9 min read

Oct. 15, 2024 | Citilink's fiscal cliff is here, the city's first climbing gym opens and more

Oct. 15, 2024 | Citilink's fiscal cliff is here, the city's first climbing gym opens and more

Hey Locals,

You heard it first. Last summer, we broke news of Citilink's impending fiscal cliff. Now, the issue is coming before City Council, and Fort Wayne will have to decide whether to fund public transportation or not. We share what to know about last week's heated council meeting.

We also have a lot of development news coming your way, from the grand opening of The Pearl and Sunrise Mart, to new projects at the Riverfront and Electric Works on the horizon.

If you missed our Local Live event in September, it's not too late to tune in on 89.1 WBOI's podcast version of the discussion on Cycling for Transportation Downtown. The conversation features the Urban Trail, citizen advocacy for walkable communities and a preview of The Elex, the first residential units at Electric Works. Listen here!

Don't forget: This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at Swizzle Market, or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. 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 drink!

Now, let's get started!

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


Citilink's fiscal cliff is here.

City Council should have been reading The Local....

Citilink General Manager John Metzinger told us about the fiscal cliff last summer.

What's happening?

Indiana's flatlined funding for public transportation, combined with the state's property tax caps (aka circuit breaker law), are putting Fort Wayne Citilink and City Council in a difficult position. Last week, Citilink came before council to ask for help regarding its $2.5 million budget deficit – the fiscal cliff we broke news about last summer. Now, Fort Wayne will have to decide whether to fund public transportation or not.

  • What's the plan? Citilink is seeking a special tax levy that would cost residents between $3 and $12 a year, depending on the value of their home. The tax would only affect those not already above Indiana's property tax caps.
  • But also: just last week Citilink shared with council that the special tax levy plan would cost the city $669,417 in lost property tax receipts for 2025, and nearly $180,000 less in local income tax for 2026 – a total l0ss of about $850,000. This would affect the budgets for Allen County, Fort Wayne Community Schools, the Allen County Public Library, the airport authority and EMS and fire.
  • If Citilink isn't funded: it will face "deep" 14% service cuts beyond already meager levels of public transportation available in Fort Wayne. Cuts are expected to begin in April.

After a lengthy presentation by Citilink, public testimonies from more than 20 residents and discussion, Council opted to hold the vote until Oct. 22 to determine what solution(s) can be reached.

A deeper dive...

There was a lot to take in at City Council's discussion of Citilink, but here are a few quick items in our notebook:

  • The timing is challenging, but it's not a new problem. Several councilmen called Citilink's request unexpected amidst an already hectic budget season. Some council members said they didn’t even know about Citilink's budget deficit until days before the intended vote on Oct. 8. (For the record: We first reported on Citilink's impending fiscal cliff last summer.) Citilink's General Manager John Metzinger says he's been meeting with members of council since May, too, but "critical details" about just how much the special tax levy would affect the city's budget came to light last week, further complicating Citilink's request. Metzinger says: "Everyone at the city is learning about the effects of Indiana’s complex property tax laws at the same time, along with us at Citilink."
  • Fort Wayne hasn't made a direct contribution to Citilink since it was formed. During last week's meeting, Councilwoman Michelle Chambers, D-At Large, noted that several cities, including smaller ones, like Gary, Ind., have invested in public transportation to a higher degree than Fort Wayne. In fact, Metzinger tells us: "The city has not made a direct contribution that we’re aware of since Citilink was formed in 1968. Great cities, like Gary, Indianapolis, and Bloomington, have direct contributions to support expansion of public transit. We are grateful that our transparency about Citilink’s budget challenge is bringing about new conversations about the value that public transportation brings to the community."
  • New Councilwoman Rohli Booker, D-6th, gave a show-stopping speech (worth listening to at 1:32:30). She called upon council to "prioritize Citilink as a true city service." "We're at the point now where we have to decide who we want to be as a city," she said. "Are we going to be content with being the home of a struggling public transportation system?" Councilman Russ Jehl, R-2nd, noted that, due to Indiana's property tax caps, Citilink's proposed tax levy would disproportionately affect those who have lower valued properties (and are likely low-income residents). Still, Booker, who represents some of the lowest income areas in the state, said her constituents would support Citilink because their community depends on it. "Too often it is those with the least who are asked to do the most, and honestly, we are so used to that," she said. "Most people I know in my community, in my neighborhood, would pay the cost of a movie ticket (the equivalent of the tax increase) if it meant that their neighbor has reliable transportation. When my neighbor has a job, they're contributing; they're paying their bills; they're taking care of their kids, and they are staying healthy by making it to their doctors' appointments.... It allows them to thrive.... It's time to address the fact that this has been coming for awhile."
  • More local and state investment will be needed to build a sustainable public transportation system in Fort Wayne. About a decade ago, Indiana legislators decoupled funding for public transportation from the state's sales tax, placing a larger burden on local municipalities to fund public transportation – or not. Councilman Nathan Hartman, R-3rd, noted that the state's funding formula for public transportation also provides "a disproportionate lower amount of funds" to Fort Wayne "because those funds are not based on population, they're based on ridership." He said: "We should continue to work with legislators to make sure Fort Wayne is getting a fair amount of state funds." Metzinger added that the state's formula is "locked in place, based on 2013 ridership data," and while population is a metric, so is locally derived revenue. "So the state fund considers the amount of local investment and multiplies that in its funding," Metzinger said. "If we can make investments in public transit locally, we’ll see that virtuous cycle continue to grow."

