Did you know? The historic Thurber Brick you see lining the streets of Camp Bowie, Downtown Fort Worth and the Stockyards is being incorporated into the Panther Island storm water canal system. The historic Thurber Brick comes from Thurber, Texas (halfway between Fort Worth and Abilene). In the early 1900’s the Thurber Brick plant was the largest producer west of the Mississippi. At its height of operation, the plant produced 40 varieties of brick and nearly 800 workers produced 80,000 bricks a day.
During excavation work on the Signature Panther Island North Main Bridge, the contractor found original Thurber Brick. Used to line many of Fort Worth’s historic streets, the brick was paved decades ago but is still in great condition. To ensure that part of Fort Worth’s rich history is incorporated into the design of Panther Island, the brick was moved and stored. The brick will be used for portions of the public walkways that will line the canals running through Panther Island.
A series of canals will manage the storm water through Panther Island. Conventional underground conveyance systems that use gutter and pipe will be replaced. Besides storm water relief function, the canals will provide a continuous public boardwalk along the water’s edge. Lifestyle amenities will enhance where our community will live, work, dine, shop and play. The first segment of the Panther Island canal system is being built in conjunction with the first multi-family development, Encore Panther Island. Both the first segment of canal system and the Encore Panther Island multi-family complex should be open by the end of 2021.