Hey Locals,

Google's Fort Wayne data center is seeking additional permits for its environmental impacts, and residents are sounding off about the project at City Council. But what does someone who works in big tech AND lives in Fort Wayne think about the situation? A reader of The Local shares her perspective in this week's Above the Fold.

In Briefs, we talk about another hot-button issue for residents: a quarry project on the Southwest side and local opposition mounting against it. We also update you on the outcome of last week's first State of the Sixth address in Southeast since 2019.

In our To Do List, we have lots of ways to celebrate spring, from flower-themed art openings to frog hikes and new food truck experiences!

A quick word: It’s Spring Fund Drive time for Fort Wayne’s local NPR station, 89.1 WBOI, and I’m not being paid or encouraged in any way to do this, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting them. Something you might not know about me (Kara) is that in 2019, at the age of 29, I had unexpected (genetic) retina detachments in both of my eyes at the same time. This required immediate surgery and made it nearly impossible for me to work for several months, but listening to NPR’s news, podcasts and game shows provided me with a way to keep doing what I loved in some capacity as I healed. To this day, some of my favorite audio programs (Wait, Wait... Don’t Tell Me! and This American Life) are produced by NPR, and I know our local team at WBOI is working hard behind the scenes to increase the capacity of their news team and provide more creative storytelling to the region – but they can’t do it without our help. Please join us at The Local in becoming a regular supporter for as little as $5/month.

Don’t forget: In March, we’re partnering with Spoke + Ivy to bring all paid subscribers to The Local a free cafe beverage with a dine-in purchase (up to $8, one per subscription).

Now, let’s get started.

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

What does Google's data center mean for Fort Wayne?

A Local reader in big tech weighs in.

What's happening?

Last week, we learned about the third phase of Google’s data center campus in Fort Wayne. Permits filed with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management show:

• This phase would include three additional data centers on its 858-acre campus.
• Construction would begin in early 2027.
• The total footprint would be more than 867,000 sq. ft. 

The environmental effects of this phase include:

• Relocation of a section of Adams Ditch.
• Temporary disruption of a stream leading to Doctor Ditch.
• .84 acres of forested wetland converted into herbaceous wetland post-construction.

WANE 15 reports that in total, “developers plan to place roughly 5,000 cubic yards, or about 417 dump truck loads of soil, into streams and wetlands as part of the buildout.” Proposed mitigation for the environmental damage includes new stream channel construction and wetland restoration, among others. The deadline to submit public comments to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management is April 3, and only comments related to water quality or potential impacts of the project on water quality can be considered by state regulators.

In the meantime...

• Google is still awaiting approval for the additional 140 backup diesel generators it applied for last fall.
• And last week, several residents spoke at City Council, voicing concerns* about the health and environmental impacts of the project.

On Thursday, we’ll hear from a Local subscriber and Fort Wayne resident who works in big tech about her perspective on the project and what it means for Fort Wayne.

Stay tuned for more information in this week’s Above the Fold newsletter – available to paid subscribers only.

