The Rosedale Renaissance is officially underway, and it’s off to an incredible start.

Friday morning, hundreds of students, faculty, staff, community members and friends of the university gathered to witness a major milestone in Texas Wesleyan history — the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Rosedale Renaissance Project.

"The revitalization of our home in East Fort Worth will bring real, lasting change and build the foundation for a vibrant economic future," said Texas Wesleyan President Frederick G. Slabach. "There is no doubt that today marks the beginning of a new era."

Fort Worth Mayor Pro Tem Zim Zimmerman was also on hand to celebrate the groundbreaking and emphasize the importance of the development to the community. Zimmerman spoke in place of Mayor Betsy Price, who is recovering from recent surgery and was unable to attend.

"You’ve heard of curb appeal — well we’re putting curb appeal in a big way at Texas Wesleyan," said Zimmerman. "These projects and significant pedestrian-friendly amenities will transform the [Polytechnic/Wesleyan] area of Fort Worth."

The future of critical thinking

Slabach was also enthusiastic about the project’s impact on the learning environment at Texas Wesleyan, where students are taught to develop the critical thinking skills required to thrive in graduate school or professional careers.

"The corridor adjacent to Texas Wesleyan will become a center for economic development, academic inquiry and spiritual growth," said Slabach. "It will be a critical thinking hub."

Setting the tone for celebration

Want to see more photos from the groundbreaking? Check out our Facebook gallery.

The ceremony’s atmosphere was a vibrant one, highlighted by performances by the Texas Wesleyan Jazz Combo prior to the event and the presence of local dignitaries such as City Manager Tom Higgins, Tarrant County Commissioner Roy C. Brooks and City Council Representative Dennis Shingleton.

In an unprecedented outpouring of support, the Texas Wesleyan community actively participated in documenting the event, using the hashtag #TxWesVision to share their thoughts and photos from the ceremony with the world through social media.

Understanding the vision

The Rosedale Renaissance is a $6.5 million multifaceted project designed to leverage more than $32 million in private and public funding for the benefit of the Polytechnic neighborhood and Texas Wesleyan. There are four key components to the revitalization, all of which are scheduled to be completed by early winter 2014.

Better streets

The transformation of East Rosedale began last spring with the launch of a $32 million street improvement initiative, which lays the foundation for economic growth in the area. The publicly funded project includes $1.875 million in improvements to the four blocks adjacent to campus.

A new "front door"

Located at the intersection of East Rosedale and Vaughn streets, the new campus entryway will create a classic look that will include a clock tower, plus expanded parking, a reflecting pool and additional lighting.

The new entryway and clock tower will open Texas Wesleyan to welcome prospective students, visitors to our campus and the Polytechnic community.

The Central Texas Conference of
The United Methodist Church Service Center

The Service Center will be home base for 25-plus new members of the Texas Wesleyan-area community and their collective mission to energize and equip churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Business accelerator

The renovated Polytechnic Firehouse will turned into a business incubator center, where business school faculty and students will help local entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

"Any one of these four projects would be a major victory worth celebrating," said Slabach, "but these four projects stand together to signify the rebirth and emergence of this area as a growing economic center in the city of Fort Worth."