Hey Locals, 

One of the most contentious points of discussion this summer has been the city’s proposed homeless resource center Downtown. Today, we fill you in on everything to know since our last report in June. But on Thursday, we’re switching things up to bring you some less timely and more light-hearted news: A summer edition of our team’s Local Insights, featuring our favorite Fort Wayne eats, events and more. Stay tuned!

In Briefs, we update you on yesterday's meetings about the controversial sale of Lutheran Park – as well as a new website where you can ask the FWPD questions about its Flock Safety cams, and a new affordable housing project underway with City Council’s (initial) approval.

Our To Do List spotlights local author signings at Sunbound Books and ways you can get a taste of Fort Wayne’s food culture with tours, farm-fresh dinners, coffee crawls and more!

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Now, let’s get started.

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

The latest on the city's proposed homeless resource center.

What’s happening?

One of the most controversial local discussion topics this summer has been the City of Fort Wayne’s proposal to create a new homeless resource center in Downtown Fort Wayne by renovating a building at 333 E. Washington Blvd. near the Rescue Mission.

• You might remember: In June, we gave you a rundown of what locals are saying about the project, what the city’s proposal actually entails, and what else you might want to know before the project comes before council for a vote – now on Sept. 1.
• Last week: The city took steps to fulfill council’s requests regarding the project by releasing a study that shows it evaluated 50 potential locations for the center suggested by community members and real estate professionals.

Here are two quick things to know:

• The study shows the proposed 333 E. Washington Blvd. location fails to meet two points of criteria. One is a requirement to not be within 500 feet or 1,000 feet of residential property, and another is: It poses some challenges due to tanks underneath the parking lot. The assessment mentions testing done related to the tanks, concluding: “There is reason to believe things are stable.” Other notable criteria for site selection included sidewalks between the location and Downtown and parking capacity for individuals living in cars.
• The Tucker Administration still believes “the (333 E. Washington Blvd.) property remains the best option for the homeless resource center,” WANE 15 reports. The city has obtained site control and a purchase agreement for property, pending council’s approval of the disbursement of local funds on Sept. 1. The JG* notes that four council members have also agreed to discuss the matter at council's Aug. 11 meeting.

In related news: 

• The city’s Engage Fort Wayne website shows more than 500 resident responses about the resource center. Some question the Downtown location, noting the funding poured into Downtown in recent decades. The city says: “Most individuals experiencing homelessness are already centered Downtown because that is where the existing amenities, supports, and community resources are located. If we were to place the facility too far from Downtown, we would risk creating a situation where people have to travel back and forth through residential neighborhoods just to reach the services they need.”
• 89.1 WBOI recently published a deep dive about what the city’s plans entail for the center, once it is operational.
• City Council’s recent ordinance penalizing people who transport homeless individuals to Fort Wayne from other cities is also seeing its first applications. On July 16, WANE 15 reported that city attorneys cited three instances of mental health and addiction facilities in Indianapolis transporting men to Fort Wayne’s Rescue Mission. The ordinance (passed in March) seeks to fine people/organizations that transfer individuals to Fort Wayne without working with local facilities to organize a transfer. These cases are still being reviewed to determine if they violated the ordinance. Stay tuned for updates.

On a lighter note...

Our Above the Fold newsletter this Thursday will share some of our team’s favorite summer events, stories and eats with insider tips – available to paid subscribers only!

