July 19, 2018 -- Funding the City of Fort Wayne receives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is being used to demolish a home on the Vincent Village campus and build a new one in its place. The new energy-efficient three-bedroom Lillie Street home will become part of Vincent Village’s Community Rental Home Program and will be available to a family that is currently living in the Vincent House Shelter or another area homeless shelter. 

The City of Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services invites residents to purchase fruits and vegetables at the Johnnie Mae Farm Stand Fridays through October from 4 to 7 p.m. The Johnnie Mae Farm is located in the Renaissance Pointe Neighborhood at 2518 Winter St.

A variety of fresh produce grown on-site will be available to local residents. Possible items for purchase include collard and mustard greens, oregano, thyme, radishes, tomatoes, sweet corn, zucchini, green beans, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and watermelon.

Temporary decorative LED lighting is now brightening the underside of the Norfolk-Southern overpass that crosses Barr Street just north of Freimann Square.

The 2018 Draft Annual Action Plan outlining how the City of Fort Wayne will invest U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dollars this year is now available for public review. Residents can view the plan online at www.FWCommunityDevelopment.org/actionplan or can read a hard copy during normal business hours at the Pontiac Branch of the Allen County Public Library, 2215 S. Hanna St., and at the front desk of the City’s Community Development offices, 200 E. Berry St., Suite 320.

The plan will be presented at a public meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at 6 p.m. at the Community Center, 233 W. Main St.

Mayor Tom Henry today joined White Lodging officials to break ground on the new Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Fort Wayne Downtown, which will support the Grand Wayne Center and its growing convention business as well as business and leisure travelers looking to be close to downtown amenities.

The annual report detailing how the City of Fort Wayne invested U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dollars in 2017 is now available for public review.

Comments regarding the report, called the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER), will be accepted at a public meeting on June 13 and in writing through June 18, 2018.

The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13 at 6 p.m. at the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Community Center, 233 W. Main St.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Urban Enterprise Association (UEA) has hired Trois Hart as its new Director. Hart replaces Gina Kostoff who recently took a position with Indiana Michigan Power.

Hart joins the City of Fort Wayne with a career history in banking and most recently as the Associate Vice President of Marketing at the University of Saint Francis. She serves on multiple community boards including the Fort Wayne Downtown Development Trust and the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne. Hart reports to the UEA Board of Directors and to Cindy Joyner, director of Community Development.

Mayor Tom Henry today announced the City of Fort Wayne New Markets Revitalization Fund, LLC (FWNMRF) anticipates investing in six projects located throughout northeast Indiana.

Mayor Tom Henry today announced the launch of a new website for Fort Wayne neighborhoods. The site, available at www.FortWayneNeighborhoods.org, is also available by visiting www.CityofFortWayne.org and clicking on the top Neighborhoods menu item.

In addition to the website, the City of Fort Wayne is starting two social media channels and an electronic newsletter to help connect and inform neighborhood leaders.

Sweetwater founder and president Chuck Surack and representatives from city, regional, and state economic development organizations recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Clyde Theatre at Quimby Village, 1808 Bluffton Road, southwest of downtown Fort Wayne.

The City of Fort Wayne's Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services is beginning its next round of demolitions as part of the statewide Blight Elimination Program. Today, the City's contractor demolished an abandoned and vacant home at 615 Watkins Street.

More than half of the property owners living in the unincorporated portion of the La Cabreah neighborhood off of Dupont Road have petitioned the City of Fort Wayne to be annexed.

If approved, this voluntary annexation would bring 174 residential properties and about 105 acres inside the City limits. Currently, the southern part of the La Cabreah neighborhood is already within the City limits. Fifty-one percent of the property owners signed the petition for voluntary annexation, which meets the threshold needed to request a voluntary annexation.

Mayor Tom Henry today announced Cindy Joyner has been promoted to director of the City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division.

Joyner has 16 years of experience in local government. Since 2008, she’s served as a deputy director in the Community Development Division overseeing the Neighborhood Code Compliance Department. Under Joyner’s direction, Neighborhood Code has enhanced customer service and community outreach to residents, neighborhoods and businesses. She’s been recognized for her expertise in the areas of leadership development, management, documentation, budgeting, and building strong relationships with public safety personnel, social service agencies and business and neighborhood leaders.

