Visitors to Fort Wayne may notice something… There is a lot of construction. The barricades, scaffolding, and cranes can be hard to deal with, but they are all part of the city’s renewal as a point of destination.

Riverfront Development

Ambassador Enterprises Amphitheatre at Promenade Park

One of the most exciting projects is the improved Riverfront. Waters were an essential part of the founding of Fort Wayne. The nickname “Summit City” comes from the days of the Wabash and Erie Canal, when Fort Wayne was the highest point on the run of the canal. These days, the rivers are an essential part of our recreation. The new Promenade Park includes a tree canopy trail, amphitheatre, and lots of public space. While construction on other phases of the Riververfront is still underway, river aficionados can check out Fort Wayne Outfitters for more information on river tours and rentals. 

People at Groundbreaking for the Riverfront at Promenade Park

In February 2021, the City of Fort Wayne broke ground on The Riverfront at Promenade Park. This new development will feature 200 apartments, 7, townhomes, and a large 900 space parking garage. There will also be office and retail space. At around $90 million, this new project will bring much more access to the river. The parking garage is expected to be completed in 2022, and the office, retail, and residential spaces are expected to be completed in 2023.

The Landing

People walking along the pedestrian street on The Landing in Fort Wayne

This $30 million project was intended to reestablish the historic Columbia Street as a hub for commerce and nightlife. Originally, the Landing was the road where wagons would unload people and parcels from canal boats and take them to their destinations by land. With this redevelopment, the Landing will be a destination for everything, including dining, retail, and office space. The redevelopment by Cincinnati-based Model Group was completed in 2020.

Superior Lofts, located near the Landing are now available for lease. 

The Bradley

The Bradley Guestroom

The Bradley rooftop dining

Provenance Hotels of Portland, an upscale boutique hotel chain, is partnering with Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, cofounder of Vera Bradley Designs, to bring a hotel to downtown Fort Wayne. Provenance manages the hotel, with ground floor premium dining, rooftop dining, and additional meeting spaces. The Bradley brings over 120 rooms to the city, and is located at Main and Harrison Streets. The hotel opened July 2021.    

GE Campus - Electric Works

GE Campus - Electric Works - Dynamo Alley

The vacant campus of General Electric on Broadway will be getting a large makeover. Known as the Electric Works, this $300 million mixed-use project will bring in housing, shops, restaurants, offices, a hotel, and educational spaces. The project is being helmed by Cross Street Partners out of Baltimore. Some members of Cross Street were involved in a similar industrial redevelopment project of a tobacco company in Durham, NC, that was highly successful. The renovation would also bring improvements to surrounding infrastructure. DoIt Best has agreed to relocate their corporate headquarters to the project. Construction began in early 2021. 

Additional Projects

Many other projects are in the works, all promoting a better quality of life for area residents, and more opportunities for visitors to enjoy different areas of the city. The World Baseball Academy at the ASH Centre is now a showcase destination for youth sports for the entire region. 

The Clyde marquee

The Clyde Theatre renovation has brought new life to the area just west of Foster Park, and the Fort Wayne Trails will continue its expansion with new trails connecting all parts of the city. Additionally, the Club Room restaurant and Crescendo Coffee & More have opened up next to the Clyde. 

Exterior view of Crescendo Coffee Shop and outdoor dining patio

Both visitors and residents can expect big improvements with these changes. Investments made by public and private sector partnerships have led to huge benefits for the community.

This post was originally published in 2016 and has been reformatted and updated.

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