Fort Worth is facing a decision about Farrington Field, the 1939 stadium long tied to Fort Worth ISD and community life. The Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers will hear public comment at a meeting about whether to repair, renovate, lease, or sell the land near Will Rogers Memorial Center. Voices like Board President Pete Geren and preservation advocate Libby Willis are already weighing in as the district and the public prepare to make a choice. The outcome will touch schools, local history, and nearby development.
Farrington Field has hosted high school football in Fort Worth for generations and even served Texas Wesleyan University’s team. Its concrete and amenities show the wear of time, and the district says repairs are needed to keep it safe and usable. That practical reality is pushing the conversation from nostalgia toward decisions about money and stewardship.
The Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers will open the floor to public input as part of a scheduled meeting. One path under discussion is a renovation that would update the stadium along with surrounding parcels near Will Rogers Memorial Center. Proponents of renovation argue that fixing the landmark preserves both community use and the character of the area.
Not everyone supports renovation. Some community members and outside parties have urged the district to sell or lease the land instead, suggesting alternatives that could generate revenue or spark new development. Those proposals force a tough choice: preserve a public athletic asset or convert the property to other uses that could change the neighborhood.
The board handling the decision is the group appointed by the Texas Education Agency in March, and it is not the same body that began the initial discussion about Farrington Field. That change in governance has added a layer of complexity to public input and to how proposals will be evaluated. People watching the process want clarity about who will control the project’s direction.
Board President Pete Geren, who has a personal connection to the site, has spoken about the next steps and the district’s approach. An interesting twist is that Fort Worth ISD Board President Pete Geren is the grandson of the architect who designed the stadium. On the future of Farrington Field, Geren previously said: “Reopening the Request for Proposals process allows the district to carefully consider potential partnerships while protecting the integrity of this historic facility and keeping our primary focus on students.”
Local advocates are pushing hard to see the stadium preserved, arguing its worth goes beyond Friday night games. Many in Fort Worth have a deep-rooted interest in keeping Farrington Field, and Libby Willis, a local Historic Preservation Advocate, wants to see the stadium stand tall. “We’re not only bringing in the tourist trade, right? We are bringing in the Taylor Sheridans, who are filming many television shows here because of the great neighborhoods, the great downtown, the great buildings, the atmosphere. This is part of that too,” Willis said.
“I think people are hungry for an opportunity to express their thoughts and sentiments about it,” Willis told FOX 4’s Dionne Anglin. “So I think you’re going to hear from a lot of people who say what I’ve been saying, which is to save it!” Her comments reflect a broader desire to keep physical links to Fort Worth’s past amid rapid growth and new production activity in the city.
The board meeting is set to begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday evening, offering a window for residents to voice their views in person. Stakeholders will bring competing priorities: historical preservation, student needs, fiscal responsibility, and development potential are all on the table. The district has framed the discussion as an effort to weigh partnerships and protect student-focused uses while deciding the stadium’s fate.
The Source: Information in this story comes from Fort Worth ISD.
