Hey Locals,

Last week, two days before our event about cycling for transportation, City Council voted to (temporarily) hold funding for the Urban Trail, a bicycle and pedestrian path connecting several attractions Downtown. We have details on the decision and the next vote.

We also have a story on Fort Wayne's newest local bookstore, opening this week in the 46805, and we share new restaurants opening at the Fort Wayne International Airport.

Thanks again to everyone who attended our first Local Live event last Thursday. If you missed it, you can catch the audio recording on 89.1 WBOI Presents (TBA), and stay tuned for future events coming your way.

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Now, let's get started!

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

City Council debates funding the Urban Trail.

Some councilmen say they want to retain speed and traffic through Downtown.

What's happening?

In an unexpected turn of events, City Council voted 6-3 along party lines to hold funding for the next portion of the Urban Trail* for two more weeks.

• You might remember: The Urban Trail is a 10-foot-wide trail at sidewalk elevation Downtown made with decorative pavers that's about halfway built. You can see the first portions at Promenade Park along Superior Street from the park to Superior Lofts, and on Harrison from Superior Street to The Landing. It's modeled after the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and seeks to connect major attractions Downtown, including Electric Works, calming traffic and improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians along the way.
• Last week: The City's Community Development department sought $239,000 in ARPA funds for a design and engineering contract with Engineering Resources Inc. to complete the next phase of the trail along Washington and Broadway, connecting to Electric Works. APRA funds must be earmarked by the end of this year, or they are lost. The funding proposal initially received a do-pass recommendation, but council opted to wait on a final passage vote for two weeks.
• Debate centered: on plans to remove the northernmost lane of traffic on Washington Boulevard – currently four lanes – to create space for the trail and calm "very scary" traffic Downtown. Councilman Marty Bender, R-at large, said he didn't think modifying the roadway would improve safety. “Narrowing all these streets in my opinion has been a major failure to slow down everything," he says. "I don’t see where it’s made that much of an impact as far as pedestrian safety goes, when they have a perfectly good sidewalk there already.” Councilman Russ Jehl, R-2nd, also called the lane reduction a "substantial change," noting "when Jefferson lost a lane, that changed how quickly someone can travel from the west side of town to the east side of town permanently.”
• For more context: Community Development Administrator Joe Giant says the City has conducted a traffic study, which shows removing a lane on Washington could be done “without impeding traffic.” National research also confirms "narrower streets with room for bike lanes and sidewalks could pay dividends for health and safety," reducing crashes and encouraging slower, safer driving practices. Giant also questions the value of moving people and vehicles through Downtown quickly. "If the goal is to get as many as cars as fast as possible through Downtown, then yeah, we should leave it four lanes, but if the goal is to slow down traffic and create more walkable conditions, this is a better treatment. It depends where your policy preferences are."
• What's next? City Council will vote on funding for the Urban Trail at its Sept. 24 meeting. Citizens can call or email representatives by Sept. 23. If the trail does receive funding, it could be bid out by April 2025 with construction in May.

Why it matters

The City of Fort Wayne has invested millions to make Downtown a more walkable and welcoming destination, signaling that the days of driving through as a fast as possible are behind us. There are many reasons City Council should reconsider reducing lanes on Washington, particularly for the Urban Trail.

We break down three points to consider in our premium newsletter.

• The Fort Wayne International Airport is getting Hop River Brewing and Bon Bon’s Coffee locations, expected to begin serving in October. The airport's new restaurant area is the first major part of its East Terminal Expansion to open, following its ongoing West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation Project, which broke ground in June 2021.
• Fort Wayne's goal to be a “Top 10 Music City” by 2031 took two big steps forward last week with the groundbreaking of a new music industry building at Purdue Fort Wayne and announcement of The Pearl Street Arts Center's first show. PFW broke ground on its new $25 million, 26,000-sq. ft. music industry building to house the school’s music, music industry and music technology programs, expected to open by fall 2026. It was funded by a $15 million budget allocation from the Indiana General Assembly, as well as fundraising efforts and matching gifts from the Auer Foundation and Chuck and Lisa Surack. The Suracks are also behind the new nonprofit Pearl Street Arts Center Downtown in the former Aunt Millie's location. It's designed to be an "arts incubator," offering a 400-person auditorium, music education and more. Its inaugural show will be Oct. 18-19 by the Fort Wayne Ballet, performing the romantic comedy, "Don Quixote," inspired by Cervante's novel.

Plus: an Allen County Jail update, new business openings, an adventure park and more. We cover it all in our premium newsletter.

Meet Fort Wayne's new local bookstore: Sunbound Books!

Details on this week's grand opening and more.

What’s happening?

As a former marketing associate at Wiley Publishing in Indianapolis, an English major and a lifelong reader, Liz Kelpin of Fort Wayne is opening what might be the city's only local brick-and-mortar bookstore for new titles. Her shop, called Sunbound Books, is located in the 46805 at 3215 N. Anthony Blvd., and it's focusing on women and children’s stories' and interests. Check it out at the grand opening Thursday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Here are a few quick things to know:

• The grand opening: There will be a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on Sept. 19 and special extras throughout the day, along with all weekend. Complementary cookies and apple cider will be available, and there are giveaways happening of Sunbound merchandise along with coupons for a free scoop of ice cream with another local business, the Oh Five Scoop Shop.
• Weekly hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Wed.-Sat. and noon-4 p.m. Sun.
• Pro tips: “There’s plenty of parking in our front parking lot,” Kelpin says. “Come in with an open mind, and even if you’re not a reader, you might find something for the readers in your life. We offer cards and gift wrapping for presents, just in time for the holidays, and we plan to feature local art on our walls. My first artist is Britta Glass, a teacher at Beacon Heights Preschool who does amazing watercolor and collage work on the side. Every three months, we’ll change our featured artist, and we might even host some art classes at the bookshop.”
• Recommended reads: "Recently, I really loved Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino," Kelpin says. "I also love anything by Ann Patchett, who wrote Tom Lake.... For children’s books, there’s one I love called The Outside, written and illustrated by Gianna Marino. It’s about prairie dogs, and the illustration is beautiful."

Learn more about these books and the new shop in our full story!

• Celebrate fall: at the annual fall festival days at Kuehnert Dairy Farm. Every weekend in September and October, the farm showcases 30 attractions for all ages, including a corn maze, hayrides, pumpkins, baby calves and more. It also recently opened its Kuehnert Milk House, retail store and café, offering farm-fresh ice cream, cheese curds, and pizza.
• Watch: "Bat Boy the Musical" by Three Rivers MusicTheatre with select showtimes through Sept. 29. Then bring your ticket stub to Draft Taproom/Dom's Pie Shop for 10% off food and non-alcoholic beverages anytime through Oct. 31.
• Support: more public art projects Downtown by attending the annual Art This Way Art Crawl and Alley Bash on Sept. 20, 6-10 p.m. Tickets are $20. The crawl features multiple spaces Downtown where guests can enjoy live music, performing artists and cash bars.

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

Got a story tip or idea?

Let us know at thelocalfortwayne@gmail.com.

Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett