It certainly made an impact when XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, announced plans to move all 1,600 of its Fort Worth jobs to Houston by 2020. Besides shuffling employees, the question remains as to what will become of the company’s six buildings in the Downtown Fort Worth area.

According to officials quoted in the Fort Worth Business Press, there has already been a lot of interest in the four core XTO buildings located in Downtown Fort Worth. One of XTO Energy’s buildings is already under contract near the Fort Worth Stockyards, and another building is already under contract for sale to the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. 

The XTO properties include meticulously maintained vintage buildings such as the W.T. Waggoner, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The founders of Cross Timbers Oil Co., eventually bought by XTO Energy, were applauded for buying and renovating old buildings in Downtown Fort Worth for their headquarters.

The buildings’ location in downtown Fort Worth makes them prime candidates to be repurposed as apartments or condos. Apartments and condos in downtown Fort Worth are highly desirable right now, especially as the area continues to become an entertainment and shopping destination.

 The XTO employees will be moved to Houston in stages, so some of the buildings will be available for use before 2020. About 350 XTO Energy jobs will remain in Fort Worth to support work on the Barnett Shale.