Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. It was announced today by Mayor Tom Henry that The Landing will continue to be renovated by the City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division in partnership with Cincinnati-based Model Group, who will be responsible for overseeing the project. Historically, this neighborhood is considered to be one of Fort Wayne’s most important residential areas.
Two formerly abandoned sites in the vicinity will be transformed into new infill housing as part of the $11.9 million project, which involves the historic restoration of three West Columbia Street landmark buildings and the development of new infill housing. Both the Columbia Street West Bar and Grill, which is located at 135 West Columbia Street, and the upper floors of the building that houses Nawa, which is located directly across the street at 126 West Columbia Street, are set to undergo renovations in the near future. In order to make room for the construction of a new structure behind Columbia Street West Bar & Grill, a portion of the east side of the building will be demolished.
A statement from Nancy Townsend, Director of Community Development, said, “We are thrilled to be working with the Model Group on another project that will revitalize old buildings in our downtown.” It states that the group has “complete confidence in the work they are doing on the Landing, as well as their emphasis on the adaptive reuse of these buildings to make them lively while preserving the character of this historic area.”
New commercial and retail space will be created, as well as 21 new residential units, with a mix of affordable and market-rate housing options. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. It is expected that 106 construction jobs and 80 full-time employment would be produced as a result of this project.
I continue to be impressed by the tremendous momentum and investment in the city of Fort Wayne,’ Mayor Henry said. In particular, the Landing area has continued to flourish and prosper. “In our efforts to employ public-private partnerships to restore communities and build new projects, our connection with The Model Group, a fantastic partner, has proven to be fruitful.
According to Steve Smith of The Model Group, “We are happy to be able to maintain the good momentum at The Landing with this most recent phase.” The Model Group is developing The Landing in phases. In addition to preserving Fort Wayne’s rich history, we want to create new and interesting locations that will attract the finest and brightest from around the region. “This has been our goal from the outset.””
The City of Fort Wayne will donate $750,000 to the project under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program in order to ensure that affordable housing is constructed as part of the project’s overall design and construction.
The project should be completed by the end of 2022, at the latest.