More reason to stay or move? How large is Fort Wayne metropolitan area, 300,000? Of this how many work, 150,000? I was not born here, neither were my siblings, children, parents or wife. Of the six of us who moved here in 1963 five us moved away to work else where. Of that five that moved away, three moved back bring eight children born elsewhere.

I lived a lot of different places, worked in a variety of different positions and companies. What I know is that you want a variety of people from all walks of life and education. So who do we want to stay - productive workers. Who do we want to move here - productive workers who add value. Who do we want to move away - those who want to learn how things are done elsewhere and then return.

The GE campus will have about 3,000 residents by the size of the residential area 2,000 square feet each and some 300,000 sqft total. That means it would represent about 1% of the metropolitan area.

I spoke to a few young people with good jobs in tech, medical and other positions. I did not find one who would move to this location: the reason was cost and travel distance to work.

It is my opinion this developer needs to focus on low cost housing (at 2,000 sqft it will be outside the means of most) and you need those wanting to travel or find a position down town or close by. The pool of people to pull from is just too small for this development.

I have not had an opportunity to verify this, but here is a summary:

"Fry didn’t have data handy for every age cohort, but he did pull figures for the 25-35 group. In 2000, when that group was made up of Gen Xers, 50 percent of respondents said they moved for housing-related reasons, like wanting to own or to live in a nicer neighborhood. Meanwhile, 21 percent of that age group moved for job-related reasons in 2000."

https://www.yahoo.com/finan...

50% of people moved for wanting to own or live in a nicer neighborhood. 21% moved because of job related reasons. So the pool of prospective new comers is a small percentage of the baby boomer children which is a mini boom. The next boom in 20-40 years is going to be hard to distinguish - zero population growth. Now we are competing with 49 other states and many countries.

On June 9, 2016 NBR identified $70 Billion a year in incentives, TIFS and abatements are awarded to companies in the US. The impact of this $70 Billion by states, and local taxing authorities was found it was a net loss.

On June 29, 2016 NBR revealed Kansas City between Kansas and Missouri, over the past five years together gave $262 Million with Kansas being the winner with a net 1,704 jobs at a cost to taxpayers of $93,000 per job!

Both have now agreed to stop this disastrous economic war for the sake of both cities because it is just too costly.

Before taxpayers spend 162 million we need to have a referendum .Enough of getting this stuff rammed down our throats. Great if you are an insider not so great if you are a taxpayer. The city was doing just fine before the downtowners got involved. DuPont lima corridors,24 Illinois rd. 465 37, Glenbrook the by pass and on and on and with their own money. Downtown is about good ol boys.

Yeh right - let's all jump up and down about suburbia and white
flight and concrete highways lined with strip malls and dying indoor
malls.

Perhaps a little research into abatements and to whom they are given is in order when one tosses out the phrase "with their own money." Taxpayers are hit every week with abatements to companies. Hardly any are downtown.

Why don't you review the following
website so you can get a better understanding about how those companies rely on the taxpayer for abatements - unless of course, facts don't matter.

https://www.allencounty.us/pro...

Yeh right - let's all jump up and down about suburbia and white flight and concrete highways lined with strip malls and dying indoor malls.

Perhaps a little research into abatements and to whom they are given is in order when one tosses out the phrase "with their own money." Taxpayers are hit every week with abatements to companies. Hardly any are downtown.

Why don't you review the following website so you can get a better understanding about how those companies rely on the taxpayer for abatements - unless of course, facts don't matter.

https://www.allencounty.us/...

You're right, John. I really wanted a THRIVING…Illinois Road.

Hooray! This clearly will be targeted to wealthy boomers, and young millennial's who desire a vibrant and active central locale. This will improve the Broadway corridor..which still hosts a lot of homeowners rather than renters and will increase improvement of other historical homes and business buildings. This will increase tax revenue and reinvigoration of "downtown". Godspeed and good luck.

What tax revenue increase? No matter where these workers live, they pay sales, income tax and County option tax. What new tax will they pay to make $162 million worth while?

Are we not just subsidizing people to live in a particular area? Is this not artificial stimulation of an area of town? What happens when the artificial stimulant is taken away and it has to stand on its own merits?

NO! I want toasters.......manufacture them and they will come.....

How much will rent be? Will Seniors on S.S. be able to afford the rent or is this just for people who have money.?

Unfortunately you'll be tasked with paying more taxes to support this. And will not get any benefits from it.

Yes...cool housing will always cost more.

"That investment will come from many sources. Greater Fort Wayne CEO Eric Doden said the financial package is expected to include about $41 million in private equity, $70 million in tax credits, a $92 million loan and government incentives, including city Legacy and Capital Improvement funds, state Regional Cities dollars and creation of a “tax increment financing” district that would capture taxes on improvements to pay for infrastructure."

So tax payers are kicking in $70 Million in tax credits,$92 million in loan and government incentives (all comes from taxpayers) on a project of $300 million. Our investment is $162 million out of $300 million. If this were shark tank the sharks would ask for 75% of the equity stake. How much of this project will be held by the Taxpayers in terms of equity? Oh, that's right we the taxpayers take the risk and get nothing in return for risking $162 Million!!!

Doden needs to invest in this project himself. He and his cronies surely can come up with $162 Million and profit from this venture. Taxpayers funds need to be applied to the purpose for which they were collected - providing services and maintaining infrastructure. Not playing "banker."

If this project is such a great one, why does Cross Street Partners not use its own funding? I stopped giving to pan handlers a long time ago.

