City of Fort Worth
An artist's rendering of Perot Plaza.
Fort Worth has always been a can-do, hold-my-beer-watch-this kind of city.
Bold, risk-averse cattle drovers, cattle raisers, and, later, wildcatters populated the city in the 20th century and with them established a culture and ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation.
“I envision I’ll see an airplane take off from this airport and go off into space, and that airplane will be built at this airport,” H. Ross Perot Sr. said as he turned the keys over to that 400 acres that would become Alliance Airport said in the late-1980s.
Perot, a visionary by any standard, added that he believed that one day Fort Worth Alliance Airport would be a global hub for the jobs of tomorrow.
The airport, opened 33 years ago on Dec. 14, 1989, now will bear his name forever.
Hillwood, the city of Fort Worth and the Federal Aviation Administration officially recognized the airport’s name change to Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport during a dedication ceremony Thursday.
“AllianceTexas, anchored by the world’s first industrial airport, has proven to be a modern-day, Texas-sized success story, encapsulating the pioneering and can-do spirit so often associated with the state,” Fort Worth Mattie Parker said. “The development has contributed to more than $100 billion in cumulative economic impact to the region since its inception, as well as more than $3.1 billion in paid property taxes, including $621.5 million to Fort Worth alone.”
Plans were also unveiled for Perot Plaza, a memorial plaza honoring Perot Sr. on the west side of the air traffic control tower, complementing Bob Bolen Plaza and the Honor Guard installation.
“Fort Worth will remain a full-fledged partner with Alliance Airport and AllianceTexas, just as it has been since Day 1 with former mayors Bob Bolen and Kay Granger," Parker added.
In addition to the mayor, guests included Perot’s son, Ross Perot Jr., chairman of Hillwood and The Perot Group; Mike Berry, president of Hillwood; T. Allan McArtor, former Federal Aviation Administration administrator; and Ignacio Flores, FAA director of airports.
The airport was born out of a collaboration between Hillwood, the city of Fort Worth and the FAA. Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport features a vast array of flight services including air cargo, corporate and government aviation, and is the cornerstone of the 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development.