Curb Appeal Fort Wayne

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Published: Friday, 10 March 2023 16:19

What Is Curb Appeal?

The City of Fort Wayne's Community Development Division announces CURB APPEAL, a pilot program which provides matching funds as an incentive to property owners to repair and/or enhance the exterior appearance of their property. The program is available to owners of residentially used properties within the eligible neighborhoods listed below.  Participants in the program must provide a minimum of 20% matching funds for any project request. 

Projects that are awarded must be completed, and reimbursement requests submitted no later than 4:59 pm on September 28, 2023. 

How Do I Apply? 

The Curb Appeal Program is now CLOSED and applications are no longer being accepted.

How Do I Get Reimbursed? 

Curb Appeal is a Reimbursement Program

Curb Appeal Request for Reimbursement (ENGLISH) Fillable Form PDF - HERE

Curb Appeal Request for Reimbursement (SPANISH) Fillable Form PDF - HERE

What Are The Program Guidelines? 

Program Guidelines are available (ENGLISH) HERE.

What is the Eligible Area:

Properties located within the Curb Appeal boundaries are eligible. The property must be located in one of the following neighborhoods:

Each eligible neighborhood or neighborhood area was selected because it has recently or is actively involved in developing a neighborhood plan in partnership with the City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division and the Neighborhood Planning and Activation Workgroup.

Who Do I Contact With Questions?

You may e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

* The City of Fort Wayne Community Development Division reserves the right to deny any application for any reason.

Neighborhood Planning and Activation

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Published: Friday, 10 March 2023 15:17

Pillars of Hope and Justice – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Public Art Monument

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Published: Friday, 24 February 2023 13:10

Pillars of Hope and Justice – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Public Art Monument

Location:   Northwest Corner of West Main Street and Ewing Street in Downtown Fort Wayne.

About:    Pillars of Hope and Justice commemorates the historic visit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Fort Wayne on June 5, 1963, where he shared his vision of nonviolent resistance. The monument features the six pillars of nonviolent resistance, evoking both ancient architectural pillars and reeds of papyrus. Each is composed of words from King’s speech in Fort Wayne. For Dr. King, the six pillars of nonviolent resistance were defined in opposition to the values of Egypt as told in the Exodus story. This form symbolizes the tension between authority and vulnerability, justice and compassion, struggle and shared human frailty. The reed resonates with the powerful tradition of Black preaching on the “New Exodus.” In Isaiah 42:1-4, the reed is a metaphor for nonviolent leadership for justice: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold…I was put my Spirit in him, and he will bring justice to the nations…A bruised reed he will not break….” The Hebrew prophet Isaiah inspired Dr. King and many other Fort Wayne faith leaders.

Because a complete, fully recorded version of his speech was not known to exist, the Fort Wayne History Center collected, assembled and ordered all documented remarks, as repeated in area newspapers. The reconstruction relied on fractional transcriptions from five distinct sources and represented approximately one-quarter of the content spoken by Dr. King during that historical event. For more information on the reconstruction of the speech, click HERE

To hear the reconstructed speech as read by Rev. Dr. Bill McGill click play below:

To view a close captioned video of the reconstructed speech as read by Rev. Dr. Bill McGill click play below:

Artists: Shane Allbritton and Norman Lee (RE:site Studios)

Funding:    City of Fort Wayne; Harriett Inskeep; The Journal Gazette Foundation; The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, a fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission.

Dedication:      June 5, 2023

Link To view the video of the Dedication Event.
Link To view the video of the 60^th Anniversary Event featuring Martin Luther King III.

Dedication photos:

Background information:

On February 4, 2020, Fort Wayne City Council passed a resolution sponsored by Councilpersons Chambers and Jehl initiating a process for the creation of a public display commemorating the words and visit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Fort Wayne in 1963. City Council recognizes the social value of memorializing Dr. King’s dream of racial equality and harmony and celebrating the words he spoke at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, now the USF Performing Arts Center. Dr. King visited Fort Wayne on June 5, 1963 on his journey to Washington, D.C. where he would make the historic “I Have a Dream” speech just two months later.

