Historic Northeast 2035

Historic Northeast 2035

Historic

Northeast2035

City of Fort Wayne, Indiana

May 2024

SHARON TUCKER MAYOR OF FORT WAYNE

RUSS JEHL

DISTRICT 2 COUNCILMAN

As the Mayor of Fort Wayne, I am thrilled to present the unique and exciting vision of the Historic Northeast 2035 plan. This plan, crafted after extensive community engagement, is a testament to our commitment to the future of the Forest Park, North Anthony, and Northside neighborhoods.

Led by the City of Fort Wayne’s Neighborhood Planning and Activation Staff, in collaboration with the Historic Northeast Planning Committee and partners, this plan is a result of over 50 in-person engagement events, more than 30 miles walked, and 1,100 engaged residents, business owners, and organizational representatives. It is a blueprint designed to shape the future of the neighborhoods based on the goals and aspirations of the community.

Fort Wayne continues to be among the best places in Indiana and the nation to live, visit, and retire, and that’s in part because of our strong and vibrant neighborhoods, just like Historic Northeast. Fort Wayne’s status as a four-time award-winning All-American City is a testament to the dedication of our residents and leaders. The pages in this plan contain a vision for stronger and more resilient neighborhoods united to enhance the quality of life for all. From improvements to East State Village, improved access to parks and recreational spaces, preservation of historic landmarks, safer streets for all, and proper recognition of our indigenous history, Historic Northeast 2035 is based on the collective effort of so many people working together to improve their neighborhoods.

I trust that the goals, strategies, and action steps outlined in this plan will serve as a roadmap filled with inspiration and guidance for our neighbors and community partners. Let’s work together, standing side-by-side to build stronger neighborhoods for this and many future generations who will call Fort Wayne home!

I am proud to serve the residents of the 2nd District, and am pleased to see this neighborhood plan come to fruition, focusing on the future for the historic neighborhoods of Forest Park, North Anthony and Northside. Each neighborhood is unique, but all possess a collaborative spirit, which shines through in this plan with more than 1,100 engagement responses. This shows once again the strength and commitment these neighborhoods have to their community and to each other.

Beyond the City staff that has worked tirelessly, we owe thanks to the neighborhood leadership of Lori Stombaugh, Joe Giant, Karen Richards, Melissa Rinehart, Abbey Stombaugh, Jeff Rose, Kiley TatePotts and Thom Obergfell. Their work has led to a plan that ensures the future of this Historic Urban Village by focusing on Neighborhood Public Realms, Neighborhood Revitalization and Character, and Neighborhood Relationships – all ensuring a productive future.

I applaud the creation and future implementation of this plan and I look forward to the continued prosperity of these great historic neighborhoods.

TOM HENRY

LATE MAYOR OF FORT WAYNE IN MEMORIAM

The late Mayor Tom Henry was instrumental in the development of this plan. He recognized neighborhoods were the backbone of the city and understood the importance of investing in neighborhoods such as Forest Park, North Anthony and Northside. Under his leadership, Fort Wayne’s neighborhoods have experienced growth and are making a positive difference for individuals and families.

HISTORIC NORTHEAST 2035 NEIGHBORHOODS

Historic Northeast 2035 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people, organizations, and businesses throughout the Historic Northeast area and the City of Fort Wayne have given time and expertise to create this multi-phase neighborhood plan.

City of Fort Wayne Elected Officials

Sharon Tucker Mayor

Russ Jehl 2nd District Councilman

Michelle Chambers At Large Councilwoman

Tom Freistroffer At Large Councilman

Martin Bender At Large Councilman

City of Fort Wayne Staff

Karl Bandemer Deputy Mayor

Jonathan Leist Community Development Director

Zoe Auer Fort Wayne City Council

Dan Baisden Neighborhood Planning & Activation Réna Bradley Neighborhood Planning & Activation