• A controversial quarry project in Southwest Allen County is on hold due to incomplete paperwork, but local opposition to it is still mounting. The quarry developer, Heritage group, submitted an incomplete application for their project, delaying its hearing until at least May. Resident Shawn McCarthy used this delay to compile a 14-page, peer-reviewed research paper, “Why This Quarry Should Not be Built,” citing the most serious health concern as silica dust (a carcinogen) released during limestone quarrying. Project proponents say there's a demand for the stone products the quarry would provide, and having the quarry close to Fort Wayne makes the product cheaper by reducing transportation costs. An education session between developers, officials, and community members is scheduled for April 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Landmark Center at 6222 Ellison Rd. Southwest Allen County Schools (SACS) recently joined in opposition to the project, since some of the land is within its district. SACS held a special board meeting Monday night, with an agenda item to discuss concerns, opposition, and resolutions to the quarry development.
• Job opportunities and improved language services for Burmese residents were two of the biggest topics discussed at last Saturday’s State of the Sixth District address, held by Councilwoman Rohli Booker (D-6th). Booker revived the annual meetings by popular demand for the first time since 2019, and she was joined on Saturday by several city officials and fellow council members, including Marty Bender (R-At Large), Tom Freistroffer (R-At Large) and Geoff Paddock (D-5th), as well as Mayor Sharon Tucker and State Rep. Phil GiaQuinta (D). City representatives shared updates on projects, like Roosevelt Reserves, and noted that the Southeast side is expected to receive funding to the tune of $1M per year from the controversial Google data center project within its district as a potential economic driver moving forward. Booker highlighted the need for greater inclusion for immigrant communities on the Southeast side, noting that: “The one thing that we can actually do as a community is really embrace and use the diversity that we have in this community to our advantage, to amplify voices, to help create and shape the communities that we want to live in.” 
• A new Fort Wayne charter school, Williams Arts and Technology Academy (WATA), was approved to open in August 2027 within the Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) district. Approval was granted by the University of Southern Indiana, a charter school authorizer, for a three-year term beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year. The school will serve up to 120 students, grades K-3, in leased space at Pilgrim Baptist Church (1331 Gay St.). It was originally set to open in August this year, but leaders postponed it after receiving community input about its staffing and curriculum. Current board members of the academy include former FWCS Deputy Superintendent D. Faye Williams-Robbins, former Assistant Superintendent Ramona Coleman, and Fort Wayne City Council member Rohli Booker (D-6th), who resigned from the school board, The JG* reports. FWCS is already facing declining enrollment, and it may lose additional funding with the charter school’s opening.
• A national nonprofit that grades hospital safety at Parkview and Lutheran is facing a lawsuit, alleging that hospitals that decline to pay for its surveys receive lower grades. The Washington, DC-based nonprofit Leapfrog Group issues grades using more than 30 national performance measures reflecting accidents, errors, infections and injuries, including data taken from public sources. The organization says it would be "virtually impossible to bias ratings for or against any one facility." But a Florida-based hospital group claims they received low scores after declining to pay the Leapfrog Group for its surveys, and a federal judge has ordered Leapfrog to remove grades for five Florida hospitals that received D’s and F’s on their ratings report. Parkview and Lutheran both received A’s. Parkview Health’s chief quality and safety officer, Dr. Jeffrey Boord, tells The JG* that hospitals are not required to pay to participate in Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grade program. “Participation in the (optional survey) is time‑intensive and does not automatically result in higher grades,” he said in a statement. “It requires significant effort and engagement from clinical and operational teams, but that work creates opportunities for meaningful gap analysis and provides clear paths to improve quality and safety practices.”
• Fort Wayne’s power and water systems are getting millions of dollars worth of upgrades – perhaps increasing capacity for Google's data center. Last week, Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) announced it’s investing about $34 million to improve its electric transmission network* affecting downtown Fort Wayne,  claiming “reconfiguring the electric transmission network in Fort Wayne provides a more reliable flow of electricity, improves operational performance and reduces the need for frequent equipment repairs.” It hints that the work will also “ensure the electric grid is ready for economic growth.” I&M is hosting an open house on March 26, 5-7:30 p.m., at McMillen Park Community Center where residents can review maps and talk with project team members. At City Council last week, Council also gave preliminary approval to multiple measures seeking to increase the capacity of Fort Wayne’s water treatment facilities, totalling more than $6.2M. Projects include finishing a new control system at the drinking water plant and construction and consultation at the wastewater plant, as well as design work for a new wastewater plant, The JG* reports.

A few local food briefs:

• As first reported in The Local last week, a new Culver’s is coming to the Southeast side as part of planned improvements for Southtown Centre. A group called S & L Companies, which owns other Culver’s locations in Fort Wayne, is the owner of a lot at 7557 Southtown Crossing, and representatives tell WANE 15 they're hoping to open a restaurant later this year. It will join Starbucks and Taco Bell as recent chain restaurants in the area. A $9.5M local hotel development has also been proposed for Southtown Centre, seeking to attract a sit-down restaurant, leaders say.
• The owner of Solbird Kitchen & Tap Jerry Perez announced last week he has sold the restaurant to a longtime staffer. Perez says much of the restaurant will remain the same under the leadership of April Casiano-Lee, and comments in The JG* suggest he’s planning a “next venture.”
• Zesto’s Broadway ice cream stand opened for the season on Friday.
• A new locally owned cafe opened at Jefferson Pointe in the former Kung Fu Tea location. The Wet Spoon Cafe is focused on coffee, smoothies and fresh bowls.

• Try: 12 flavors of colorful mochi donuts by @banhmiphoshop served out of their new food truck on March 26, 3-6 p.m. at an evening of donuts, wings and Boba Tea!
• Celebrate: Science Central’s new Planetarium, opening March 26 (included with general admission). Stay tuned for their upcoming laser light shows every first Friday of the month, beginning with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon on April 3. (Shows are $5 + general admission.)
• Bloom: into spring with a free Botanical art showcase at First Presbyterian Art Gallery, opening March 27, 5:30-7 p.m. “Exhibiting artists will display botanical works focused on earth care, environmentalism, spring, preserving the earth, and gardening,” a post says. “The opening night reception features art, music, refreshments, and conversation.”
• Tour: Indiana’s largest vineyard and farm-to-bottle artisan distillery at FREE behind-the-scenes tours of Country Heritage Winery/Backroads Distilling – select times now through the end of March. Free tours include tastings from an aging bourbon barrel or wine tank, and a Premium Distiller’s Tour on Saturdays ($65/person) includes a cocktail class and souvenir Glencairn glass.
• Listen: to the Sound of Frogs with a night hike at Metea County Park on March 27, 8-9 p.m. The one-mile hike meets at the Nature Center. ($3) You can also do a day hike for Frogs and Toads on March 28, 1-2 p.m.
• Dance: at Salsa Sunday at Crescendo Coffee & More on Bluffton Rd. on March 29 at noon hosted by Ritmo Yá, Fort Wayne’s Largest Latin Social. ($20 admission includes group lessons, a salsa dance session, and $10 food & drink credit at Crescendo.)
• Celebrate: an early April Fools Day at the History Center’s Fool Hardy History contest on March 28, 1-4 p.m. The contest is included in general admission, and it challenges the public to identify unusual or mysterious objects from the museum’s 30,000+ piece object collection to win prizes.

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-Your Editor, Kara Hackett

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