At the direction of City Council, the Public Art Commission created a selection committee and issued a Request for Qualifications in February 2021. Upon review of a number of submissions, the selection Committee invited three qualified respondents to submit a proposal. In August 2021, the Selection Committee recommended a proposal called Pillars of Hope and Justice submitted by Shane Albritton and Norman Lee of RE:site Studio for Public Art Commission approval. The Public Art Commission approved the Selection Committee’s recommendation.

The Fort Wayne Public Art Commission hosted an artist talk regarding the Pillars of Hope and Justice Monument in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday, June 9, 2022. The talk featured one of the artists, Shane Allbritton with RE:site, along with team member Caitlin Dashiell with Metalab. The RE:site team also shared inspiration for the design and information on fabrication. To see a narrated version of this presentation, click HERE.

The Pillars of Hope and Justice Monument was dedicated on June 5, 2023.  Special guest and featured speaker, Martin Luther King III attended the dedication event and 60^th Anniversary Celebration that followed at the USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center.

The project was funded by the City of Fort Wayne; Harriett Inskeep; The Journal Gazette Foundation; The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, and the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission.

Monument installation photos:

Completed Projects

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Published: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 13:57

Pillars of Hope and Justice - Martin Luther King Jr. Public Monument
Click HERE for information on the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Monument.

Faces of the Fort Public Art Initiative
Click HERE for information on the Faces of the Fort Public Art Initiative.

Five Point Spin - Five Points Roundabout Sculpture

Five Point Spin is a sculpture located in the center of the roundabout at Goshen and Sherman Roads in northwest Fort Wayne. The project was funded by Fort Wayne Public Works and Northwest Quadrant Investing in Neighborhoods Now Funds dedicated by the Northwest Area Partnership.

At the request of the City of Fort Wayne Public Works Department, the Public Art Commission formed a selection committee. After reviewing several submissions, the committee recommended and the Public Art Commission approved Susan Zoccola’s Five Point Spin sculpture.

The "5 Point Spin" sculpture, designed by artist Susan Zoccola, is a wheel-inspired sculptural "tree" that stands 24-feet tall and 21-feet wide. The sculpture includes three 12-foot branches that contain 15 spoke wheels reminiscent of automobile wheels from the early 1900s. The wheels are brightly colored and of varying sizes. The largest wheels are 6-feet in diameter. The scuplture serves as a tribute to the historic Lincoln Highway and motorists who have travelled through the intersection over the last 100 years. Goshen Avenue was once part of the Lincoln Highway until 1928. Learn more about Susan Zoccola at HERE.

The sculpture was installed in late September 2022. Lighting and landscape elements were installed in June 2023.

Sculpture Fabrication and Installation

Nebraska Neighborhood Mural

The Nebraska Neighborhood mural is on the east façade of 1804 W. Main St. This piece was designed to embody and celebrate the Nebraska Neighborhood’s rich history. Themes incorporated into the work include Kekionga Baseball team, The Wayne Knitting Mills, Camp Allen, Jaenicke Gardens, and Swinney Park. The muralist was chosen through an open call for artists.

The muralist, Jeff Pilkinton, lived close to Nebraska Neighborhood as a child. Pilkinton is an established chalk-artist, street painter, and muralist based in Fort Wayne.  Learn more about the artist at HERE.

The project was made possible with the support of the Nebraska Neighborhood Association, Chris Shatto, Matt Momper, and the building owner Frank Casagrande. It was funded by the City of Fort Wayne’s Investing in Neighborhoods Now funds dedicated to the Public Art Commission by the Northwest Area Partnership. 

Images of the Mural in Progress

Accessibility Program

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Published: Thursday, 07 July 2022 10:13

Accessibility Modifications Program