Ben Lanka reported this morning that although the City’s option to purchase the former OmniSource property expired, negotiations will move forward. Of particular interest was this

While the option and the money the city spent are both gone, [city development director, John] Urbahns said it wasn’t a waste. Having a purchase option provided the city access to the site and an ability to study its environmental condition. The environmental studies are complete, and Urbahns said nothing surprising was found, but the city has refused to release the reports.“

I’m still dumbfounded by the refusal to release the environmental studies reports.  After all, we the taxpayers paid for them. Aren’t we entitled to know?

Derrick Gingery of Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly scooped the traditional media today reporting that the City’s option to purchase the OmniSource property will not be renewed.

Fort Wayne Community Development Director John Urbahns said June 24 there are no plans to extend the option a second time.

    “Whether June 30 comes or goes with no action, we will continue to negotiate with the owners,” he said. “Obviously, we’re still very interested in it. It’s just a matter of trying to work through an agreement.”

    The city paid $25,000 in January 2007 for the right to buy the 29-acre property just north of downtown for $4.3 million. The one-year option was extended another six months on Jan. 1 of this year.

    Reducing the price and donating the land to the city were among the possibilities discussed, but no proposal is on the table, Urbahns said.

    The extension that is about to run out was a verbal agreement, Urbahns said. He said the fate of the money the city paid for the option has not been discussed.

    The option had value because of what the city was able to do with the property during the last 18 months, Urbahns said.

    “It’s been valuable to have time to look at the property, do an environmental assessment on the property,” he said.

    If there is no renewal of the option or the owners decide to move in another direction, Urbahns said the city still has a role to play in the development of the property.

    “Even if it’s a totally private development, we’d like a role for the city to play in how it develops,” Urbahns said. “We want to be involved.”

    The North River property is a former site for OmniSource Corp. The Rifkin family, which owned OmniSource before Steel Dynamics Inc. acquired the company last year, is negotiating with the city to sell the land.

    [...]

    City planners think the North River site could be another catalyst development similar to Harrison Square. The development could be anchored by a regional attraction on the north side — perhaps a water park — and would be surrounded by retail space and townhouses. A mixed-use development, more townhouses and a river landing could be included on the south, according to a proposal.

    Environmental testing to determine contaminant levels on the land also has been completed. City officials have declined to discuss the test results until a deal is done.”

Kudos to Mr. Gingery for his efforts!

On a related note, the News-Sentinel also reports today that the Rifkin brothers have left SDI/OmniSource…

Three brothers who grew up with OmniSource Corp. as the family business have left the company, which was purchased by Steel Dynamics Inc. last year.

Fred Warner, manager of investor relations for SDI, said that a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month disclosed that Danny, Marty and Rick Rifkin are leaving the company. The brothers continue to own stock in SDI, stock which was part of the $1.1 billion purchase agreement in October.

Danny Rifkin was OmniSource’s chief operating officer and SDI’s executive vice president. He will continue to hold a seat on SDI’s board of directors. Marty Rifkin and Rick Rifkin were both executive vice presidents of nonferrous.

Any day now we expect to learn the decision reached regarding the OmniSource property.  Will the City pass up the opportunity to purchase this parcel? Is doing so now the best option?

Considering County Council’s approval today of the Maplecrest Road Adams Center Road Extension, one wonders when the spending spree will end.  This could perhaps be the most expensive week for Allen County taxpayers in 2008.

(Hat-tip: Scott Spaulding - Fort Wayne Politics)

I’m going to break from tradition. The following post has nothing to do with North Fort Wayne River Development but concerns an issue that warrants a response. I submitted the following Letter to the Editor regarding the recent FWCS Graduation Lockout…

(An open letter to FWCS Administrators)

It appears ceremonies have changed little since my graduation from Snider over twenty years ago.

 

So what if a few overzealous parents and friends of graduating students applaud, whoop it up, or yell in support of their graduate’s accomplishment? So what if they show up late to the event? Was it due to a lack of respect for the event itself or a family emergency? Do you even know?

 

What is really accomplished by denying them access to the well-earned ceremony other than to assert your control over the graduates for the last time?

 

What a nice example you set for your graduates about freedom of speech and self expression! I remember too well, the angst I felt at seeing the parents of fellow graduates escorted off the premises, parents perhaps applauding the first member of their family to graduate from high school. At my own graduation we were well-warned that tossing our caps into the air would result in the withholding of our diplomas. Thanks for the respect you showed us by instilling such fear.

 

FWCS continues to be more concerned with appearances than with proper instruction. With your recent logo remake (see here, here, here, & here),  you paid $15,000 to a local advertising company to come up with a new design so similar to the agency’s own logo as to draw questions about the expense paid. Show a little respect for the futures of your graphic arts students. You missed the perfect opportunity to provide real-life work experience by awarding scholarships for the winning design: $5,000 to the winner, $3,000 to the runner up and $1000 for honorable mention. The $9,000 in scholarships would have saved you $6,000 in expenses and provided an invaluable leg-up for these students.