Chris Carmichael Property Management

Luke Fabina Planning & Policy

Bernadette Fellows Neighborhood Planning & Activation

Megan Flohr Fort Wayne City Council

Sherese Fortriede Planning & Policy

Megan Grable Neighborhood Planning & Activation

Nick Jarrell Public Works

Alec Johnson Parks & Recreation

Nathan Law Planning & Policy

Nate Lefever Historic Preservation

Brad Lewis Public Works

Kelly Lundberg Community Development

Michelle Rupright Public Works

April Rivas Office of the Mayor

Chad Shaw Parks & Recreation

Creager Smith Historic Preservation

Michael Terronez Neighborhood Planning & Activation

Kyle Winling Public Works

Patrick Zaharako Public Works

Historic Northeast Committee

Joe Giant

Thom Obergfell

Karen Richards

Melissa Rinehart

Jeffrey Rose

Abbey Stombaugh

Lori Stombaugh

Kiley Tate-Potts

Historic Northeast Area Leadership

Joe Giant

North Anthony Neighborhood President

Karen Richards Forest Park Neighborhood President

Lori Stombaugh

Northside Neighborhood President

Historic Northeast 2035 Additional Support

Anna Baer Fmr. Public Works

Josh Campbell Fmr. Neighborhood Planner

Stephanie Crandall Intergovernmental Affairs

Shan Gunawardena Public Works Director

Tom Henry Late Mayor of the City of Fort Wayne

Steve McDaniel Parks & Recreation Director

Garry Morr City Controller

Ben Roussel Department of Planning Services Director

Nathan Schall Department of Planning Services

Nancy Townsend Fmr. Community Development Director

Derek Veit Forestry Operations

Michelle Wood Department of Planning Services

Logan York Miami Tribe of Oklahoma

We greatly appreciate the residents, businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders who provided their insights, thoughts, and feedback throughout the planning process.

KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS GLOSSARY

Adaptive Reuse

The process of reusing an existing building for a purpose other than which it was originally built or designed for.

Affordable Housing

Housing costs (including utilities) that are at or below 30% of a household’s income.

Beautification

The action or process of improving the appearance of a person or place.

Building Permits

A type of authorization that must be granted by a government or other regulatory body before the construction of a new or existing building can legally occur.

City Beautiful

A philosophic architectural and urban planning movement during the 1890s and 1900s that introduced beautification and monumental visual appeals (see Beautification).

Cost-Burdened (Housing)

A household that spends 30% or more of its income on housing costs (including utilities)

Complete Street

A street designed and operated to enable safe use and support mobility for all users (cars, bikes, pedestrians).

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

A multidisciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior and reducing the fear of crime using design, maintenance, and social dynamics.

Curb Cuts

A small ramp built into the curb of a sidewalk to make it easier for people using strollers or wheelchairs to pass from the sidewalk to the road.

Deed Restrictions

A written agreement in a property’s deed that limits how a property can be used.

Economic Leakage

Refers to the flow of money out of a local economy due to spending on goods and services that are produced outside of that economy.

Flag Stops

A point at which a public transportation vehicle stops only on a prearranged location or signal.

Food Desert

A Census Tract that meets both low-income and lowaccess critera to healthy and affordable foods.

Green Infrastructure

Refers to natural or nature-based systems, such as parks, wetlands, green roofs, and permeable pavement, designed to manage water, provide habitat, improve air quality, and offer other environmental benefits in urban and rural areas.

Greenspaces

An area of grass, trees, and/or other vegetation set apart for recreational or aesthetic purposes in an otherwise urban environment.

Historic Preservation

Any activity that identifies, protects, rehabilitates, or enhances historic resources.

Impervious Surface

A surface (concrete, buildings, etc.) that prevents water from absorbing through it at the rate that it would naturally.

Land Acknowledgement

A formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.

Land Use

A term used to describe the human use of a piece of land; for example, farming or residential.

Median Household Income

Refers to the annual income earned by households that falls right in the middle when all households in an area are lined up from lowest to highest income.

Mixed-Use

A lot or building that contains more than one use; for example, combined commercial and residental.

