The first shovels broke ground today in a ceremony at Texas Wesleyan University for a new addition to student housing, slated to open July 2022.

The Rosedale Apartments – soon to be located at the corner of East Rosedale Street and Collard Street – will house 101 students and offer amenities like a weight room, student lounge, gated parking, conference room and a rooftop patio. The Rosedale Apartments will offer one- and two-bedroom apartments and be a quick walk to the center of campus, allowing residence easy access to events in the community.

The ceremony was relocated to Ann Waggoner Fine Arts Building due to weather and muddy grounds. To continue the tradition of breaking the ground before construction starting, crates of dirt were brought on stage for the customary shoveling.

Opening the ceremony, Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees Chairman Glenn Lewis said, “I am a person who has grown up and spent his entire life in east Fort Worth and I can tell you that I cannot remember the last time this kind of investment was made on Rosedale Street in East Fort Worth.”

During his speech, Texas Wesleyan University President Slabach expressed the importance of student engagement in the community as he mentioned the new Engage 2025 strategic plan, saying the new apartments on campus will “immerse our students in the community.”

Chris Nettles, Fort Worth city council member of district 8, feels that the new apartments “brings in the next level of standard” for the development of further housing and businesses. He feels that The Rosedale Apartments “[are] going to be the beginning of new economic development that is going to take place up and down Rosedale.”