 

Show a little respect, FWCS administrators. You claim that “We Are Your Schools.” Act accordingly. Allow supporters the opportunity to applaud the efforts of their graduates. Perhaps graduation ceremonies will be a half an hour longer. Don’t your students and their parents deserve that much?

 

Over twenty years, and yet FWCS has learned so little about human behavior. By denying family members their first amendment rights for free speech, you encourage the very behavior you seek to repress. Allowing ample time for applause won’t hurt you or diminish reasonable decorum.

 

I for one, applaud their civil disobedience. These are our future leaders, the ones who will determine the course we set, and care for us in our old age. If you really believe in them, show a little respect.

 

David A. MacDonald
R. Nelson Snider High School Graduate
Class of 1985

 

P.S. Allowing a prayer to be recited during the ceremony wouldn’t hurt either.”

IndianasNewsCenter reported yesterday that City negotiations with owners of the OmniSource property remain ongoing as the June 30 deadline draws near…

[...] the city’s director of community development [John Urbahns] says if the other side agrees, negotiations could continue a short time beyond that date.

Though the OmniSource property is vacant and would require extensive clean-up of old industrial contamination, it is still a prized piece of land from the city’s perspective.

A task force recently identified it as a place that could host a major attraction near downtown, labeled the “North River” development.

The city has an option to buy the land for 4.3 million dollars, but it appears unlikely the city is willing to pay that much now.

Director John Urbahns/Community Development: ” We’re having a number of discussions with the property owners and um, as I say, when we’re trying to figure out how we can get it done, the city is obviously in a different financial situation than it was a year ago, and we need to look at all options that are out there.”

The different financial situation Urbahns mentioned relates to less money coming in because of property tax reform in Indiana, so if the city is going to obtain the property it’s going to have to be at a lower price.

That’s especially true if major clean-up costs will have to be paid.

The city won’t disclose results of environmental testing, so we don’t know what the costs would be.

The city’s refusal to disclose testing results still disturbs me.  Taxpayers paid for it.  We deserve to know.

It would appear that Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry is uncertain about the future of the Harrison Square Condos. In an interview with IndianasNewsCenter, Mayor Henry indicated that he and his wife may decide against purchasing a condo after all…

…Henry confirmed the developers told him his name was quickly coming up on the list to decide whether to commit.

Reporter: ” Will you buy one?”

Mayor Tom Henry\(D) Fort Wayne: ” I don’t know yet. Again, right now, we still are very excited about the possibilities. But again, it all depends on what the developer ultimately comes up with. If they stay with a full condominium design, then we’re very interested. If they go mixed-use condo and apartment complex, then we’re going to have to take another look. Or if they go completely apartment, we’ll have to take another look. Or if they put something else entirely different, I don’t know, I’m not a developer, but we are asking them to come back with a number of different options.”

The fact that Henry wants to help “kick start,” as he says, the condos as mayor, could end up costing the development its most high-profile potential investor, as Tom Henry, private citizen.

Mayor Henry’s unwillingness to commit leads to speculation about the Harrison condos’ future.  Such speculation gives pause to potential investors, not only about the condos themselves, but other aspects of the project yet unknown.  What does Fort Wayne’s mayor know that we don’t? 

Hat tip: AroundFortWayne

With the recent announcement of the Clinton Street closure in 2010, is the future of Science Central in doubt? Not according to museum President Martin Fisher…

Despite having the transportation artery cut just south of Science Central, museum President Martin Fisher said Wednesday that he isn’t too concerned about the project as long as people have access to the science museum.

“As long as they can still get into our parking lot and out of our parking lot, I don’t think it would impact us,” he said.

Fisher said he had not been aware of the project because he has been at Science Central only for a few months. Because it is a destination, he said, the museum shouldn’t lose much attendance from normal traffic not driving past.”

Although Harrison Square promises new development, the results may not be visable for 2-3 years.  Like the recently announced Lincoln Museum closure in June, 2008, losing Science Central would leave a cultural hole. Downtown Fort Wayne can ill-afford to lose another destination attraction. 

In my opinion, Science Central struggles from orphaned-child syndrome.  It stands alone as the sole attraction, a destination island, on the north side of the St. Mary’s River. Will decreased access prove to be the death knell for this important Fort Wayne landmark?

My children love this science museum. Although we only visit 1-2 times per year, it remains a family experience we all enjoy. Traveling through Chicago to Wisconsin Dells several years ago, my wife and I treated the kids with a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry. They were bored. This great Chicago museum offered little that our children had not already experienced in their own hometown. Best of all, our Science Central membership included free general admission to more than 250 participating museums, including MS & I (although we still paid $12.00 to park!).