The Kickstart Festival Planning Committee is pleased to present Kickstart Festival 2018 in the month of May in Fort Wayne. The Kickstart Festival is a month-long celebration of bikes, music, art and theatre, ushering in a summer filled with activity in our community.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Tall Grass/Weed Program kicks off today, May 21, 2018. Neighborhood Code Compliance is responsible for enforcing the City’s Weed Program, which calls for weeds or grass to be no taller than nine inches.

For the first time this year, Weed Inspectors will be using a new computer app that allows them to do all their documentation in the field using an iPad. Because traditional paperwork normally takes about 1.5 hours per day, this time will now be available to respond to calls from the public, increasing productivity by approximately 25 percent.

Area residents are invited to take a brief, online survey about their favorite places. The survey is available by visiting www.fwcommunitydevelopment.org/survey. 

The survey asks people to consider their favorite place, such as a park, lake or coffee shop. Then, the survey will ask questions about what makes that place attractive. The information will help determine the amenities local people like to enjoy in public spaces, such as nature, art or social activities.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry today announced that ten local organizations will receive 2018 Commercial Façade Grants to improve their properties. This year's recipients are located in all quadrants of the city and are on well-traveled corridors.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division is looking for volunteers to support the City’s newly created Public Art Program. Anyone interested in information about volunteering should visit www.fwcommunitydevelopment.org/publicart.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division is looking for volunteers willing to spend four hours of their time observing how people use downtown public spaces. For information about volunteering and to sign up, visit www.fwcommunitydevelopment.org and click on the volunteer link.

Mayor Tom Henry joined representatives from Miller-Valentine Group and Vincent Village today to tour two recently completed single-family homes located on Winter Street. The homes are part of the Bottle Works Lofts development in southeast Fort Wayne.

The $14.5 million affordable housing development includes 19 lease-to-purchase single family homes, each with a detached garage, located throughout the Renaissance Pointe neighborhood. To date, 15 homes are already pre-leased.

RealAmerica Companies CEO/President Ronda Weybright today gave Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and local news media a tour of the mixed-use building Superior Lofts, 102 W. Superior St. Weybright said construction of the building is on schedule and the loft apartments will be open and ready for occupancy this summer.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry was joined today by City Councilmen Glynn Hines and Tom Freistroffer, as well as representatives from Arts United, to propose the creation of a Public Art Program and Public Art Commission.

Fort Wayne Community Development Director Greg Leatherman announced today that he will retire from his position effective April 12, 2018.

Leatherman has 20 years of experience in local government. He has served as the Community Development Director since 2014 and prior to that was the Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, the Neighborhood Code Enforcement Administrator and the Brownfield Manager. His private sector experience includes leadership positions at CBRE Sturges and ATC Environmental Consulting.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Planning & Policy Director, Pam Holocher, was named the Indiana Planning Sagamore today. The award is the highest honor bestowed on a planner by the American Planning Association Indiana Chapter.

Mayor Tom Henry today congratulated the four teams of developers and social service agencies that were awarded Rental Housing Tax Credits (RHTCs) for their projects located in Fort Wayne.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) recently announced 17 applicants statewide that will receive just over $14.4 million in the tax credits. Four of the 17 projects selected for funding are located in Fort Wayne.

The Model Group, developer for The Landing on West Columbia Street, celebrated the start of construction today on the $32.2 million project.

The Model Group President and CEO Steve Smith showed Mayor Tom Henry and Fort Wayne Downtown Development Trust President Mac Parker the work that has started on the block of historic buildings. Currently, construction crews are doing interior demolition and environmental abatement.

Mayor Tom Henry today announced the City of Fort Wayne New Markets Revitalization Fund, LLC (FWNMRF) will receive $55 million in New Markets Tax Credits allocation authority.

Of the 230 Community Development Entities (CDEs) that applied for New Markets funding from the U.S. Treasury Department, only 73, or 32 percent, won an allocation. This is the third time that FWNMRF has been awarded an allocation. The first award of $15 million came in 2008, followed by a $33 million award in 2014.

The City of Fort Wayne today outlined the next steps for the North River property.

