The almost 87-year-old grande dame of the city’s famed Cultural District is about to receive a face-lift.
The Fort Worth City Council approved $8.5 million to renovate the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum concourse and restrooms, grand lobby entrance, and the Backstage Club. The funds will be allocated from the fed’s American Rescue Plan Act.
“The Will Rogers Coliseum is beloved by millions of visitors who have created memories here for 86 years,” said Mike Crum, director of Public Events for the city of Fort Worth, in a statement. “We are investing in the facility to ensure its historic charm and elegance continue to impress millions more in future generations.”
The coliseum concourse supports concessions and product vendors as well as foot traffic to the historic arena, where more than 30 equestrian events are held annually for an average of 260 event days. The combined economic impact of those shows in 2021 was $74.2 million.
“Will Rogers is a premier equestrian facility that welcomes horse lovers from around the globe,” said Billy Smith, executive director of the American Paint Horse Association, headquartered in Fort Worth. “As a longtime client, we’re pleased to know the historic coliseum will represent Fort Worth as a best-in-class asset and draw even more visitors here.”
Amon Carter commissioned the facility for the 1936 Frontier Centennial, a celebration of Texas’ 100th birthday. Federal officials at first declined to help fund it, but he took his case directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“Amon wants to build a cowshed,” Postmaster General James Farley was said to have told FDR.
FDR approved Amon’s cowshed. Carter asked that it be named in honor of his friend Will Rogers, who was killed a year earlier in a plane crash in Alaska.
“This building, for whose dedication we are assembled, is, like many another Fort Worth undertaking, largely the product of the initiative and energetic work of your distinguished townsman, Amon Carter,” said Col. Horatio B. Hackett, assistant administrator of the Public Works Administration, in 1936.
Said Carter then, of Will Rogers: “We could not pay respect to a greater American. He loved his fellow man and was personally acquainted with many of the cowboys who will perform here.”
The oval concourse surrounding the arena was last fully renovated in the 1970s. Plans for the 27,608-square-foot space include new flooring, ceiling tiles, energy-efficient lighting, water-saving restroom fixtures, wayfinding signage and decorative upgrades that complement the original moderne architectural detail.
“The coliseum grand lobby and concourse create an important first impression,” said Kevin Kemp, WRMC general manager. “When visitors arrive, we want them to experience the grandeur of the structure that Amon G. Carter envisioned and built years ago.”
The Backstage Club, frequented by politicians, movie stars and other celebrities, overlooks the arena from the second floor and is a popular restaurant during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. The 5,203-square-foot space will be reconfigured to serve a broader spectrum of event needs while respecting its historical significance.
A request for quote will be issued immediately for design and construction bids, according to city officials. Work inside the coliseum is expected to begin within a year.
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