Tax Increment Finance District

What in the world is a TIF?

Well, it stands for Tax Increment Finance District, and it helps provide public improvements Downtown, in conjunction with private investments.  When new development occurs, taxes on the increased property values are used to pay the cost of the public projects financed by the TIF.

The Downtown TIF is a collaborative effort of the City of Fort Worth, FWISD, Tarrant County, Tarrant County College District, and the Tarrant County Regional Water District.  The TIF is managed by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and was established back in 1996.

The Downtown TIF helps do a bunch of things:

• Attract investment
• Support tourism and convention business
• Create an environment to attract office, retail, and residential development
• Use the increment to fund public improvements
• Create measurable financial gains for local governments

Since it began, the TIF has been very successful at meeting these goals.  It's funded a wide variety of projects and initiatives, from free parking downtown to streetscape and facade improvements.  Through a commitment of $60 million in public funds, the TIF has leveraged development approaching $500 million in value, resulting in substantial sales and property tax revenues to the TIF’s taxing partners.  Approximately twelve million dollars remain under the current cap on TIF expenses. 

Contact Information

For more information about the Tax Increment Financing District, please contact Jim Johnson, Director of Downtown Development/TIF District, at 817.870.1692 or by email at jim@dfwi.org.