This downtown Fort Worth high rise gained 50,000 tenants. They’re making quite a buzz
May 21,2021
See full Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by David Silva Ramirez here.
Queen Beeyonce arrived at the Bank of America Tower on Friday, and she brought about 50,000 of her closest friends.
The queen bee and her hive are a part of a new urban beekeeping effort at the City Center towers to improve sustainability and pollination.
City Center partnered with Alvéole, a Montréal-based beekeeping service for schools and businesses, to bring the first urban hive to downtown Fort Worth on what also was World Bee Day.
The several thousand Italian bees, known for their gentle temperament, will be housed in a second-level outdoor space near Third and Calhoun streets for at least three years. The bees will pollinate flowers within three miles over the summer and produce honey starting in September.
The building is the first one downtown to establish a bee hive, said Valerie Farrell, director of marketing for City Center.
Bees work in their newly-installed hive at the Bank of America Tower in downtown Fort Worth. They’re expected to pollinate flowers within three miles of their hive.
The queen bee was dubbed Queen Beeyoncé after the singer and Texas native through a naming contest by City Center tenants.
Urban beekeeping projects have been on the rise for several years across the country and are seen as way to combat decreasing bee populations due to pesticide use, habitat loss and climate change.
Bees and other pollinators are responsible for the pollination of more than 130 varieties of fruit and vegetables.
Urban beekeeper Rock Delliquanti said people shouldn’t be concerned about being bothered by the bees. These bees solely focused collecting nectar and pollen, he said, and will only sting if they feel their colony is being threatened.
“If you’re out in the city and you’re seeing bees on flowers, you’re welcome to take pictures and look at them,” he said. “They really won’t want to bother you.”
Delliquanti said aside from the ecological benefits, the beehive is a great opportunity to educate community members about bees, honey, urban farming and more.
Beekeeping team manager Michelle Winter and Delliquanti will maintain the beehive and host workshops to educate the public throughout the year.
Location Mentioned: Bank of America Tower