FORT WORTH, TX — City of Fort Worth residents watched and cheered as dignitaries broke ground on the new City Council wing at Future City Hall.

Site enhancements at the former Pier 1 headquarters building, 100 Energy Way, will include a new City Council Chamber facility, which will be home to future Council meetings and a number of boards and commissions.

As part of a goal to transform the way city services are delivered in Fort Worth, the city purchased the former Pier 1 building, with the goal of bringing 22 departments from 14 buildings into the site. The site will include a new one-stop shop for resident-facing services, including development and permitting activities, water customer service, and more.

The existing building is undergoing changes to support a welcoming and functional space for municipal government. Project completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024.

The city had planned on building a new City Hall next to the new structure at 200 Texas Street, but buying the current Pier 1 building would be cheaper, Mayor Betsy Price said.

“As we have begun to plan for the renovation of City Hall, the cost-savings provided by the purchase of this building is simply too significant to pass up,” Price said in a statement. “This is a prudent financial decision.”

The cost of building a new City Hall was estimated at $200 million, but the exact price of the new building will not be disclosed until the sale is completed in February.

The City of Fort Worth said the cost of the new building would save “tens of millions” of dollars.

"This purchase is a more economical solution to meet the space needs of the 13th largest city, as well as allow for more city services to be in one convenient location for residents," City Manager David Cooke said. "While the purchase of an existing property was not part of the city's original plan, purchasing this property provides a solution to the city's real estate needs sooner without new construction and will result in savings for taxpayers for years to come."