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Business and community leaders listen to Fort Worth\u2019s State of the City hosted by the chamber of commerce on Oct. 16, 2025, at Dickies Arena. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n
Parker used film as a central example of how Fort Worth is evolving into its status as one of the nation\u2019s major cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a population that recently surpassed 1 million<\/a>, Fort Worth may even be the 10th largest city in the nation according to unofficial estimates, said Steve Montgomery, President and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, during his remarks opening the event.<\/p>\n The mayor emphasized that the growing film industry has benefited residents with more than 50,000 jobs and nearly a billion dollar impact on businesses.<\/p>\n Since 2020, the city has notably become the planned headquarters of director Taylor Sheridan\u2019s 101 Studios. Known for shows like \u201cYellowstone<\/a>,\u201d \u201cLandman<\/a>\u201d and \u201cLioness<\/a>,\u201d the studio in August partnered<\/a> with Hillwood and Paramount Television to develop Texas\u2019 largest production studio<\/a> in far North Fort Worth at AllianceTexas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hillwood and 101 Studios are planning a production studio five to eight times the current 450,000-square-foot one in AllianceTexas, said David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios, in a sit-down conversation with Parker at the State of the City.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve probably moved 15% of my staff here,\u201d Glasser said. \u201cThey come here, they love it. They can get houses for a great price. Their kids are getting a great education.\u201d<\/p>\n The city has also attracted productions such as\u00a0 The Chosen<\/a>, 12 Mighty Orphans<\/a> and Miss Juneteenth<\/a>.<\/p>\n Parker traced the city\u2019s advancements in the film industry to the Fort Worth Film Commission<\/a>, which was formed in 2015 to help sell the city to prospective producers. Since then, Texas lawmakers have rolled out tax incentives for producers to film in the state, most recently committing $1.5 billion to the efforts<\/a> over the next decade.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew that if we wanted to be competitive in Texas \u2014 this was before (state) incentives were where they are now \u2014 we had to be really strong, and we also needed to be the very best in Texas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 101 Studios have also partnered with Tarrant Community College<\/a> to grow students who can work in the film industry.<\/p>\n Parker compared Fort Worth saying \u201cyes\u201d to the film industry to the city\u2019s welcoming of General Dynamics<\/a> in the 1940s. The corporation would grow and later merge with Lockheed Martin, acting as a boon to Fort Worth\u2019s now thriving aircraft manufacturing and defence industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t just about blockbuster movies and starpower,\u201d Parker said. \u201cIt\u2019s about telling stories that reflect who we are, creating jobs and opportunity and higher education pathways for our residents and our businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n How Fort Worth is addressing education, homelessness, polarization<\/p>\n Parker also devoted time to other city issues commonly discussed in City Hall, including rising homelessness and Fort Worth ISD\u2019s education struggles.<\/a><\/p>\n She said the city is bracing for an impending state takeover of Fort Worth ISD<\/a>, triggered by multiple years of the school district\u2019s struggle to meet Texas expectations on standardized testing.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the city should be ready for the takeover, Parker said, it should also be proud of progress made on tests over the past year, which she attributed to the district\u2019s new superintendent<\/a> and FWISD\u2019s partnership with the city to turnaround declining literacy rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201c(The) decision on potential state intervention is imminent, but our role as a community is clear: that no matter the outcome, we have to stand ready to rally around whatever the decision is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Discussing homelessness, she highlighted the city\u2019s High ImpACT<\/a> program, which launched in 2024. The program focuses on reaching out to longtime homeless residents and offering them shelter and counseling services. Since its launch, 76 previously homeless individuals have been housed, Parker said.<\/p>\n She also pointed to the city\u2019s newly launched ambulance services<\/a> within the fire department as an example of how Fort Worth is evolving with its growth. Parker said the in-house services, which took over the role of longtime third-party provider MedStar, is expected to bring faster emergency response times and be more financially sustainable.\u00a0<\/p>\n The services increased the city\u2019s budget by about $89.2 million<\/a> for Fiscal Year 2026. About 63% of that is expected to be covered by expected income from patients. The city will foot the outstanding bill of about $20.1 million.<\/p>\n After the speech, when asked by reporters about increased polarization in the City Council<\/a>, Parker said she was focused on keeping the speech\u2019s message positive.<\/p>\n \u201cContentious issues are totally normal in large cities where you\u2019re grappling with really important policy issues,\u201d Parker said. \u201cBut when you stop talking about policy, and you\u2019re talking about personalities and you\u2019re talking about personal attacks<\/a>, we\u2019ve got to get back from that, and that\u2019s my focus.\u201d<\/p>\n Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1016-StateoftheCity-07A-.jpg\")
David Glasser speaks with Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker during the State of the City on Oct. 16, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1016-StateoftheCity-06A-.jpg\")
Audience members listen to Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker during the State of the City on Oct. 16, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n
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