Downtown Fort Wayne stands at a defining moment, as the reauthorization process for its economic improvement district likely nears completion. This is a once-a-decade event that fulfills a state mandate and functions as a communal checkpoint.
Downtown improvement districts, like Downtown Fort Wayne, are designated zones that receive services provided above and beyond the level currently offered by the local government. Through the mechanism of an independent assessment district, property owners can decide what kind and what level of downtown management services they need and exert direct control over the delivery of the services.
Downtown Fort Wayne’s jurisdiction includes 99 blocks located within the center of the urban core. State statute requires signatures from property owners representing more than 60% of the non-residential property and more than 60% of the non-residential real property value to be renewed to authorize a commercial district.
Right now, Downtown Fort Wayne’s team is in wait-and-see mode.
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Charlotte Ewing“You have 120 days from the time frame that you file with the city clerk’s office,” says Preston Wallace, director of marketing for Downtown Fort Wayne. “For us, July 16 was the deadline to have everything packaged and submitted back. We’re pleased and encouraged that we met both of our thresholds and exceeded them as well.”
With the petition in the hands of the Fort Wayne City Council, Wallace is hoping they can present it in September. There’s the challenge of overlapping city and county budget planning, but the stakes are clear: every decade, the district's very existence is up for renewal.
“Every 10 years we, in theory, can be out of a job, and the organization can cease to exist,” he explains. “This process should really be an educational and awareness piece — what the organization does, how it’s funded, and what we’re hoping to accomplish.”
Specifically, Downtown Fort Wayne serves as a hub for entertainment, dining, shopping,
public art, and cultural events in and around downtown. From
BuskerFest to the much-anticipated
HolidayFest featuring the Night of Lights, the organization produces and promotes events designed to get people downtown and experience all it has to offer.
Taking this scope and scale into account, city officials like
Economic Development Administrator Dr. Andrea Robinson stress how indispensable Downtown Fort Wayne has become, especially in recent years.
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Rachel Von StroupA group of Art Crawl attendees walk to another location Downtown.“I think going back to…COVID-19…we were able to put together several collaborations that allowed us to support downtown businesses,” Robinson says. “We worked with Waiter on the Way to offer free delivery within city limits. We [also] worked with Downtown Fort Wayne to do some increased cleaning downtown… like daily cleaning of high-touch areas.”
Enter the
Downtown Fort Wayne’s Clean & Green team, a crew led by Clean & Green Manager Anthony Racic that works to maintain and improve the appearance of sidewalks, curbs, and right-of-way via litter patrols, power washing, and detailed cleaning in the case of weed and graffiti removal.
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CourtesyClean & Green team member Juan Vasquez picks up litter in Downtown Fort Wayne. (2022)According to Robinson, these collaborations sometimes expand into commercial corridors not previously included in the district. In this case, the Clean & Green crew removed tons of waste from the Broadway and Wells Street corridors. Businesses in the area appreciated it, and others wanted to take advantage of the benefits.
“If we did not have a way of keeping our downtown clean, it would not be a place that people wanted to go,” she says. “We don’t have the resources within the city to do what they do. So it was an absolutely necessary process to go through [the reauthorization] again.”
Along with keeping downtown clean and welcoming, the Clean and Green team works to support the unhoused. Staff are on the front lines, helping to direct unhoused individuals to appropriate services and resources. They also serve as a point of contact for business owners and visitors who have concerns about unhoused individuals, advising on how to communicate appropriately and when to involve additional support.
For business and property owners, Downtown Fort Wayne’s value is in its focus and flexibility.
“The main thing, in my opinion, would be one single voice that has one mission — that is to concentrate and make sure that we’re continuing to develop, protect and advocate for our downtown,” says Andrew Thomas, owner of popular lunchtime haunt
816 Pint & Slice on Calhoun Street.
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Brittany SmithThe TriCore Porch Off CalhounOver time, that role has shifted. Today’s need is different for downtown Fort Wayne than the need was 25 years ago when the organization first formed, he says.
“As the organization has evolved, I think it transitions based upon need, which I’m perfectly fine with,” Thomas says.
Right now, collaborative placemaking is at the heart of Downtown Fort Wayne’s work — as evidenced by projects like the Porch Off Calhoun. This space is a public gathering area in downtown Fort Wayne and
part of the city’s alley activation efforts. Located in the parking spaces adjacent to the alley near Pint & Slice, it’s a popular spot for socializing, enjoying live music, playing games, and relaxing. According to Thomas, his building was the first to allow mural art through a joint partnership with Downtown Fort Wayne, and the space has taken on a life of its own.
Whether through partnerships like this one or others, Wallace says the district’s impact is measured by data and by the lived experiences of businesses and residents.
“Every year we put out our annual report, and a lot of that is going to showcase statistics,” he says. “We showcase statistics, whether it be our digital reach — website, newsletter, and social media — or the total collection numbers for garbage, debris, and litter, not just within the 99 blocks, but also those 13 gateway corridors leading into downtown Fort Wayne.”
Speaking of numbers, Robinson says the district is set to grow by about 40% this cycle, with the addition of the
Broadway Avenue and Wells Street corridors.
“We were really happy with the two areas we [chose],” she says. “Those were probably our best and safest bets.”
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Kara HackettThe commercial hubs of Broadway and Wells have long requested Downtown Fort Wayne services, which Robinson considers a testament to their impact.
“With great attractions like Electric Works, North River and Riverfront Fort Wayne…[it] makes a lot of sense to expand it,” she says.
Expansion can come with growing pains, but Wallace assures stakeholders that programming and partnerships will adapt to the new map.
“The biggest thing will be really defining and honing our services and our advocacy efforts to make sure these expansion areas really feel seen, heard, valued, and a part of the fold,” he says.