FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): It didn’t take long for questions to pop up about a developer’s request for a share of the Regional Cities funding recently awarded to the Fort Wayne area.

Great Lakes Capital, developers of the residential portion of the Skyline Plaza project in downtown Fort Wayne, made headlines this week when they requested a portion of the $42-million grant to help fund the project. Some questioned the appropriateness of the request, but John Sampson, President/CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, tells WOWO news it’s a legitimate proposal.

“Included in the ‘Road to One Million’ plan (submitted in the Regional Cities application) was a need for downtown residential developments,” Sampson says. “I think that’s why the Regional Development Authority took an initial interest in this project.”

The Regional Development Authority hasn’t officially decided on the request yet, but did seem to think it’s a good idea.