If you haven’t been to Science Central lately, take the time to show your support. Grab your friends, bring the kids, and reexperience this Fort Wayne landmark. If you’re planning a trip to Chicago, purchase a Science Central membership first.  Keep your hard earned dollars in Fort Wayne and get free general admission to the Museum of Science & Industry and Chicago’s Field Museum. Considering MS&I’s admission rates ($13 per adult & $9 per child aged 3-11) and the Field Museum’s rates ($14 per adult & $9 per child aged 4-11), larger families can save a ton! Although, I can’t promise that your own children won’t be bored in those Chicago museums.

See also: Science Central video (1995)  Photos by Stephen L. Parker

“Oprah’s Big Give” is coming to Allen County.  The television show selected ABC affiliate Indiana’s NewsCenter and the local non-profit Aboite New Trails for a donation of $10,000. The mission from “Oprah’s Big Give” to Aboite New Trails and Indiana’s NewsCenter was to find a way to grow the money into something larger.

As a result, The City of Fort Wayne,  the New Haven and Adams Township Park and Recreation Department, Aboite New Trails, the Greenway Consortium and Northwest Allen Trails are coming together to give big and give back as part of Oprah’s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails initiative.  Each  organization will host a walk, bike ride or run fund-raising event  on Saturday, April 12.  All will join together for a free event from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Headwaters Park in Downtown Fort Wayne. Organizers expect this to be the most number of people on trails in Fort Wayne and New Haven ever in a single day.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

 Aboite New Trails:
Registration and pre-walk/bike activities including a children’s bike helmet give-away will be 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Indian Trails Park for Bike/Walk About Aboite. At 11 a.m. the walk and bike rides will start. Jason Minnick of Catalyst Fitness will lead a guided 4.5-mile walk. Bicyclists will ride for 8 miles separate from the walking path with a police escort on the sections of the route that are on roadway.

Greenway Consortium:
A Greenway Fun Run and Walk event will be at 12:30 p.m. starting from Headwaters Park. The walk will be a 2-mile loop that will finish at Headwaters. The run will be 3 miles and also end at Headwaters in time for the 2 p.m. party.

New Haven/Adams Township Park and Recreation:
Registration will start at 10:30 a.m. at Moser Park and include appearances that morning from the New Haven Alumni Band and the Woodlan High School cheerleaders. Cyclists and walkers can ride or walk the 8 miles to Headwaters Park, demonstrating the connected trails between New Haven and Fort Wayne. The bike ride will start at noon; walkers can leave at any time. There will be a second starting point, the North River Road boat launch, which is closer to Fort Wayne for those who want to walk or ride a shorter distance.

Northwest Allen Trails:
Participants in the Spring Walk-a-Mile at the Salomon Farm Park Trail can start anytime between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Parkview YMCA. The trail’s loop is approximately 2 miles.

Source: City of Fort Wayne (includes links to registration forms).
 

From the Journal Gazette this morning…

West Central residents no longer need to worry about a Centennial Wireless tower blocking the view of the General Electric Co. sign.

The locally based wireless carrier shifted its proposed antenna off Broadway to another downtown location in response to the neighborhood’s outcry, said Phil Laux, senior vice president of marketing for Centennial Wireless.

[...]

The site would replace Centennial’s proposed antenna south of Martin and Hendricks streets, near Broadway. The company that wanted to build the 150-foot tower, GenCom Inc., withdrew that controversial proposal at the Fort Wayne Board of Zoning Appeals meeting last month. A company representative told the board GenCom wanted more time to work with opponents from the West Central Neighborhood Association.

[...] 

The proposed Fairfield Avenue tower will not provide as much downtown wireless capacity as the first site, but Laux said it should still meet future needs as cell phone use there grows. Harrison Square, the $125 million downtown redevelopment project, is expected to generate more cell phone traffic in that area.

[...]

But Carolyn DeVoe, former president of the Southwest Area Partnership, said the project could still be improved. Antennas could be mounted on downtown high-rises or on two proposed 100-foot towers that would serve as architectural features for Headwaters Park. That would avoid the need for wireless carriers to dot downtown with towers, she said.

DeVoe said she would prefer to see the city find a comprehensive solution for cell tower placement instead of letting companies install them one by one.”

Here’s one comprehensive solution: Integrate cell tower technology into a Headwaters Park downtown aerial tram system. As new cell towers are needed near Glenbrook, IPFW, Dupont, Jefferson Pointe, and Southtown, extend the tram system to these areas.

Cellular companies such as Verizon and Centennial Wireless offset the tower construction costs, while private funds are raised for the transfer stations near the Historic Old Fort, Wells Street Pedestrian Bridge, and Harrison Square.

The News-Sentinel is reporting today that Mayor Tom Henry has received three proposals to develop the OmniSource property…

Henry said one plan centers on a mixed-use building with retail on the first floor and condominiums above; another involves “sports and recreation,” and though Henry said he did not know specifics of a third plan, he said it represented a multimillion-dollar proposal he first learned of Tuesday morning. At least two of the three proposals come from local developers.”