I came across the following snippet from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s meeting minutes:
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana Fort Wayne
New Construction and Renovation Project
Project Cost: $26,700,000Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana seeks authorization to proceed with the project Fort Wayne New Construction and Renovation Project. The project would construct a new facility on the Fort Wayne campus on the site of the old Fort Wayne Development Center, and renovate an existing facility and demolish facilities currently on site. The expected cost of the project is $26,700,000 and would be funded from 2007 General Assembly bonding authority. This project is awaiting a letter from the Budget Agency requesting review.
If State money is available for such capital projects, why can’t IPFW, Taylor, IBC, St. Francis, Tri State, Brown Mackie, Ivy Tech, or IIT use these funds to renovate areas of downtown Fort Wayne? Create a downtown campus for higher education. Renovate and redesign vacant downtown office space. Partner with banking, insurance, legal, architectural, and other professional firms already there. Foster relationships to create just the sort of high paying jobs we want here.
Attracting young professionals to the Summit City is all the rage. Proponents for downtown development tout the many benefits of urban living, particularly regarding the Harrison Square project. Let’s kill two birds with one stone and aggressively encourage college satellite centers in downtown Fort Wayne.
Check out the latest video about campus life at IPFW. If they’re going to spend our State tax dollars anyway, doesn’t it make sense to invest it in downtown development?
What say you, Mayor-elect Henry? In a press release dated October 17, you promised…
“Henry will work to forge an innovative local education-economic development bond that helps to exploit Fort Wayne‘s technological advantages, untapped entrepreneurial capacity and its outstanding higher-education resources.
I will work every day to ensure we take our community‘s tremendous assets to the next level,“ declared Henry. Building a Fort Wayne full of good jobs and strong neighborhoods starts by being able to spot possibilities, make connections and foster opportunity. I will make these challenges my business as your Mayor.”
Want a vibrant, progressive downtown that doesn’t close at dusk? Encourage the 18-22 crowd to live and attend school there. Private investment will follow.
North Fort Wayne River Development 