Hey Locals,

This week, we give you a rundown on The Fairfield, a new four-level entertainment complex coming soon to Downtown thanks to a unique $1 million loan from the city's Legacy Fund.

In Local Spotlight, we explore bioswales, why they matter and how they might be underutilized to manage stormwater in Fort Wayne. We also preview Taste of the Arts, including free films at Cinema Center this year!

Don't forget: In August, we're partnering with Brooklyn Pints Microcreamery to bring all paid subscribers to The Local one FREE scoop of their artisanal ice cream (in a bowl). Did you know we give our paid members a freebie every month at a local business to cover the cost of membership? See what a paid membership is all about with this 30-day trial, and you can get that scoop of ice cream!

🎉 Join us for The Local Live!

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 FREE tickets are now open to the public! The panel will discuss "Cycling for Transportation Downtown," featuring speakers on three topics: the first residential units at Electric Works (The Elex), a new street-side trail under development (The Urban Trail) and tactics to make Downtown streets better for cycling and small business. The evening begins with time to hang out and purchase food and drinks, followed by a panel from 7:30-8 p.m., and public Q&A. Space is limited, so reserve your FREE seats today!

Now, let's get started!

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

The Fairfield secured a unique $1 million Legacy loan to bring year-round entertainment to Downtown.

The 125-year-old building plans to offer a virtual golf lounge, duckpin bowling, event centers and more near Electric Works.

What's happening?

Last week, City Council approved (7-2) a unique $1 million loan from the Legacy Fund for The Fairfield at 1510 Fairfield Ave., a new entertainment complex in a formerly condemned, 125-year-old building near Electric Works. The loan will close the final funding gap for local owners and investors, Nathan Newport and David Beer of Vision Property Group (VPG), who have already secured $9.24 million to complete the $10.35 million project, expected to open later this year. The city has already contributed $115,000 from a County Economic Development Income Tax grant and about $40,000 from a Fort Wayne Commercial Facade grant.

• You might remember: VPG previously requested nearly $2.7 million from the Legacy committee in May, which was narrowly denied (4-5). The Legacy Fund was established by Mayor Tom Henry in 2011 from the sale and lease of Fort Wayne's former power utility. It's intended to support projects considered “transformational.” Critics said The Fairfield didn’t “fit the mold” and sought a bigger chunk of funding than larger projects, like The Landing (which got a $2.5 million Legacy loan for its $35 million project).
• So how did it happen? When projects fail at Legacy committee, a City Council member or mayor can move them forward. Last week, Councilwoman Michelle Chambers (D-At Large) proposed a resolution, seeking a $2 million grant for The Fairfield, which she calls “transformational” in three key ways: 1) improving the neighborhood, 2) creating an estimated 75-85 jobs (in the $140,000/year range for new payroll taxes), and 3) providing year-round entertainment between Electric Works and Downtown. Council amended the request to a $1 million loan and approved it.
• What makes it unique? As Councilman Russ Jehl (R-2nd) noted, The Fairfield falls within a SEED District, making it eligible for a 10-year, 100% tax abatement on its increased assessed value of Real Estate and Personal Property. "I can’t remember a time where we gave a direct cash incentive similar to this to a property within a SEED District,” Jehl said. To clarify: The City's Director of Community Development Jonathan Leist notes there have been projects within the SEED District that have received Legacy Funding before. But their Legacy loan agreement has not been attached to their SEED abatement, as may be the case here. “There is a mechanism for doing that,” Leist says. “But those terms are still being worked out.”

Watch the full meeting here, starting at 24:30 mins.

Why it matters

Fort Wayne's Legacy Fund is a significant – and limited– funding source. As of December 31, it had about $36.6 million left. Whether The Fairfield will prove to be "transformational" remains to be seen. But as Newport noted, providing more locally owned, year-round, indoor entertainment (like virtual golf) might retain more leisure spending in town, as opposed to residents traveling to Indianapolis for Topgolf.

Councilman Nathan Hartman (R-3rd) applauded Newport and Beer as the type of local, "long-term owner-operators" the city hopes to inspire, noting VPG invested about $1.3 million in structural upgrades "just to keep the building from falling down." Newport says they have not cut corners on development, adding new sewer, gas, and water lines as well as grease traps.

A few key points discussed by council were:

• Public participation: Councilwoman Rohli Booker (D-6th) questioned how much the public might access The Fairfield, noting its flagship virtual golf component is members-only Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. VPG said virtual golf will be open to the public weekdays, 4 p.m.-midnight, as well as all day on weekends, explaining that its private membership helps offset costs and ultimately reduce barriers for public participation. Duckpin bowling will also be open to the public every day, as well as the golf lounge and first floor bar and restaurant, 11 a.m.-midnight.
• Year-round & late-night entertainment: While Downtown has many bars, restaurants, and summer festivals or Tincaps games, several council members noted a lack of indoor entertainment options in colder months – particularly for young adults. Councilman Geoff Paddock (D-5th) called The Fairfield a step to address this gap and improve talent retention. VPG also hopes to serve members of the service industry with late-night hours. They're already collaborating with Electric Works and other attractions nearby with the intention to drive business to them, too.
• Blight and connectivity: Newport of VPG noted The Fairfield is a huge, formerly condemned property directly between two of the largest investments in Fort Wayne history: Parkview Field and Electric Works – the latter of which still feels like it's "on its own island," he says. "There’s not opportunities for the public to go from Downtown to the ballpark over to Electric Works, and that’s an issue. Some of the best developers in the world create opportunities for connectivity... and walking paths. Those connections are extremely important... We’ve improved parking. We've created safe, walkable, well-lit areas. We’ve eliminated blight. We’re encouraging people not only to visit our space, but also to come visit our space, and then to fan out."
• Electric Works: To the delight of several council members, VPG said they would have "never, ever, ever" purchased and renovated The Fairfield if the city had not opted to redevelop the Electric Works campus. They see it as a "catalyst" for more development and growth and hope their project will inspire others. Several council members noted both Electric Works and The Fairfield will (ideally) feed off each other's success – perhaps quelling public concern about a rotating roster of food hall vendors at Electric Works and a lack of early residential units. Paddock noted that along with Indiana Tech's recent intent to move programs to Electric Works, the Fairfield is another "really encouraging story." "There were so many people who were saying Electric Works would fail. Maybe they wanted it to fail," he says. "But it doesn't seem like it’s failing to me. In fact, it's improving. And, of course, because of them, you're here before us.”

What else? We share two more points on our radar in our premium newsletter.

• Fort Wayne "may not be at the top of the most desirable places to live in the U.S., but it’s definitely the most affordable," according to U.S. News & World Report. In an article that questions, "Why is Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Cheapest Place to Live?", reporters delve into the study, which finds Fort Wayne (still) has a low cost of living complemented by employment opportunities, a "booming economy," and low housing costs. The city's median household income, reported at $71,507, is slightly below the national median ($75,149), but Fort Wayne residents spend only 19.56% of that income on housing expenses. (Experts recommend an annual household income of at least $80,000 to live comfortably here.) The article notes: "a greater number of younger people are also moving back" to become homeowners, particularly post-pandemic.
• Three Rivers Authority Ambulance (TRAA) claims trains are contributing to its slow emergency response times – perhaps compounding concerns that its EMS service is less effective than a fire-department-based model. Last week, TRAA told WPTA 21 that firefighters recently beat them to the scene of an emergency near South Anthony Blvd. due to a slow train – a common occurrence. This comes on the heels of another report by WANE 15 about Norfolk Southern trains stalled at intersections, in which Fort Wayne Fire Department representatives said the city actually strategically placed its fire stations, so "events like stalled trains don’t have a high impact" on emergency response times for firefighters. Despite several studies that have confirmed TRAA's public utility model of EMS is less effective than a fire-department-based EMS, it is unclear why the city has not yet converted to a fire-department-based model, as county officials have suggested and largely attempted to do themselves in 2022. (See a history of the ongoing dispute in The JG.*) Mayor Sharon Tucker says she's involved in conversations with city and county parties, and talks are going well, with updates expected soon.

Plus: a new distillery and bottle shop in Quimby Village, a press conference on FWPD's use of force, a Fort Wayne UNITED update and more. We cover it all in our premium newsletter.

What are bioswales, and why do they matter in Fort Wayne?

Superintendent of Landscape & Horticulture Eric Ummel fills us in.

What’s happening?

Bioswales, or living plant-based swales, are water-saving features in landscape architecture. They captured our attention a few weeks ago when Brett Bloom, Founder of Dirt Wain (the city's only local, large-scale composting company), suggested these "ancient technologies" could be incorporated more often to ecologically enhance and beautify our city. He even suggested bioswales might be a more effective – and cost-friendly – means of managing the city's stormwater overflow than the $188 million Deep Rock Tunnel (MaMaJo).

A few weeks after that conversation, Parks and Recreation's Superintendent of Landscape & Horticulture, Eric Ummel, happened to be leading a tour of a bioswale at Promenade Park.

We sat down with Ummel to learn more about the benefits of local bioswales, how they work and where you can find – or build – them in Fort Wayne.

Learn more in our full Q&A.

• Celebrate: Taste of the Arts, returning Saturday, Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Arts Campus Downtown. The event includes more than 80 performers of music, dance and theatre, as well as art and food vendors, kids activities, a plein air painting competition, WBOI 89.1's Meet the Music Finale Concert and more. New this year: explore renovations at the History Center, take movement classes with Fort Wayne Dance Collective and...
• Watch: FREE films at Cinema Center on Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., as part of Taste of the Arts. One film on our radar is "Joyland" at 1:30 p.m., in partnership with Fort Wayne Pride and the Center for Nonviolence. It features a conversation and short film "Shipping Them" by Ryan Rox, courtesy of Daniella's Guestbook and GLAAD.
• Toast: to the Grand Opening week of Swizzle Market at Jefferson Pointe Aug. 22-25 (located in the former goodMRKT spot). "Join us for complimentary tastings of handpicked alcohol-free beers, wines, spirits, cocktails, and functional beverages, along with vendors showcasing local artisans and a variety of activities for all ages," an Instagram post says. "Stay tuned for the full calendar of events!"

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

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Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett