Hey Locals,

What a week to be following the news in Fort Wayne. There have been so many interesting stories making headlines lately, we’ve had a hard time keeping up. In today’s Above the Fold, we fill you in on the status of Fort Wayne’s plans for the next 10 years of Downtown development – and how you can share your thoughts at a few events coming up.

In Briefs, we update you on a few significant (last-minute) public meetings related to the Google data center – including one tonight online. Plus, a recap of last night's homeless resource center meeting and a case for the City to reconsider its plans, coming from former Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards in The JG op-eds.

On the lighter side: One of Kara’s favorite lunch restaurateurs is back at it with a new venture (that might be a Fort Wayne first) – a pay-as-you-can cafe Downtown. We share details on this – and a new coffee shop coming to the former GK spot, as well as lots of fun and free events for your calendar.

Don’t forget: This month, we’re partnering with Amoré Italian Steak & Seafood to bring a special deal to all paid subscribers: $15 off a $40 purchase.

Last, but not least: We're hiring! The Local Fort Wayne is seeking a freelance Account Manager to help grow our newsletter through advertising and sponsorships. If you have experience in sales, marketing, and relationship-building (and are local to the Fort Wayne area), we'd love to hear from you! Think you'd be a great fit? Send your resume and a brief intro to thelocalfortwayne@gmail.com.

Now, let’s get started!

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

The City is making plans for Downtown + wants your input.

What’s happening?

In late July, the City of Fort Wayne announced Make it Downtown: A Plan for Fort Wayne’s Next Decade. The last time a plan like this was made was in 2003 – prior to many major development projects that have transformed the area. Now, the City (along with partner organizations and stakeholders) wants to craft a vision for the next decade by April 2027 – something that will build on the momentum of the last 20+ years, and carry Fort Wayne into a new era. 

To craft this plan, the City kicked off a public engagement process, which involves:

• A website survey with an interactive map where residents can drop pins on specific locations Downtown with suggestions for the City (while jamming to a “Make it Vibe” Downtown Fort Wayne playlist on Spotify, of course). 
• A few in-person input opportunities this weekend at the TinCaps game on Aug. 28, 7-9 p.m., and at Taste of the Arts Fest on Aug. 29, 11-5 p.m.

In Thursday’s newsletter – for paid subscribers only – we’ll look into Make it Downtown in greater detail, and share some of our major questions and observations from the public input so far.

In the meantime... we’d love to hear from you: What’s going well Downtown, and what could be improved? Hit reply to this email, and let us know.

• Google held a public meeting last week – and another one is happening tonight – related to environmental concerns regarding its data center in Fort Wayne. Last week, with two days’ public notice, Google held an open house on Aug. 20 at the Community Impact Center. WANE 15 says the meeting drew “dozens of people” who both opposed and supported Google’s data center in Fort Wayne, and the company’s goal was to connect with the community. Google gave a $1.2M grant to Acres Land Trust for wetland preservation and made headlines last week for committing $1.1M to Fort Wayne City Utilities. However, these efforts may have been tempered by factors, like signage posted near a veggie tray at last week’s event, offering attendees the opportunity to reimburse the $4-trillion tech giant for the cost of $25 refreshments. WANE 15 posted about the sign, which Google says: “is required in order to comply with ethics and compliance laws for government officials only.” Google has also applied to expand its data center’s footprint by filling and constructing on an additional 2.13 acres of protected wetlands. A virtual public hearing will be held tonight at 5 p.m. on Microsoft Teams and can be accessed here.
• Retired Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards raised several concerns about the City’s proposed homeless services center in a JG op-ed* last week. Richards pointed out “several mathematical errors” in the shelter’s estimated $1.2M annual operating budget, including underpaid and part-time staff planned to support it, which could perpetuate “the exact conditions that create homelessness.” She also drew attention to ongoing challenges faced by the City’s stated model for its center in Lafayette, Ind., which police there have called a “law enforcement disaster.” City Council is set to vote on funding for the Anchor Resource Center on Sept. 1, and last night, Mayor Sharon Tucker’s office held a highly attended public input session about it, as requested by Council (though some council members did not attend). Tucker's administration addressed some concerns about the center related to policing, but did not discuss some of the points raised in Richards's op-ed. They did say no taxpayer dollars would be used for the Anchor Resource Center, as its first three years of center funding would come from money raised through donations and grants. Tucker also said: “I want to clear up a few misnomers … there is no line item in the city of Fort Wayne’s taxing budget that gives resources to pay for unhoused centers or any homelessness.” Richards has asked the City to “form a new group to study the issue that includes not only city officials, but the county, the judges who run problem-solving courts, those who treat drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues, law enforcement, the Downtown Improvement District and others.”
• A new pay-what-you-can lunch cafe (by the former Lindi’s on Main) is opening Downtown inside Trinity English Lutheran Church. “Diners will have the option to pay a suggested donation for their meals or by volunteering to serve for 30 minutes,” The JG* reports. “Once the shift is complete, volunteers will get to enjoy their meals.” The restaurant, called The Sparrow Cafe, will be open, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., starting Sept. 1. Its menu online features hot and cold sandwiches, including vegan and vegetarian options, along with salads, sides, desserts, and rotating soups of the day. 