  • Fort Wayne’s long-awaited first climbing gym is finally open to the public. If you’ve been following the saga on social media, you’ve probably seen that setbacks involving the state’s building department caused delays in its opening for about six months. Thankfully, the issue has been resolved. The owners, Edwin Chow, Collin Jester and Ryan Perkins, are all local entrepreneurs in their 20s and they hope the new gym builds the city's climbing community. Chow says: “Since this is Fort Wayne’s first climbing gym, we wanted to start with bouldering to teach people the basics of technique." Learn more in our write up here, and stay tuned for news about more climbing gym developments in Fort Wayne's future!
  • The Landing just got one block longer, thanks to the grand opening of The Pearl last week with the Pearl Street Arts Center soon to follow. The Pearl is a new development by Chuck and Lisa Surack's Surack Enterprises at 248 W. Main St. It's a $82 million, seven-story, mixed-use building that includes commercial and event spaces and 81 apartments. It offers a Downtown location for Crescendo Coffee & More, Ducky's duckpin bowling bar and restaurant, and Amoré, the Surack's upscale Italian eatery. (Crescendo is open, but Ducky's and Amoré are coming soon.) At The Pearl's ribbon cutting, Surack called it “the first step in our vision for Downtown.” Surack Enterprises also invested $24 million in the Pearl Street Arts Center* in the former Aunt Millie’s Bakeries complex at 350 Pearl St., and he has "undisclosed plans"* for the rest of the building.

Plus: Urban Trail updates, a new riverfront development, housing at Electric Works and more. We cover it all in our premium newsletter.


Sunrise Mart is bringing Indian sweets, sushi, fresh produce and more to the '05.

We have tips for your first visit and details on their grand opening this weekend.

Co-Owner of Sunrise Mart, Raja Singh, 23, by a pastry case of fresh Indian sweets.

What’s happening?

A new local grocery in the 46805 called Sunrise Mart is hosting its grand opening on Oct. 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The market at 3105 N. Anthony Blvd. is owned by 23-year-old Raja Singh and his two younger brothers, Hardeep and Rajbeer Singh. Their family owns five convenience stores in Fort Wayne, including another by the name of Sunrise Mart, but Raja says the new location on Anthony is their first venture into groceries. The market also contains two restaurants with their first brick-and-mortar shops, Antojitos Mexicanos and Uramaki Sushi.

Here are a few quick things to know:

  • Community spirit: More than a convenience store, Raja hopes Sunrise Mart becomes a cultural hub in the '05. His family chose the location specifically for its “tight-knit community.” While you’re there, be sure to check out a table of products made in Fort Wayne and Indiana near the entrance.
  • Global foods: Along with fresh produce and your usual supermarket suspects, Sunrise Mart also offers two pastry cases of fresh Indian sweets. "This is the only place you can find them in Fort Wayne," Raja says. The market also has Hispanic and Asian grocery sections.
  • The grand opening: Join Sunrise Mart on Oct. 19 for a fall festival with food vendor sales, music by La Radio Del Compadre, giveaways, grocery deals, art vendors, fall games, spooky surprises and kids activities, including a bounce house and mechanical bull.
  • Pro tip: Ask for samples of the Indian sweets, Raja says. "A lot of people haven't had them before, and they have a very unique taste that’s hard to describe." He recommends the barfi, a fudge-like pastry.

We share tips on Antojitos Mexicanos and Uramaki Sushi inside Sunrise Mart in our premium newsletter.


What else? We share more things to do in our premium newsletter.


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Let us know at thelocalfortwayne@gmail.com.

Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett