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Panther Island struggled for years to secure funding. What changed politically?

For 20 years, Panther Island has been an idea: A 800-acre walkable district north of downtown Fort Worth with shops, offices, apartments and condos, but political red tape has kept that vision stalled.

U.S. Rep. Kay Granger on Wednesday announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $403 million for a 1.5 mile bypass channel as part of the Central City Flood Control Project. The funds will be “complete final design of all project components and construction of the bypass channel,” connecting parts of the Clear and West Forks of the Trinity River.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey credited President Joe Biden and the infrastructure law passed in November 2021 for the funds. The money for the the Central City Flood Control Project is funded through the infrastructure law.

“It is a team effort, but had we not been able to get the bipartisan infrastructure plan done, I don’t think we would have gotten it,” Veasey said. “I’m very happy that the president, regardless of all of the politics and controversies and what have you, that he saw it through and that he got it passed, and that is something tangible, something physical and concrete, that people will be able to see, touch and feel for generations to come.”

The law passed out of the House with 13 Republicans supporting the bill. Granger was among those who voted against it.

In February 2020, Granger blamed Mick Mulvaney, then director of the Office of Management and Budget, for holding up of funding. The Trump administration largely ignored the $1.17 billion project. Congress had authorized $526 million in 2016, but the money was never appropriated.

Granger’s office said she was not available to comment until a Thursday press conference.

In August 2019, U.S. Rep. Roger Williams and then Mayor Betsy Price met with Mulvaney, and said the project could get at least $250 million.

“They gave us a strong indication they were willing to work with us on it,” Price said at the time. “We’ll have to wait and see how the details come together, but this is a foot in the door.”

But the funding never came while Trump was in office. When his term ended some local officials hoped Biden would be more approving.

Veasey said the project, which will be part of his district under new maps drawn by the Texas Legislature, was one of the first things he discussed with the Biden administration and the Office of Management and Budget. Veasey said he has met with Shalanda Young, who was nominated in November to serve as director of the office, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the project.

Veasey described procuring funding as a team effort between himself, Granger, business owners and North Side residents.

In a Wednesday statement, Granger thanked Veasey for “helping this project cross the finish line.”

“Having experienced unprecedented growth since I was mayor, we are now the 12th largest city in the nation,” she said in a statement. “But with growth comes responsibility. As the leaders in flood control, I thank the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for understanding that responsibility and addressing that need for Fort Worth. Our community will be safer thanks to their hard work and tireless commitment.”

This article contains information from Star-Telegram archives.