New bank HQ to sport Parker County’s first office tower

Commercial growth in Parker County opened a new chapter recently with the announcement that Worthington Bank has acquired land for its new corporate headquarters, to be located on the southwest corner of Interstate 30 and Walsh Ranch Parkway.

The 96,000-square-foot structure will be Parker County’s first office tower structure, and the county’s second corporate bank headquarters relocation. First Bank Texas opened its new headquarters in Willow Park in 2001.

According to a release from Worthington Bank, “The tower will be built with Class A finishes and decorated in a Western motif with art celebrating the area, a beloved tradition of Worthington Bank. The building will be an eight-floor commercial structure with a dedicated parking lot and convenient access to Interstate 20, Interstate 30, and Loop 820 and Farm-to-Market Road 1187.”

Parker County Judge Pat Deen was happy with the announcement.

“Parker County now operates not just as a single entity, but as a collaboration,” Deen said. “We all have a common goal here, which is to bring in more revenue, keep jobs local, and focus on those high-wage job growth opportunities.”

The new bank headquarters will be located at the southwest corner of Walsh Ranch Parkway and Interstate 30, adjacent to the recently-announced UTA …

“One, it keeps everybody local,” Deen said. “It keeps our workforce local, and it also takes the strain off the transportation system of putting 60% of our workforce that goes east every day. So that's a continuation of the vision that I certainly had when I came here.

“What I see is the recruitment of those headquarters that brings in those high-wage jobs and continue to do that without compromising the rural integrity of the county by tearing down trees and all these things that people have a perception of. We're looking at those type of jobs that still maintain the quality of life that we enjoy here at Parker County, still trying to stay rural as long as we can, but yet bringing those jobs that do that, and bringing in their corporate headquarters is a step in that direction, and we welcome them with open arms.”

The growth in the county was one of the motivating factors of Worthington Bank’s decision.

“Parker County has been experiencing an incredible level of growth in residential development, especially with the development of Walsh. The addition of Worthington Bank Tower will provide residents a unique working experience close to where they live,” said Greg Morse, Worthington Bank CEO.

“The addition of Worthington Bank Tower and our partnership to bring Worthington into the development will unlock more opportunities for those in the area, complement existing commercial activity and provide long-term benefits to the entire region,” said Ryan B. Dickerson, Chief Executive Officer of the Walsh Companies.

Deen stressed that these types of development are crucial both in deterring “smokestack” type industries and in the attempt to keep property taxes down for county residents.

“We don't have the land for it in proximity to the massive expansion of the development of housing. I mean, Springtown alone has over 100 subdivisions going in, and so it's not a fit for that,” Deen said. “It's becoming more of a challenge to bring in those high-wage jobs, because there's so much development that's happening, because 60% of the growth is happening in ETJs, and that's where a lot of these industries try to go.

“We need to continue to find those slots where we can put these businesses, one to increase the property value, they get the taxes down, get the taxes off your back, and we hope to continue that trend, and we welcome them with open arms to set an example. I'm working to continue that trend and bringing those top companies here. It's exactly that type of company that we want here.”