• City Councilman Geoff Paddock (D-5) and neighborhoods of the Packard Area Planning Alliance (PAPA) say they had productive meetings with the Boys & Girls Club yesterday to discuss the partial sale of Lutheran Park. Since the club listed 3.9 acres of the 14-acre park for sale last week, Paddock has been “overwhelmingly approached” by constituents who do not support selling any of the park. Yesterday, Paddock says he and club President Joe Jordan “concluded the meeting with a strong interest in preserving the entirety of the Lutheran Park,” noting: “Ultimately, it will be the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club who will make the decision to maintain or sell a portion of the property. However, there appears to be no imminent sale of the property planned, and I am hopeful we can make a proactive effort to find appropriate funding to maintain the park in its current form.” PAPA neighborhoods also met with Jordan separately and offered “to assist with facilitating any public engagement (the club is) willing to conduct” regarding the park’s future.
• In preparation for City Council’s Aug. 25 vote on public funding for the FWPD’s Flock Safety license plate recognition (LPR) cameras, the FWPD shared a new webpage answering questions about their use. FWPD Sergeant and Public Information Officer Jonathan Cutler tells WPTA 21 residents can ask questions on the website if their questions are not already answered there. “We will absolutely answer that, and then we’ll post it for everyone to see,” he says. The FWPD contends that their 36 LPRs do not record video, track drivers/passengers/pedestrians, and do not have facial recognition. So far, WANE 15 reports that about 50 questions have been submitted, and some residents are "not convinced all the information on the page is correct."
• WANE 15 traced recent land purchases by Parkview Health and IU Health Fort Wayne to speculate where new hospitals might be on the horizon for two of the state’s mega-healthcare networks. Their report found that in October 2025, Parkview Health (under the name “Three Rivers Properties, LLC”) purchased about 30-acres on the northeast corner of I-69 and Lower Huntington Road for more than $2.9 million. The land sits directly across from IU Health’s new hospital set to open in May, but Parkview leadership tells WANE they “do not have an immediate use” for the property. IU Health Fort Wayne has also been holding about 75 acres of land since 2019 at Northeast corner of State Road 37 and I-469, purchased for $1.6 million, and they also did not disclose their plans. 
• A former patient care technician at Parkview Randallia Hospital is now suing the hospital network, alleging “Parkview Health routinely violates federal and state labor laws by failing to pay workers fairly,” The JG* reports. The plaintiff, Jekeura Milligan, attributes the unfair pay, in part, to Parkview’s payroll system, which rounds off the recorded time that employees clock in and out of shifts to the nearest quarter hour. “As a result, the lawsuit claims, employees’ shifts can be undercounted at both ends, causing them to work without pay during those times.” The JG reports: “Milligan is seeking unpaid regular and overtime pay, triple damages, costs and attorney fees. She is also asking the court to declare a class action, which would allow other Parkview Health workers making the same allegations to join the case and receive payment.” Parkview Health confirms it is aware of the allegations, but says it cannot comment on pending litigation.
• City Council gave initial OKs to a developer seeking to build affordable apartments on about 38-acres of land on the city's Northwest side. The Indy-based developer, Birge & Held, is seeking to rezone land at 2900 block of West Ludwig Rd. from single-family to multi-family for its Northpoint Apartments,* geared toward low-income households, earning up to 60% of the state’s average income. Plans call for four three-storey buildings with 36 units each for a total of 144 apartments, with monthly rents ranging $1,070-$1,500 for one- to three-bedroom units. Amenities include a swimming pool, playground, and pavilion, and developers say about two-thirds of the total property, including the wooded area and wetlands to the South, would remain undisturbed. 

• Explore: “the best coffee spots in town” on the Fort Wayne Coffee Crawl, hosted by FW Social Club during the month of August, offering deals, prizes and merch. Stop by Visit Fort Wayne’s HQ Downtown for a free Crawl Passport, where you can collect stamps at each shop for a chance to win prizes. Participating shops include: Good Bread for All, Tall Rabbit, Crescendo, Davey’s Delicious Bagels, Kanela, and more. 
• Cheer on: your favorite team at the 10th annual Dragon Boat Races, starting with an opening ceremony on July 31 at 8:30 p.m., featuring live music, traditional performances, and floating fire pits. The competition begins Aug. 1 at 9:30 a.m. at Promenade Park with art, activities, and food trucks on Harrison Street.
• Visit: Kendallville’s historic and recently renovated Strand Theatre, a two-screen theatre built in 1890, recently highlighted in Input Fort Wayne. The theatre is screening a free, sensory-friendly matinee of Annie (1982) on July 29 at 1:30 p.m. with a complimentary kiddie box for children under 12. 
• Read: Fort Wayne author Michael Benner’s New York Times No. 1 bestselling children’s book, Mac & Cheese – a story about the true meaning of friendship – available for purchase at Sunbound Books. Another Fort Wayne native Martin Sorge (winner of the Great American Baking Show) will be showcasing his new cookbook, “Great Bakes” at Sunbound on Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m. 
• Experience: Fort Wayne’s homegrown specialities at Local Food Week, now-Aug. 2, hosted by the Northeast Indiana Local Food Network. The annual event celebrates local farms, markets, and restaurants with tours, workshops, dinner events, and more. Tonight, Chance Bar is offering a three-course local harvest dinner ($80/person), and tomorrow, Rune is hosting a five-course tasting dinner with Hawkins Farm ($125/person). 
• Watch: a free screening of “The Good Dinosaur” at the ACPL’s Main Library theatre on July 31 at 2 p.m. as part of their Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed summer learning series and special exhibit. (Free)

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Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett

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