FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Work is beginning on a 29-acre property along Clinton Street that city officials hope to transform into a major development on Fort Wayne’s north side.
Trucks are scheduled today to begin removing contaminated soil from the North River site, just north of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge.
The city’s Redevelopment Department has hired environmental consulting firm IWM Consulting to lead the first phase of remediation. The work is expected to take about six months.
The project is being funded by approximately $3 million awarded to the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Authority through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Brownfields Program.
The property has seen little activity for about two decades and has been impacted by previous commercial and industrial uses. It was previously used as a rail yard and scrap yard dating back to 1902. It has not been actively used since 2006.
“It’s exciting to see this work beginning,” Redevelopment Director Alec Johnson said. “This highly visible property in the heart of our city has been blighted for decades and now we are taking significant steps to make it a safe, vibrant asset for the neighborhood and our community.”
Meanwhile, planning continues for the future of the North River District.
The North River District plan will address potential housing, commercial development, public infrastructure, recreation and green space, as well as public facilities.
Plans also include the proposed North River Fieldhouse, a 160,000-square-foot facility that would host youth and adaptive sports tournaments and other activities.
The fieldhouse could accommodate basketball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, pickleball, baseball and flag football, among other sports.
Recent feasibility studies estimate the facility could generate about $36 million in annual economic activity, primarily from visitors traveling to Fort Wayne for tournaments.
An advisory committee made up of development professionals, community and neighborhood leaders and residents from the Bloomingdale neighborhood and Wells Street Business Corridor is advising the city and PB Development on the master plan.