The City now owns the North River property, which is comprised of 29 acres bounded by Clinton, Fourth and Harrison streets. The property serves as an important gateway into downtown and will be a complement to the positive progress being made with riverfront development efforts. The site was previously used as a rail yard and scrap yard, dating back to 1902. The land has not been actively used since 2006.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry today helped cut the ribbon on a rehabilitated home that is part of the Vincent Village campus. The home, 2702 Gay St., is the first of six that will be rehabilitated with funding that the City of Fort Wayne receives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). City HUD funds will also be used to demolish another home and build a new one in its place.

Much of the Lakeside area of the Northside Neighborhood is now part of the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official list of properties considered worthy of preservation.

The Lakeside Historic District boundaries are Tennessee Avenue to the north, St. Joe Boulevard to the west, Edgewater Avenue to the south, and Crescent and California avenues to the east.

Construction of the first phase of the Posterity Heights Development, known as Posterity Scholar House, is on schedule to open in the summer or early fall of 2018. Framing has been completed on the north and south buildings and water and sewer lines are being installed. Just last week, the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission gave final approval to a tax increment finance district that will help cover infrastructure costs for roads and utilities.

The City of Fort Wayne is one of two Indiana communities chosen for a pilot program aimed at increasing entrepreneurship. Earlier this year, the Indiana General Assembly unanimously approved legislation authorizing an entrepreneurship and enterprise district for both Fort Wayne and Lafayette. Several weeks ago, City Council and Mayor Henry established the Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District (SEED) in accordance with the new legislation.

Mayor Tom Henry was joined today by representatives of Continental Property Group to announce a proposal to bring a $61.7 million mixed-use development to the City of Fort Wayne’s riverfront.

The project would be located on 3.34 acres at the northeast corner of Harrison and Superior streets, directly east of the new Promenade Park, which is under construction and part of the Riverfront Fort Wayne initiative. The private development would be a seven-story mixed-use development with approximately 150 apartment homes and approximately 20,000 square feet of retail space, as well as a parking garage with more than 1,000 spaces.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Liaison, Palermo Galindo, has been appointed to the Indiana Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs (ICHLA) by Senate President Pro Tempore David C. Long.

Northside neighborhood residents recently teamed up with AARP, the Team Better Block organization, the Purdue Extension Office and City of Fort Wayne staff to temporarily transform Columbia Avenue just east of downtown. Led by Northside resident Mo Palmer, the group worked to create a safer and more interesting environment for people traveling by foot, wheelchair or bike.

Applications for the City’s Commercial Façade Grant program are now being accepted for the 2018 construction year. The Commercial Façade Grant program was introduced ten years ago by Mayor Tom Henry and provides local businesses the opportunity to apply for matching grants to improve the exteriors of their buildings.

Applications are available at www.fwcommunitydevelopment.org/facade and are being accepted in the Community Development Offices, Suite 320, Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St. Questions may be directed to Grants Specialist Lindsey Maksim by calling 311 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Applications for the grants will be accepted from now through December 16, 2017.

The Community Development Division recently completed work to improve a key “gateway” or well-traveled roadway into the City from the south. The Bicentennial Marker, installed in 1994 near the intersection of Airport Expressway and Bluffton Road, was recently refurbished with new lighting and tiles. Then, last month, dead and diseased pine trees were removed, as well as overgrown vegetation in the right-of-way. Finally, 51 trees and 37 new shrubs were planted and the area was re-seeded and received fresh mulch.

A purchase agreement is in place for the City of Fort Wayne to buy the North River property from Calhoun Investments, LLC.

The North River property is comprised of 29 acres bounded by Clinton, Fourth and Harrison streets and serves as an important gateway into downtown. The site was previously used as a rail yard and scrap yard, dating back to 1902. The land has not been actively used since 2006.

The City of Fort Wayne is looking for feedback regarding a draft report examining access to affordable and safe housing in the community.

As part of the City’s fair housing assessment (also called the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice), the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services is inviting residents to attend a public presentation about the draft report.

Mayor Tom Henry joined Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, representatives from Provenance Hotels, elected officials and community leaders today to announce a proposal to bring a 125-room boutique hotel to downtown Fort Wayne.

