It’s been two years since an explosion ripped through the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel, injuring 21 people and disrupting life and business in the heart of downtown.
Since the January 8, 2024, blast, lawsuits have been filed, and rebuilding continues. But for nearby business owners, recovery hasn’t been as simple.
La’Creamian, an ice cream and coffee shop located just around the corner, had only been open for six months at the time of the explosion.
“We were open for six glorious months,” said owner Lisa Jackson. “It took us a while, those first six months, to break through. They didn’t know who we were.”
Jackson said she was feeling optimistic heading into the new year.
“And so, we were gearing up for 2024, and we were going to hire. And then on January 8th, 2024, after three in the afternoon, the explosion occurred,” she said.
The suspected gas leak destroyed part of the hotel on Houston Street, blowing out glass and walls from at least two floors. Debris covered the street. Nearby sidewalks were blocked off, cutting off customer access to small businesses like Jackson’s.
“For a while, the entire street was closed, including the sidewalks,” Jackson said. “And when that happened, the customers could not reach us.”
Vertiasha Tickles, a former employee at a nearby business, remembers the moment she heard about the explosion.
“A friend had texted me and was like, ‘Hey, your old job exploded.’ And I was like, ‘It did what?’ And I was dumbfounded about what had happened,” she said.
Months later, the city provided relief through grants and support, including tens of thousands of dollars in funding and a block party to help bring customers back.
“We were uncertain, and it allowed us to get over the hard, hard part and still be here for the community,” Jackson said.
Now in 2026, the view from Jackson’s storefront on West 8th Street still includes construction equipment and barricades, reminders of the explosion and what’s still left to repair.
“We cried a lot. And we huddled a lot,” she said. “It was an uncertain time. It was definitely an uncertain time. But God was good to us.”
NBC 5 reached out to representatives for the Sandman Hotel. A spokesperson said the hotel had initially hoped to reopen by the end of 2025, but unforeseen delays have now pushed that target to summer 2026.
