A map showing the area of Woodhaven to be redeveloped by Crescendo and its partners.
Courtesy of Crescendo Development
A Texas Business Court judge has ruled in favor of Will Northern in a lawsuit filed by his former business partner, Fort Worth City Council member Michael Crain, over the redevelopment of an east Fort Worth golf course.
On Aug. 6, Business Court Judge Jerry Bullard in Fort Worth dismissed a lawsuit filed by Crain in June 2025 alleging that Northern used private company information to buy the former Woodhaven Country Club and cut Crain out of the deal.
Crain alleged that Northern used information from a client at their jointly owned real estate firm, Northern Crain Realty, to buy the former golf course at a May 2024 foreclosure auction.
Crain and Nothern have been friends for over a decade.
The Woodhaven Country Club and golf course, just northwest of the intersection of Interstate 30 and East Loop 820, opened its doors in 1972 and served as an anchor for the surrounding businesses, apartments and housing developments.
However, the country club was forced to close in 2021 due to the economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2025, the Fort Worth City Council approved the rezoning of the 150-acre property into a development with apartments, mixed-use buildings, and homes. Crain abstained from that vote, citing his ownership in the property.
All of Crain’s claims against Northern have been dismissed, according to the ruling, and the court ruled that Crain does not have ownership of Northern Crain — and did not when he filed the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was tossed out before a jury trial was set to begin later in August, according to a press release from Northern’s legal team, and in the process, Crain was ordered to sell his interests in Northern Crain companies back to Northern under a “Texas Shootout buy-sell option” (otherwise known as a “shotgun clause”) that was initiated by Northern in 2024.
Crain has also been ordered to reimburse Northern for attorney fees incurred to enforce the buy-out.
“I’m pleased with the Texas Business Court’s decision,” Northern told the Star-Telegram on Friday afternoon. “I plan to rebrand the real estate brokerage and property management company back to Northern Realty Group and Northern Property Management, and provide quality service as we’ve done starting in 2010 when the company we started. … I also look forward to future development projects in the Greater Fort Worth area with Crescendo Development beyond just Woodhaven.”
In a statement, Crain and his legal team said that they “respectfully disagree” with the judge’s decision.
“I understand the Court has entered a final judgment dismissing the remaining claims against my business partner,” Crain wrote. “First and foremost, we believe the Court lacked jurisdiction over this matter. Rather than hearing evidence on the underlying facts or the merits of our claims, the case was resolved through procedural rulings based on a record we believe was incomplete and, in some respects, inaccurate.”
Crain said that his legal team will “pursue our appellate remedies.”
Northern also shared on Friday that Crescendo Development, his land management outfit, will work with national housing developer Blue Ridge Cascade on the Woodhaven development.
A website dedicated to the development, woodhaventogether.com, has been launched calling the development a “long-awaited opportunity.”
Emily Holshouser is a local news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Emily Holshouser
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