The $27.7 million one-of-a-kind specialty hotel would be located on City of Fort Wayne property at the northwest corner of Harrison and Main streets. The project was selected by a team of City of Fort Wayne and community leaders after issuing a request for proposals. Plans call for five floors, restaurants, ground-level retail spaces and a rooftop entertainment space.

Mayor Tom Henry today encouraged City residents to take an online survey about how government can better inform and engage them in ways to improve their community and neighborhoods.

The survey is available by visiting www.fwcommunitydevelopment.org/survey and will only take a few minutes to complete. The survey is only nine questions, plus several demographic questions.

(September 6, 2017) -- BWI, LLC is breaking ground on the first Moving Forward energy-efficient affordable housing and transportation development in Indiana. Posterity Heights in Fort Wayne, Ind. is a multi-phased development designed to provide net-zero housing, electric car sharing, an on-site early childhood learning center, education and job opportunities, healthy food and other amenities for traditional and single parents on a path to self-sustainability. The $42 million development will be built on the 28-acre site of the former McMillen Apartment parcel of land on the city’s southeast side (4209 Plaza Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46806).

Mayor Tom Henry joined representatives from Miller-Valentine Group and Vincent Village today in celebrating the start of construction on the Bottle Works Lofts development in southeast Fort Wayne.

The groundbreaking took place at the former Coca-Cola bottling facility, 1631 E. Pontiac St. The $14.5 million development includes the historic rehabilitation of the Coca-Cola building, which will house 31 affordable rental units, on-site management office, community room, business center, media room, fitness center, outdoor shelter and indoor and outdoor playgrounds.

The affordable housing development also includes 19 lease-to-purchase single family homes, each with a detached garage, located throughout the Renaissance Pointe neighborhood. These homes will be built on vacant lots previously owned by the City of Fort Wayne. The City also owned the Coca-Cola building, which was constructed in 1943 and purchased by the City in 2012 with the intention of redeveloping it.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services is inviting residents to review draft designs of markers memorializing S.F. Bowser & Co. and its founder, Sylvanus Freelove Bowser.

The draft designs will be available for review at a public meeting set for Wednesday, October 4 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Pointe YMCA teen room, 2323 Bowser Ave.

Mayor Tom Henry today announced plans to bring a 125-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel to downtown Fort Wayne. The hotel would be located across West Jefferson Boulevard from the Grand Wayne Center and next to the Courtyard Fort Wayne Downtown; it could open as soon as summer 2019.

The Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission will consider a proposal for the new hotel today at its 4 p.m. meeting in the Garden Level of Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St. The Fort Wayne-Allen County Capital Improvement Board will consider support for the hotel at its meeting on Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 a.m. in the Grand Wayne Center, 120 W. Jefferson Blvd.

The public is invited to a one-hour presentation regarding how to use an online data visualization tool that provides and compares housing, economic and demographic information about Fort Wayne and 300 other cities across the country. The tool is designed to help municipalities understand their challenges and trends in the context of their peers.

The City of Fort Wayne's Community Development Division is considering making some changes to the Abandoned Vehicle ordinance and we need your input. Please click on the link to learn about the Abandoned Vehicle ordinance and what it allows in residential areas and then take the short six-question survey. Go to survey here.

Even Keel Event Productions President Rick Kinney was joined by Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, members of the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA), City Council members, neighborhood residents and supporters today to celebrate the start of renovation and expansion of the Clyde Theatre, 1808 Bluffton Road.

Kinney, who owns the Clyde, first envisioned restoration of the art deco building into a 2,200-capacity multifunctional performing arts center seven years ago when he found the building abandoned on the south side of Fort Wayne. Since that time, he has been working with local investors and government officials to make his dream a reality.

Fairfield-Nestel House Information
813 and 815 W. Creighton Avenue

Neighborhood Code Compliance has had a case on the property since the mid-1990’s. The most recent order to demolish is the third order that has been issued – the first was affirmed in 1998 and the second in 2005. Both times, Neighborhood Code allowed the demolition orders to expire in order to provide more time for the property owner to make repairs.

However, the repairs were never made and the property has continued to deteriorate. It is now in extremely poor condition. It has severe roof deterioration and there are holes and missing mortar in the foundation. Holes in the roof have allowed water in, causing the staircase to rot. The roof and cornice of the east bay window is rotted, clapboard siding is missing from the southeast wall, and the windows are deteriorated and have rotted in some areas. There are many other code violations.

