Hey Locals,

We're out of town this week, so we have an abbreviated issue, but some exciting news to share!

We're hosting our first Local Live event in September where you can meet fellow subscribers and learn about an interesting topic: Cycling for Transportation Downtown – with a special feature on housing at Electric Works. More on that below!

We also have updates on Indiana Tech's plans to establish an advanced manufacturing and innovation center at Electric Works and the final stretch of the Pufferbelly Trail.

Our To Do List this week features a throwback to the Scholastic Book Fair at a local winery, a vintage bike show and more!

Don't forget: We're partnering with Brooklyn Pints Microcreamery in August to bring all paid subscribers to The Local one FREE scoop of their artisanal ice cream (in a bowl). If you haven't checked out their space at the historic Sheridan Court Apartments yet, this is a great opportunity. Learn how to claim your free offer here.

Now, let's get started!

NOTE: Links to Journal Gazette articles are marked(*) and may be behind a paywall.

"Are you still chasing the high you felt on Scholastic Book Fair Day in elementary school? Experience it all over again but as an adult and with a glass of wine."

-Vinland Reserve Winery's Instagram post about its upcoming Boozy Book Fair on Aug. 16, 5-8 p.m.

Join us for a free panel at Chapman's Brewing on 'Cycling for Transportation Downtown.'

What's happening?

The Local is hosting our first live panel event on Thursday, Sept. 12, 7-9 p.m., at Chapman's Brewing at Electric Works, and our paid subscribers get first dibs on FREE tickets! I (Kara) will moderate the panel about how Downtown can evolve to improve cycling for transportation – a healthier, greener, more inclusive and (let's face it) more fun way to get around the city (compared to driving).

The panel will include an exclusive opportunity to learn about three interrelated topics:

• The Elex. President and General Manager Kevan Biggs of The Biggs Group will tell us about the first residential building underway at Electric Works and how it will connect to Downtown.
• The Urban Trail. Community Development Administrator for the City of Fort Wayne Joe Giant will share about current and future trail routes designed to create a more inclusive transportation system.
• Complete Streets. Owner of Aaron's Fine Rugs on Broadway Dane Leitch will tell us more about the benefits of cycling to small business and efforts underway to reduce speed limits.

Save the date: Space is limited for our event, and next week, we'll open it to free subscribers and the public. Want early access to this and other events? Sign up for our premium newsletter now!

*Food and drinks will be available for purchase at Chapman's.

• Indiana Tech shared plans for an advanced manufacturing and innovation center at Electric Works, thanks to a $21 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant. The proposed center is slated for 10,000 sq. ft. in Building 36 on the West campus. It's intended to build on the success of the current Amp Lab program for local high schoolers at Electric Works and connect local companies to university-led research, development and training. It will include business assistance for small-to-large organizations, spaces for business innovation teams and startups, and various event spaces for community- and innovation-minded gatherings to benefit the public. The center's "Next/Gen" program will also "significantly expanded student service learning" for Indiana Tech and other regional students to help retain talent in the region. It assigns Indiana Tech students as partners and mentors for Amp Lab high schoolers.
• Construction has begun on the final stretch of the Pufferbelly Trail, connecting to the Glenbrook area. The upcoming 1.7 mile stretch of the 12-foot-wide asphalt trail* will provide access to nearly 700 businesses, retail areas, restaurants and entertainment, including Glenbrook Square mall, Glenbrook Commons, SportONE Parkview Fieldhouse and SportONE Parkview Icehouse. Funding sources for the project include a nearly $2.7 million Next Level Trails state grant and $300,000 donor funds from Fort Wayne Trails, which will give the trail additional features, including seven landscaping areas to “beautify the corridor,” a hub rest area, a pavilion, a new intersection, accessible pedestrian signals and a bike repair station. The trail is expected to be complete by fall 2025, followed by the recently announced Vann Family Crossing bridge over Coliseum Boulevard. Together, they will connect 130 miles of existing trails in the Fort Wayne area.

Plus: new food businesses, new developments Downtown, tax abatement updates and more! We cover it all in our premium newsletter.

• Shop: a Boozy Book Fair at Vinland Reserve Winery on Aug. 16, 5-8 p.m. The event promises to be a "Scholastic Book Fair" for adults with bestsellers summer reads and staff picks from @hydebrosbooks. "Grab a book and a glass of wine and spend your Friday evening with us!" Instagram says.
• Check out: vintage bikes at Fort Wayne’s only vintage motorcycle show at Electric Works on Aug. 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., presented by Ride or Rot. The free event is open to all motorcycles and scooters from the 1990’s or older. Bikes and vendors will set up along Dynamo Alley for the public to explore with food and drinks at Union Street Market.
• Play: in the street at Open Streets Fort Wayne on Aug. 18, noon – 4 p.m. The free event includes more than 100 activities along more than 20 blocks of streets Downtown, open for you to walk, cycle... and even test-drive a "cutting-edge" electric vehicle.

What else? Learn about more events in our premium newsletter.

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Let us know at thelocalfortwayne@gmail.com.

Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett