Robert Sturns, Director of Economic Development, City of Fort Worth

In an interview with Invest:, Robert Sturns, director of the Economic Development Department for the city of Fort Worth, noted Fort Worth’s strategic business environment and robust partnerships, including the city’s proximity to DFW Airport. He discussed major projects like the Texas A&M-Fort Worth development and Panther Island, with the goal of balancing long-term vision with immediate economic gains.

Given the significant economic growth in the region, what are some key factors attracting investment?

I’ll start by saying I have one of the hardest-working economic development teams in the state. Having passionate individuals focused on driving new business, capital investment, and job creation is critical, and having the right people in the right seats has really helped us lay the groundwork for Fort Worth’s future.

The Wall Street Journal recently called Fort Worth a new boomtown for commercial development, and that development largely reflects our growing population. When you look at Fort Worth, we’re the fastest-growing large city and now the 12th largest city in the country, with almost a million residents. The business environment and quality of life here – including lower housing costs, compared to the coasts – are significant draws. We have great local leadership and strong partnerships with our chambers of commerce and various economic development groups, which have created a supportive, welcoming environment for local and relocating businesses alike.

Regionally, Fort Worth’s proximity to DFW International Airport – one of the busiest airports in the country – is a big driver for investment. It offers the advantage of getting anywhere in the continental United States within about four hours.

For our size, Fort Worth has historically flown under the radar on the national stage, but it feels like those days are behind us. We’re moving forward on some ambitious projects like Panther Island – transforming 450 acres in the heart of downtown into a mixed-use riverfront district – and a $630 million expansion of the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards, which already attracts 9 million visitors a year. We’re even seeing some opportunities come along for new Class A office space as part of several mixed-use developments in our Cultural District.

What sectors is the city of Fort Worth targeting for growth?

One of Fort Worth’s biggest strengths lies in its economic diversity, so we’re ultimately focused on building out well-rounded industry ecosystems that can succeed across the board.

Our primary sectors include mobility, aerospace and aviation, energy, tourism and hospitality, and what we call our “anchors and innovators”, which covers corporate headquarters, and professional services. Our biggest growth areas lately have been mobility and aerospace. Aerospace has been a staple in Fort Worth for a long time, with established companies here like Lockheed Martin and Bell.

Mobility is also booming, especially with North Fort Worth’s Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ), developed by Hillwood. This zone is a hub for innovative companies testing new mobility concepts like autonomous vehicles and eVTOLs, and it’s attractive for companies looking to commercialize new technologies and test their capabilities within a controlled airspace, or within a larger logistics network.

How is the Economic Development Department supporting businesses and creating partnerships to aid workforce development?

We work closely with our school districts, colleges, and universities to cultivate and educate top talent at a local level. Our city has a robust collection of higher-ed organizations, with institutions like Texas Christian University, Texas A&M Law School, University of Texas at Arlington and Tarleton University – all four of which are in the process of expanding their campuses here in Fort Worth. We also collaborate often with Texas Wesleyan and UNT’s Health Science Center, and work to develop talent pipelines from local high schools through Tarrant County College – ensuring potential employees are trained for future jobs, and aligning educational focus with corporate needs to ensure graduates have good opportunities and stay within the community.

How do you integrate new companies into the Fort Worth community?

After attracting companies, we work with the Fort Worth Chamber to engage them and their employees in the community, providing information about education opportunities, nonprofit involvement, and more. Companies like DrinkPAK and Siemens – both of which have recently expanded into Fort Worth – have found this helpful. 

We ultimately want to ensure these companies become active community members, not just business entities, and that involves engaging both senior leadership and employees to foster a strong connection with the Fort Worth community. This approach is rare, as most communities focus solely on attracting new businesses without ensuring their integration into the local fabric.

We also focus on making connections, especially for newer companies unfamiliar with the broader community. They may know representatives from the city’s economic development team, but not much beyond that. It’s crucial to connect them with other CEOs and like-minded companies, and those folks in similar industries who understand workforce and talent development. 

From a broader perspective, we ensure communication between schools, colleges, and universities with the industry, and this helps align educational objectives with corporate needs – facilitating a smoother experience for companies as they become more involved and invested in our city.

What are some challenges facing the region?

With Fort Worth’s rapid growth, particularly on the infrastructure side, we’re straining to keep up. Fort Worth covers a large area of about 350 square miles, containing both dense pockets of urban development and larger open areas. Our challenge is ensuring our infrastructure meets the needs of our residents, especially in rapidly growing suburbs like north and west Fort Worth.

In West Fort Worth in particular, there are two family-owned ranches in various stages of redevelopment, totaling around 12,000 acres. Managing growth for these areas means ensuring streets, water, sewer, fire, and police services are all in place. A balance is required to predict where growth will occur and allocate resources to support those new neighborhoods, while also maintaining our long-standing ones. Cleanliness and safety are also high on the city’s priority list.

What are your top priorities for the next two to three years in terms of economic development?

Our focus extends far beyond two to three years, as we’re looking at a 10- to 15-year projection. Significant investments in downtown, such as the Texas A&M-Fort Worth urban campus, are already underway. We’re also expanding our convention center and adding new hotels within the central city. Panther Island will be a new neighborhood, and we’re planning initial development activities there. There’s also a lot of activity going on within our Cultural District, which is seeing several mixed-use developments and high-end hotels coming online. 

Ultimately, managing growth involves shepherding long-term projects while securing short-term wins, and I think that’s the balance we’re hoping to strike. At the end of the day, these big projects are exciting, but we also recognize that ensuring investment reaches underserved areas in Fort Worth is critical. A city’s health is reflected in its weakest neighborhood, and our goal is to bring capital investment and job creation to all parts of Fort Worth.