Over the years, Neighborhood Code has had to board unsecured openings, which would allow access to the house. Two fires occurred at the property; one in 2004 and the other in 2007.

In January 2016, the property owner appealed the demolition order in court and the court ordered a stay, once again allowing for time to bring the house up to code. However, after a full year with no substantial improvements being made, the court dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it could no longer be appealed.

In April 2017, the Historic Preservation Commission voted to allow the demolition of the Fairfield home to move forward. The current property owner was notified of the meeting but did not attend or make an effort to oppose the action. The local preservation non-profit group, ARCH, has also publicly stated that it is not opposing the demolition. The neighborhood president submitted a letter of support for demolition in 2015.

The latest efforts to provide a welcoming entrance to our community are now complete. Local artists Jerrod and Kara Tobias have completed a mural along the underpass at Clay and Main streets.

The 2017 Draft Annual Action Plan outlining how the City of Fort Wayne will invest U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dollars this year is now available for public review. Residents can view the plan online at www.FWCommunityDevelopment.org/actionplan or can read a hard copy during normal business hours at the Pontiac Branch of the Allen County Public Library, 2215 S. Hanna St., and at the front desk of the City’s Community Development offices, 200 E. Berry St., Suite 320.

The plan will be presented at a public meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 6 p.m. at the Community Center, 233 W. Main St.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division and the Waynedale Business Chamber are inviting residents to provide input on a plan to improve the corridors around the intersection of Bluffton and Lower Huntington roads.

An open house is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27 between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. at the Waynedale United Methodist Church, 2501 Church St.

ARCH Inc., a Fort Wayne's nonprofit historic preservation organization, recently awarded Community Development's Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services an ARCHie Award for an outstanding preservation project. As part of its efforts to positively impact property values for the West Central neighborhood by increasing homeownership opportunities, Housing & Neighborhood Services rehabilitated the home at 815 W. Jefferson Blvd. The home was sold to a family meeting low- to moderate-income guidelines. The project was honored because the completed rehabilitation of the property, including a large rear addition, is compatible with the historic structure. The historic rehabilitation contributes in a positive way to the historic West Central Neighborhood. Congratulations to the department!

One of Fort Wayne’s main corridors is now more welcoming to visitors traveling downtown from the south.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, 6th District City Councilman Glynn Hines and Lafayette Place Neighborhood Association President Westley Falcaro cut the ribbon today on the improved greenspace at the northwest corner of Lafayette Street and Pettit Avenue.

In an effort to encourage active living, the City of Fort Wayne is sponsoring Active Commute Fridays throughout the summer, with free breakfast the third Friday of the month.

The next free breakfast is Friday, August 17 from 6:30 – 8:30 a.m. in front of the Ash Skyline YMCA on Harrison Street. Coffee, baked goods and fruit are provided by Parkview Trauma, Pembroke Bakery, Starbucks and Meijer.

The City of Fort Wayne would like to receive feedback regarding access to affordable and safe housing in our community. As part of the City’s fair housing assessment, the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services is inviting residents to attend one of two public meetings to discuss fair housing.

The first meeting is Monday, June 12, 6-7 p.m. at the McMillen Park Community Center, 3901 Abbott St.

The second meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 13, 7-8 p.m. at Many Nations Church, 5100 Gaywood Dr.

Notice is hereby given that the City of Fort Wayne Community Development Division ("City"), is drafting a new Programmatic Agreement (“PA”) in coordination with the Indiana State Historic Preservation Officer ("SHPO"). This PA will address the responsibilities of the City to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended [54 U.S.C. § 300101 et seq] ("Section 106") when the City administers funds originating from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD").

An analysis examining possible operating plans and preliminary costs for a passenger rail line connecting Chicago to Fort Wayne and Columbus is on track to be complete by the last quarter of 2017.

HNTB, the contractor hired to complete the study, provided an update on the work during a recent meeting of passenger rail stakeholders hosted by Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA). The analysis, formally called the Alternatives Analysis and Public Involvement Process, is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) under federal law in order to begin the rail project.

Click here for information on Bike to Work Day for 2023!