New Build Infill

Adding new building(s) to unused and underutilized lands within existing development patterns, typically but not exclusively in urban areas.

Plat

A plot of land divided to be owned or sold.

Redlining

The discriminatory and, now, illegal practice of refusing someone credit, a loan, or insurance, or adding unfair terms in those contracts based on their race or ethnicity.

Sanborn Insurance Map

Maps designed to assist fire insurance agents in determining the degree of hazard associated with a particular property; historically utilitzed to outprice, displace, or prevent people of color from obtaining property and living in certain areas (see Redlining).

SEED - Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District

A division of Community & Economic Development in the City of Fort Wayne that promotes entrepreneurial initiatives focusing on community, economic, and neighborhood development.

Snowball Sampling

A recruiting technique in which participants identify other participants, who identify others, and so on.

Social Capital

The networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society or area, enabling that society to function effectively.

Spot Zoning

The process of singling out a small parcel of land for a use classification different from that of the surrounding area (see Zoning).

Streetcar Suburb

A residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF)

A financial tool that uses the additional property tax revenue generated from a new development or improvement project in a designated area to fund public infrastructure or other community improvements within that same area.

Traffic Calming

Tools and methods used to slow vehicular traffic and make the street safer for all users (pedestrian, bike, and vehicular).

Traffic Study

An engineering investigation to evaluate a transportation system.

Tree Canopy

A measurement that encompasses the layer of leaves, branches, and stems of trees that shelter the ground when viewed from above.

Urban Core

The central area of a city or metropolitan area that is densely populated and serves as the economic, cultural, and political hub.

Urban Heat Island Effect

The overheating of urban spaces due to higher amounts of dark, impervious surfaces that retain heat and lower percentages of tree canopy coverage to provide shade to cool pavement and structures.

Walkability

The ability to safely walk to services and amenities within a reasonable distance, usually defined as a walk of 30 minutes or less.

Zoning

The municipal or local laws or regulations that govern how real property can and cannot be used in certain geographic areas.

WHAT IS Historic Northeast 2035

Historic Northeast 2035 is a planning document that provides a shared vision of three neighborhoods located in the northeast urban core of the City of Fort Wayne. The Historic Northeast area is rich in community and character that the community looks to continue to grow into the future. In the following pages, you will find that this plan is created to:

• Engage the residents and stakeholders of the Historic Northeast area to identify and prioritize needs and aspirations

• Establish a shared vision that can guide the three neighborhoods of the planning area: Forest Park, North Anthony, and Northside Neighborhoods

• Celebrate the planning area’s community, character, and unique identity

• Develop a set of goals and implementation strategies that will guide planning and development activities, neighborhood design, public improvements, and future investments

• Provide guidance to neighborhood associations in the Historic Northeast areas, the City of Fort Wayne, decision-makers, public agencies, developers, investors, for-profit corporations and non-profit corporations

WHO DOES IT INCLUDE

• Neighborhood Associations

• City Leaders and Staff

• Investors, Developers, and Business Owners

• For-Profit Corporations & Non-Profit Organizations

WHAT DOES IT INCLUDE

• Neighborhood History and Existing Conditions

• Neighborhood Revitalization and Character

• Neighborhood Public Realm

• Neighborhood Relationships

THE PLANNING PROCESS

The Historic Northeast 2035 planning process began in the spring of 2022 at the Northside Neighborhood’s request to update the previous 2007 plan. Neighborhood leadership felt that many elements from the 2007 plan no longer reflected the current state of the neighborhood.

In recognizing that the 2007 plan only included the Northside Neighborhood but also impacted the surrounding area, the planning area was extended to include the Forest Park and North Anthony Neighborhoods. This partnership began with a steering committee made up of leaders and residents of all three neighborhoods. The planning area is called the Historic Northeast to honor the maturity and historic nature of the area.

