News release from the City of Fort Wayne:
Mayor Henry Announces New Effort to Recruit Retail to South Fort Wayne
(December 2, 2015) – Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry today announced that the City of Fort Wayne is contracting with Indigo Centers to attract more retail to south Fort Wayne. Indigo Centers is a Birmingham, Mich., retail real estate firm specializing in advisory and consulting, leasing, brokerage, investment sales, property management and retail recruitment.
A recent analysis of commercial opportunities in south Fort Wayne found demand for as many as 120 new retail shops and restaurants in the areas roughly bounded by downtown to the north, Lower Huntington and Tillman roads on the south, Hessen Cassel Road on the east, and the St. Marys River and Waynedale to the west. That same analysis, conducted by Gibbs Planning Group, recommended hiring a business retail recruitment specialist.
“We remain committed to increasing economic development in south Fort Wayne,” said Mayor Henry. “We know there are opportunities for growth, and I’m looking forward to positive outcomes as we continue to work together to provide needed retail options to residents and move our City forward in the right direction.”
“Retail recruitment is a specialized field—one that is difficult to navigate without experience,” said Jeffrey W. Higgins, CRX, CLS founder and president of Indigo Centers. “We are excited to put our expertise and contacts to use on behalf of Fort Wayne’s south side business community.”
The Community Development Division is contracting with Indigo Centers for seven months at a cost of $5,000 per month with the possibility of extending the contract through the end of 2016. Indigo will review the recent Gibbs study (found here www.fwcommunitydevelopment.org/SouthFortWayneRetailAnalysis) and then create a targeted list of retailers and developers for recruitment. Indigo will also represent Fort Wayne at two International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) conventions. Fees will be paid with Community Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) dollars.
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