This week, Fort Worth started moving into a new city hall.
I bring this up because I can now boast that I have rappelled down the side of the center of government of America’s 13th largest city.
Also, I rappelled down the building when it was still Pier 1’s corporate headquarters a few years ago. So now, no one can say I’ve never rappelled down the side of Fort Worth City Hall. #AlanScaiaMediaHero pic.twitter.com/TQl57l7y0T
— Alan Scaia (@scaia) February 2, 2021
I might look terrified in that picture, and perhaps rappelling down a 20 story building was a strange assignment for a man who’s strangely boastful about his fear of heights. But I rappelled successfully with office workers staring out the window as I passed them.
A couple years prior to that, the mayor of Fort Worth rappelled down a different building. While he may not have looked as terrified, at the risk of editorializing, I’d suggest he also didn’t look particularly majestic.
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Afterward, Mike Moncrief would tell us it was kind of a rough landing.
You do a practice rappel at a smaller height so the organizers can give you some tips. You’re encouraged to get into a rhythm, just sort of bouncing your feet off the wall as you let yourself down. But I remember the office workers because at one point, my rhythm was interrupted, I stopped going down and just started twirling around in mid-air.
It’s probably better I did not have a bunch of reporters on the ground taking pictures of me.
These were fundraisers for Downtown Fort Worth Inc. However, the mayor explained that moving into a new city hall would bring more action to the area around Panther Island Pavilion, saying it’s a part of the city ready for development because it’s right between downtown and West 7th.
She didn’t even mention the rappelling market.
The city manager, meanwhile, explained they got a good deal on the place because Pier 1 doesn’t, technically, exist anymore. Even though the new city hall will cost about $100 million with the cost of the sale and renovations, but he said building a new city hall would have cost about $200.
Loyal Scaiaholics will also recall I’m a landowner. I’d have sold Fort Worth my place for half that!
But Cooke makes a strong point: By moving into a bigger city hall, every department could now be under one roof. It’s possible the Pier 1 building has slightly more space than my house, even though I do have a laundry room.
Also, my house is one story. It probably would not be as entertaining to rappel down.
But now, who can say I haven’t rappelled down Fort Worth City Hall? No one, that’s who.
We may seem divided as a nation, but that can-do spirit is what brings us all together. Just maybe get approval and raise some money before you get your picture taken clinging to the side of a government building.