Fort Worth dedicates $4.3 million to revitalize Wedgwood East neighborhood

The Wedgwood East neighborhood in Fort Worth is getting a multimillion-dollar investment aimed at revitalizing the community, with residents hoping to see improvements in public safety, infrastructure and commercial development.

The City of Fort Worth Neighborhood Services Department announced $4.3 million has been dedicated to revitalization efforts in Wedgwood East through a neighborhood improvement program.

The city uses several factors to score neighborhoods, including safety and neighborhood conditions. Higher scores indicate greater challenges. Wedgwood East received a safety score of 85 out of 100.

Shana Hazzard, treasurer of the Wedgwood East Neighborhood Association, said the score caught her off guard.

Hazzard said, “Yeah, it was actually a little surprising when I saw that score. I feel like we have generally the same amount of crime that I hear from other areas.”

One area Hazzard hopes will benefit from the investment is the neighborhood’s commercial district, where some properties are vacant or need improvements.

“It doesn’t seem like we’ve had a lot of new businesses that come to our area. Some of the commercial properties on the south end of our neighborhood are empty or could really just use some rehabbing. So we’re looking forward that.” Hazzard said.

Fort Worth City Council member Mia Hall, who represents part of the neighborhood in District 6, also expressed enthusiasm about the potential for reinvestment in the Alta Mesa corridor and surrounding commercial areas.

Other neighborhoods selected for the city’s improvement program have received upgrades including new streetlights, safety cameras and the cleanup of illegal dumping sites.

Hazzard said those types of improvements would be welcome in Wedgwood East.

“So some of the things that we’re looking forward to is just some infrastructure improvements. Of course, public safety is always great and necessary.” Hazzard said.

Despite the challenges identified by the city, Hazzard said residents remain proud of their community.

“We feel like Wedgwood is really a hidden gem,” Hazzard said.

Hazzard also reflected on the neighborhood’s history and the slogan used when Wedgwood was first developed in the 1950s — “you’ll live happier in Wedgwood.”

She said she hopes the city’s investment will help preserve that sentiment for years to come.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.