"Now our job begins,” Doden said, referring to his economic development group’s mission to attract employment and talent to the area." What a bunch of BS! you do not attract any jobs. You do not create a single job. You spend other peoples money to make yourself feel important.

"taxpayers take the risk and get nothing in return ...."?

That's the nature of development of old urban areas in the "rust belt" struggling to survive. There has to be a reason for people to move to FW, and also for those growing up there to want to stay. Annexation can do only so much to maintain the population and keep the city from slipping into cultural and socio-economic irrelevance.

People from miles away can drive into town for an afternoon to visit the zoo or see a baseball game or walk through the botanical gardens; and it's too easy to move outside the city limits and yet take advantage of being near the city. Detroit and St Louis both have interesting things to come and see; and most everyone who does so knows the fastest way out of town afterwards.

The city's "glory days" are long-over: the Pistons are gone, the parks are now crime-ridden cow pastures where no one would send their kids to play, Calhoun St downtown looks like two, dull brick-facade strip-malls facing one another, -- and so on.

This project should complement nicely the other "risky" initiatives that so many people similarly questioned. Taken together, they are all part of a rich fabric that, in retrospect, will be seen as the cutting edge of 21st Century Fort Wayne

"There has to be a reason for people to move to FW, and also for those growing up there to want to stay. "

How long have you lived in Fort Wayne? This type of investment does not attract business. It certainly does not attract workers. Have you ever interviewed people for a position?

Fort Wayne was listed as a top place to raise a family. Families look for good schools. There is not a good school within Fort Wayne Community Schools. So putting this type of residential living areas on Broadway and spending $162 million will not help attract workers with skills that may be needed in Fort Wayne.

Who is going to want to travel from Downtown outwards in the morning and evening to go to work?

Spending $162 Million of taxpayer money to attract workers who will compete for limited jobs in our area is like assisting those bidding at an auction you are at and are trying to outbid them. Rather a dumb way to buy something you want.

Well, ... it's not quite that simple.

Fort Wayne's aging housing stock cannot compete with new, sprawling development throughout the county. People who already work in the area would have more reason to move into or stay in the city. This sort of urban development is unique and it attracts people, which attracts businesses , which generates jobs and quality of life, --- which in turn attracts people, and so on.

To repeat, annexation is but one, limited means to keep the city from going the way South Bend, Dayton, Toledo, etc. A city has to invest in itself not only as a place to "go see stuff" once in a while, but as a place to move to for the quality of life there.

FW used to be that way. Photos of neighborhoods from the 50's confirm that it isn't just nostalgia that makes us think it used to be a nicer place. I would now want to live in the really nice neighborhoods I grew up in. The city is worn down; it looks increasingly like an old urban area on the skids. This development would be one more step in recreating that urban vitality that has slipped away.

Agreed.

The high tech, finance, legal, education, information services jobs are already being created. Now they will have a neat place to live in the center of the action.

Do you really believe that if people wanted a home to live in, they would not built it? Are you saying there are lots of high tech, finance, legal, education, information services jobs are already being created and these people cannot find homes or places to rent?

You would think that if there were so may high tech, finance, legal, education, information services jobs being created that they could pay for their own housing?

$162 Million to build housing for how many? 3,000 people? roughly $54K per person subsidy? On top of this any kids they bring will find the schools not getting any of the property tax revenue for ten to twenty years? Who pays for their education, fire, police and services?

The Job I had was considered high tech and I did not need subsidized housing. I made the decision not to move to Fort Wayne solely because of schools. I chose NW. I also did not want to travel out of the city to get to work. So how many of the 3,000 will work down town in high tech, legal and information services?

I think we can forget about legal since that is pretty saturated. Education certainly will want to live close to where they work, not enough openings in schools downtown - besides FWCS school enrollment is shrinking.

The homeowners will have to pay property taxes. Yes...I am saying these job sectors are growing...and mostly in the inner city. I doubt a lot of families will be drawn...although theatres, museums, parks would make it plausible. There are dozens of public, and parochial schools in the inner city...and its directly between the two major high schools.

The homeowners will have to pay property taxes is correct, but the GE space is rental residential which will not pay property taxes. They used the word TIF which implies tax incremental financing - thus property tax at the current rate for the term of the TIF. After the term, the property is then paying full property taxes.

However, if the property is sold in 20 years and needs maintenance, then the new buyer may request a TIF to do its maintenance and upgrade.

Public schools would be FWCS - I would not send my kid to this school district. As for parochial schools, that is an option, but why send your kids to a parochial school when you have SWCS and NWCS which are good public schools?

If the plan is good and then their will be investors lining up to fund it. If not stand clear of it - it is a money pit. Fort Wayne has a lousy history of investing taxpayer money. Of the more than $300 million of taxpayer money spent, the total is a net loss. When do you finally realize you are not a bank?

There is no doubt in my mind many of these units will be
prepurchased condos. The homeowners will pay taxes. As for FWCS..you can send your kids anywhere your bias leads you...but doesn't mean schools are poor. Could be because Allen County doesn't manage schools for the whole county...smug people in subdivisions with similar bias define their respectable territories.

FWCS was mismanaged. They kept schools open even though many were no where near capacity - thus they spent far more to operate them. They failed to maintain the schools for decades and ended up having schools with leaky roofs, poor heating and AC and more. They said they wanted to keep property taxes low so they never requested more money even though much of the area has not reached their 1% caps.

I have lived here since 1963 - I know the school systems.

Yes! This and STEAM park are the two developments to be excited about.

Yeah!