• In more food news: A Fishers-based coffee chain is coming to the former GK spot Downtown in about six weeks. WANE 15 reports that Niyyah Coffee will soon move into 202 W Berry St. It has four locations in central Indiana and one in Ontario, Canada. The shop offers the classic espresso drinks, specialty brews and seasonal drinks. Its name Niyyah (Nee-Yah) means “intention” in Arabic.
• About $1M in funding previously cut from Southeast Fort Wayne (due to state property tax cuts) is likely to be restored through the Oxford Streetscape Project, city officials say. Last week, City Council gave preliminary approval* to a construction contract related to the project, which will cost $3.5M and be voted on tonight. The project will transform nine core blocks of Southeast along Oxford to improve traffic and pedestrian safety. Surveys from more than 300 residents informed the changes, which will include highly requested pedestrian lighting, as well as wider sidewalks, ADA updates, drainage improvements, and paving, scheduled for completion next summer.
• City Council is expected to vote on the FWPD’s request to fund its Flock Safety cameras tonight – and Councilman Russ Jehl tells WPTA 21 he would be “very surprised” if it passed. Jehl says he and other members of Council he’s spoken with plan to vote by the “general sentiment” of their constituents, which is “somewhere between, ‘We are not ready for this yet because it doesn’t have adequate safeguards’, to, ‘No, it’s a further infringement on my civil liberties.’"

• Watch: a free outdoor screening of “Pee-wee's Big Adventure” at the Cinema Center parking lot on Aug. 28 at 8 p.m. – plus concessions, yard games, and a mobile library. (B.Y.O. lawn chairs and blankets)
• Sip: and stroll through LC Nature Park with Calves & Coffee on Aug. 29 at 7:30 a.m. Search for bison and elk calves, spot some incoming fall foliage, and enjoy the included coffee and pastries. ($20)
• Create: your own, unique floral arrangement with Simply Charming at Crescendo Coffee on Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. – and try their exclusive new Fort Wayne Coffee Crawl drink: a Banana Nut Bread Latte. 
• Celebrate: the arts and culture of Fort Wayne with The Taste of the Arts Festival on Aug. 29, 11-5 p.m. – the first fest since the reopening of the modernized Arts United Center. 
• Listen: to local synthwave duo Funayūrei perform at WBOI’s Live and Local at the Landing on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
• Cycle: to Fort Wayne’s free Bike Party, meeting on Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Lawton Park before it sets off for a 13-mile round trip to Shoaff Park for the evening at 7 p.m. The group ride offers a way to meet friends and explore the city.

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Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett

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