Mayor Tom Henry today joined officials from The Model Group to tour one of the new residential units as part of the redevelopment of The Landing along Columbia Street in downtown Fort Wayne.
Residents have begun moving in as part of the residential component of the mixed-use redevelopment project.
The Landing includes the historic rehabilitation of seven buildings and the construction of one new building. The project includes 70 apartments and 56,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.
Tenants already confirmed for the commercial and retail space include 3BG Supply, Utopian Coffee Bar, Utopian Coffee headquarters and roastery, a BBQ restaurant and brewery concept from Utopian and Cerulean, and a restaurant concept from the Cunningham Restaurant Group.
The Downtown Trust, a non-profit formed in 2011 to purchase underutilized property in downtown Fort Wayne, bought the buildings and eventually chose The Model Group as the developer. Based in Cincinnati, The Model Group specializes in revitalizing urban neighborhoods and was instrumental in the redevelopment of Cincinnati’s historic Over-The-Rhine community.
For nearly a century, The Landing was the central business district of Fort Wayne because of its proximity to the Wabash and Erie Canal and later the railroad. The Landing Historic District is a local historic district and it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The entire $32.2 million project is expected to be completed this fall.
In addition to Owner Equity, project financing includes support from the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, Legacy Fort Wayne, City of Fort Wayne Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds, Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority. The project attracted private investor equity through the sale of New Markets and Historic Tax Credits and received Senior Debt from IFF.