The text of Mayor Tom Henry’s 10th State of the City address at noon, February 15, 2019.
Thank you, Tim [Ash], for that warm introduction.
I appreciate your commitment to and belief in the city of Fort Wayne.
Friends, family, elected officials, honored guests, residents of Fort Wayne, welcome.
I’m honored to be with you today to talk about how Fort Wayne has become a point of destination.
We continue to be a city on the move and we’re seeing results.
Before we celebrate our successes, embrace challenges, and look to the future, though, I want to thank the Grand Wayne Center for hosting us today.
It’s great to be back for what has become a tradition for the past four years.
Having a world-class convention center speaks volumes about Fort Wayne.
The Grand Wayne hosted 53 conventions, 12 of them new, in 2016.
And it generated an estimated 23-thousand overnight room stays.
Our community truly has become a point a destination.
Property values are on the rise, and we’re the best city in the country to raise a family according to a recent national report.
Neighborhood pride is increasing and quality of life amenities are being enhanced.
In fact, we’ve been recognized as the lowest cost of living city, the 12th best real estate market for midsize cities, and the 7th top city where millennials are buying homes.
Nearly 6 million people visited Fort Wayne and Allen County in 2016. Visitors spent 576-million dollars, and more than 10-thousand local jobs are supported by visitor spending.
It’s no wonder Travelocity named Fort Wayne as the 5th best city to visit with kids.
As you can see, the proactive and innovative efforts by our colleagues at visit Fort Wayne are making a meaningful difference.
As we gather today in the heart of the city, I’m truly proud of what we’ve accomplished and what’s ahead for Fort Wayne.
Investments in downtown are at an all time high, too.
The new corporate headquarters for Ash Brokerage at the Skyline Plaza is incredible.
The new Skyline Garage is also meeting increasing parking needs in our growing and thriving downtown area.
Work is underway on the 40-million dollar Skyline Tower project to provide more housing and office space, as well as a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
Cindy, don’t worry, I’ll be sure to take you there when it opens.
In total, the entire Skyline development is more than 100-million dollars.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Cityscape flats next to Parkview Field is nearing completion with 163 apartments and 14 townhomes.
Work on Superior Lofts has started as we continue to meet the high demand for downtown housing.
This 10-million dollar restoration will feature 72 apartments, commercial space and climate-controlled self-storage units.
Work will be completed in summer 2018. I also want to express my appreciation to the team at RCI Development and developer Kevan Biggs on the redevelopment of Centlivre Apartments.
This substantial private investment will provide market rate housing options beginning as soon as this summer.
And, the City’s Community Development Division has been an active partner in getting the former McMillen Park Apartments site ready for the Posterity Scholar House.
This unique project will provide safe, attractive and affordable housing options for students and their families.
To be a point of destination also requires economic development growth and success.
We’re seeing it here and across our region.
For instance, Fort Wayne has been named one of 50 U.S. cities adding the most jobs. And, we’re the 15th best city to find employment in 2017. In fact, we retained nearly 3-thousand jobs and added 750 more in 2016.
Those new careers have an average wage of 52-thousand dollars. That’s 25-percent higher than the current average wage in our community.
I want to personally thank companies like Dana, Walmart Dairy, Ducharme McMillen, Kitch Acceptance Group, and Oak Street Health.
In 2016, we saw 26 companies invest 421-million dollars in our community. Small businesses are succeeding in Fort Wayne as well.
Junk Ditch Brewing Company is a new restaurant just off West Main Street. It’s a former brownfield site and a recent City Façade Grant recipient.
I know some of you have been there already and know what a great addition it is to our thriving, local dining scene.
Owners Andrew Smith, Dan Campbell, and Jack May are with us today.
Would you please stand to be recognized.
Thank you for investing in Fort Wayne.
A homegrown business that’s a great fit for the ongoing revitalization of the West Main Corridor.
As you can see, progress is evident all across our community.
But, we can’t be satisfied with our current status.
We know that any successful city must have an infrastructure system that works effectively.
In the last three years, 75-million dollars have been invested in neighborhood streets, roads, sidewalks, ADA ramps, and street lighting.
And, another 25-million dollars in improvements will occur this year.
You’ll see work in neighborhoods all over the city, including State Boulevard, Dupont Road, Coldwater Road and Fairfield Avenue just to name a few.
I want to apologize now for any construction delays you may face this summer.
There’s no question taking care of our neighborhoods is critical to the current and future success of Fort Wayne.
Growing and vibrant cities also need clean and affordable water and sewer services.
This year, city utilities will dig deep, literally, with the largest clean water investment in the history of Fort Wayne.
The tunnel project will be 16 feet in finished diameter, 5 miles long and 200 feet deep.
Construction will start this spring.
When completed in 2022, it will reduce the amount of combined sewer overflows into our rivers by 90-percent.
The tunnel project will have significant economic and environmental benefits for generations to come.
Our city utilities investments are also reducing costs and implementing efficiencies to benefit you.
For example, methane gas power generation at the ewer plant has reduced our electric bill by 420-thousand dollars a year.
Neighborhood utility improvements have also protected nearly 25-thousand homes from basement backups.
We’ve kept more than 1-billion gallons of sewage overflow out of our rivers since I took office.
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