, urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id=”parsely-cfg” src=”//cdn.parsely.com/keys/fortworthreport.org/p.js”></script>