ALLIANCE – It seems everywhere you turn, the economic news is bad.
But not for one part of Tarrant County which is still a real boomtown.
We’re talking about Alliance Town Center.
When I moved to Texas 24 years ago, the area on the northern edge of Fort Worth, near Alliance Airport, was just a big open field.
Now, despite the economic downturn, people are still coming.
Add another firm to the growing number at the Alliance Texas development.
Some 20 years after Alliance started air charter operator Peregrine Point is a key addition for the airport and for Ross Perot Jr’s Hillwood.
But it’s not just the airport, business construction, shopping – all seem to be doing well here.
“In the middle of the worst October for consumer spending I think in 40 years, we opened Belk’s Department Store and had one of the best openings they’ve ever had at Belk’s,” said Ross Perot, Jr. from Hillwood Development.
Some 200 firms do business here – 29,000 workers with a $34 billion economic impact.
How do they do it? Location may be one reason.
“We’re in a little bit of a bubble in Fort Worth and in Alliance. We still have that we still have that growth we still have the Barnett Shale, we still have a positive environment here,” said Perot.
Developers are used to the up and down cycle.
All predict tough times ahead but when things do turn around, they predict we will all benefit.
Alliance puts over $600 million into the property tax coffers so as you can imagine local government’s love that.
This weekend they’ll be celebrating at the center – 20 years of growth.