A street sign marks White Settlement Road in Fort Worth before the City Council voted to rename the one-mile stretch to Westside Drive | Image by @TrueTXProject/X
The City of Fort Worth officially renamed a one-mile stretch of White Settlement Road to Westside Drive.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Fort Worth City Council planned to vote on October 21 as to whether to rename a portion of White Settlement Road, a move long supported by Native American advocates who have called for change due to the road’s historical ties to the removal of Indigenous peoples from the area.
The proposed new name, Westside Drive, would apply to a roughly mile-long stretch from the roundabout at North Henderson Street and Jacksboro Highway to University Drive. Developers behind the $1.7 billion Westside Village project proposed the name and agreed to cover the $26,000 cost.
City Council members voted 9-2 in favor of the change, emphasizing that the decision was not politically motivated.
“This name change has absolutely nothing to do with politics and should not be used to sow dissension in our community,” Council Member Macy Hill told the Fort Worth Report.
Council Members Alan Blaylock and Charles Lauersdorf cast the two opposing votes. Lauersdorf said he could not support the change because it would create “a lot of hoops” for business owners to jump through to accommodate the new name, according to the FWR.
Business owners along the corridor expect to pay for updating signage, business cards, and other materials—an expense some residents call unfair.
However, Larkspur Capital, a Dallas-based developer behind nearby projects, said it is working to help offset those costs.
“This is something we just started working on today in response to concerns from the businesses along the corridor,” developer Carl Anderson said. “So it’s not something we figured out yet, but … something we’re working on immediately.”
Many residents opposed the name change during public comment.
“White Settlement Road has historical significance just like our beloved Fort Worth,” one resident said, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
“Are the developers that are behind that agreeing to cover the cost of each and every merchant and resident along that mile-long stretch that would be impacted and inconvenienced by changing all business cards, letterhead, envelopes, building signage, street signage, billboards, vehicle signage, etc., just to accommodate a few?” resident Luelle McKenzie asked.
Developers supporting the name change said the project will help revitalize the area.
“We are excited to replace aging car dealerships and warehouses with a vibrant hub of shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices,” Anderson said, according to Fox.