FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — The City of Fort Wayne says it has reviewed dozens of suggested locations for the proposed Anchor Resource Center and continues to recommend the East Washington Boulevard site as the best option.
Andrew Downs, Chief of Staff for the Fort Wayne’s Mayor Office, sent a memo to Fort Wayne City Council on Thursday outlining the city’s evaluation of 46 properties suggested by council members and the public as possible locations for the homeless resource center. The review comes after the council delayed a vote in June on funding for the proposed center at 333 E. Washington Blvd., requesting additional analysis of alternative sites.
According to the memo, the city first screened properties based on several requirements, including:
- At least 20,000 square feet of space
- Room for at least 30 parking spaces
- Space for an outdoor courtyard
- Located within three miles of downtown
- Sidewalk access to downtown
- An existing building rather than new construction
- Not zoned for residential use
That process narrowed the list to 13 sites. From there, city officials cited challenges for each of those properties presented, including existing businesses that would need to relocate, zoning issues or environmental concerns.
| Location | Challenge identified by city |
|---|---|
| 1301 S. Harrison St. | Current home of Lincoln Financial Group. Renovation costs could be high, and additional land may be needed for parking and an outdoor courtyard. |
| 140 E. Jacobs Ave. | Current home of Contract Interiors. Most of the property is in Flood Zone AE, and environmental remediation may be needed. |
| 1500 Goshen Ave. | Gateway Shopping Center; shares a property line with several homes on Cambridge Boulevard. |
| 1711 Creighton Ave. | Property is zoned I1, with residential zoning to the south and west. |
| 200 E. Superior St. | Large building with more than 100,000 square feet; current asking price is $2.95 million. |
| 2021 Broadway Ave. | Home of George’s International Market, which serves as a primary grocery store for nearby neighborhoods. |
| 205 Murray St. | Current home of Jensen Cabinet, which is still operating. |
| 300 E. Washington Blvd. | Site of the Grand Marquis, which currently provides assisted living services. |
| 333 E. Washington Blvd. | Underground tanks are located beneath the parking lot. Testing has been completed and additional testing is underway; the city says conditions appear stable. |
| 413 E. Jefferson Blvd. | Current home of Matthew 25. The organization plans to move in the coming years; with an asking price of $3 million. |
| 505 E. Washington Blvd. | Current home of Krieg DeVault. The firm has a lease through 2027; asking price is $3.6 million. |
| 525 Hayden St. | Current home of TRAA. |
| 525 Tecumseh St. | Brownfield site that would require significant environmental remediation. |
The city also used a second scoring method that ranked properties by the amount of location criteria they failed to meet, including proximity to residential neighborhoods. Five sites failed only one criterion, but officials said those sites presented significant obstacles such as relocating existing businesses, delaying renovations and removing needed downtown housing.
| Location | Criteria Missed | Main Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| 140 E. Jacobs Ave. | 2 | Current home of Contract Interiors; flood zone concerns and possible environmental remediation |
| 1500 Goshen Ave. | 2 | Gateway Shopping Center; shares property line with nearby homes |
| 1711 Creighton Ave. | 2 | Zoned industrial with residential areas nearby |
| 200 E. Superior St. | 2 | Large building, but asking price listed at $2.95 million |
| 2021 Broadway Ave. | 2 | Home of George’s International Market, serving nearby neighborhoods |
| 301 W. Superior St. | 2 | Former Rescue Mission site; new construction would be needed |
| 333 E. Washington Blvd. | 2 | Underground tanks beneath parking lot; additional testing underway |
| 413 E. Jefferson Blvd. | 2 | Current home of Matthew 25; asking price listed at $3 million |
| 4646 Arden Dr. | 2 | Outside downtown area; limited bus access and sidewalk gaps |
| 525 Hayden St. | 2 | Current home of TRAA |
| 525 Tecumseh St. | 2 | Brownfield site requiring environmental cleanup |
| 7603 Nelson Rd. | 2 | Located in New Haven, more than 5 miles from downtown |
| 1301 S. Harrison St. | 1 | Renovation costs and additional parking needs |
| 205 Murray St. | 1 | Current home of Jensen Cabinet |
| 300 E. Washington Blvd. | 1 | Current assisted living facility |
| 4133 New Haven Ave. | 1 | More than 3 miles from downtown |
| 505 E. Washington Blvd. | 1 | Current tenant has lease through 2027 |
The proposed East Washington Boulevard location did not meet the residential proximity criteria. The memo also addressed environmental concerns at the property, noting previous testing found a small area of petroleum contamination believed to be linked to a former gas station or auto repair business.
According to our partners in news, 21 Alive, the Fort Wayne’s redevelopment department believes the contaminated area is low risk, no vapor issues were detected inside the building, and active remediation is not expected to be necessary. Additional testing needs to be done to review the affected areas after what officials described as another possible underground “physical anomaly” was discovered beneath part of the east parking lot.
Despite the findings, city leaders said they continue to believe the East Washington Boulevard site is the strongest option, citing its existing purchase agreement and the reviewed challenges associated with the other properties.
The memo and map of the evaluated properties will be reviewed by the Fort Wayne City Council as discussions continue on the proposed Anchor Resource Center.
