Mayor Tom Henry today announced that 11 neighborhood associations are being awarded grants to improve their communities.
This year, the Community Development Division launched the Neighborhood Improvement Grant program, which is designed to support neighborhood projects that beautify public spaces and strengthen community involvement.
Work on a Fort Wayne public art master plan is now underway.
Recently, the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission selected Columbus, Ohio-based planning firm Designing Local to develop a public arts master plan for the city. The plan is funded by a private gift from the Fort Wayne Chamber Foundation and a contribution from the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission. It is being developed in partnership with the City of Fort Wayne Community Development Division and Arts United.
Applications for the City’s Commercial Façade Grant program are now being accepted for the 2019 construction year. The Commercial Façade Grant program was introduced eleven years ago by Mayor Tom Henry and provides local businesses the opportunity to apply for matching grants to improve the exteriors of their buildings.
The final step in creating a welcoming gateway into the downtown arts district is now complete. Today Mayor Tom Henry, local artists and neighborhood leaders cut the ribbon celebrating the completion of the Metaform sculpture and mural located in the 400 block of East Columbia Street, across from Three Rivers Apartments near the Columbia Avenue Bridge.
The sculpture was created by Cary Shafer and includes large, metal, three-dimensional blocks that are painted to complement the 300-foot mural painted last summer by Jerrod and Kara Tobias. Shafer and Jerrod Tobias worked together to design the mural and sculpture, which they named Metaform. The gateway feature was completed by painting the railroad elevation and installing lighting, a sidewalk and landscaping.
The City of Fort Wayne’s Redevelopment Department is inviting residents to a public meeting about the preliminary findings from a recent downtown parking study. The study includes an inventory of available downtown parking, an analysis of current and future demand for parking, and possible strategies to accommodate future growth.
The meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 29, 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Omni Room, which is in the lower level of Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St.