Historic Northeast 2035 is founded on stakeholder and resident contributions. From 2022 to 2024, over one thousand community members were engaged, including seniors, property owners and renters, elected officials, and workers. Over 50 events and workshops were held in person, including working group meetings, neighborhood walks, open houses, and neighborhood meetings at various locations. Additional engagement included print and online surveys in English and Spanish. Overall, 1,100 neighborhood residents were engaged in the planning process to impart a complete picture of the community’s priorities and desires.

Description of Planning Tools

Resident Survey: To gather thoughts and concerns about the Historic Northeast area, paper and digital surveys were distributed to residents and business owners in English and Spanish. Surveys were distributed through various social media platforms, neighborhood websites and at local businesses, churches and the Tecumseh branch of the Allen County Public Library to build as comprehensive a snapshot of the Historic Northeast area as possible. In total, the surveys amassed 500 responses.

Stakeholder Interviews: Over forty one-on-one stakeholder interviews were conducted to gain indepth information about the challenges and priorities of the planning area residents & business owners. The stakeholder interviews were conducted from October 2022 through December 2022, either through video call or at various locations throughout the neighborhood, including coffee shops, front porches, and businesses. Interviewees were selected through “snowball sampling,” with the steering committee providing the first residents to contact and each interviewee sharing additional stakeholders to interview.

Neighborhood Walks and Meetings: The City’s Neighborhood Planning and Activation staff attended over 30 neighborhood activities throughout the 24-month time frame. Activities included neighborhood walks, neighborhood meetings, porch parties, food truck events, dumpster days, neighborhood concerts, and grand opening events. At each event staff and steering committee members engaged residents and business owners in the community to gain a depth of understanding of the area and its community.

Public Open House: In October 2023, the Neighborhood Planning and Activation workgroup hosted six different open house events across the planning area. The events were hosted on various days and times at Conjure Coffee, Oh Five Scoop Shop, Firefly Coffee House, ACME by Full Circle, Tecumseh Library, and Heartland Church. The strategy was to accommodate locations that were in different sections of the neighborhoods and provide various time slots to lend flexibility for residents to attend. Over 130 people who live or work in North Anthony, Forest Park, or Northside Neighborhoods participated in the in-person events, while an additional 40 people completed online surveys during the same period. Through this process, priorities were identified and the scope of potential strategies for the plan was refined and narrowed.

Engagement Outcomes: It was evident through all levels of engagement that sidewalks, streets, and lighting among other infrastructure items were the greatest priorities of the community. East State Boulevard also carries significant importance, especially pedestrian accessibility, traffic, and connectivity to the neighborhoods and businesses. In total, over 1,100 people provided input, suggestions, and ideas for the plan. This engagement shaped the Historic Northeast’s goals, strategies, and action steps, providing a structure for how the area will plan for its future.

Planning Lens

Historic Urban Village: A planning lens overlays a consistent idea, concept, or thought that intertwines the intention of the plan, its implementation, and the community’s aspirations. The Committee felt that Historic Urban Village well represents the overarching lens of Historic Northeast. Historic is representative of the Historic Northeast area, as it embodies the pride and resilience of the area’s structures, design, and people. While celebrating the area’s history and protections, the Historic Northeast can embrace and encourage future growth. Urban speaks to the adaptability, development, and location of the Historic Northeast area. Its position allows the Historic Northeast area to showcase internal and external accessibility, promote structural connections, encourage development, and support strong neighborhoods. Village speaks to the common thread of community, establishing a

plan that champions diversity, equity, and the mutual enhancement of the Historic Northeast area’s neighbors and neighborhoods. A Historic Urban Village, the Historic Northeast area can acknowledge its past, recognize its assets, and expand into the future.

Planning Framework

Neighborhood Revitilization and Character: Identity and character of the Historic Northeast were common themes from engagement, and the community found value in enhancing them. Neighborhood Revitalization and Character focuses on housing, commercial corridors, beautification, and the area’s rich history.

Neighborhood Public Realm: The streets, alleys, sidewalks, trails, bike lanes, and parks work together to ensure residents have safe, connected, and quality access to Fort Wayne destinations while simultaneously providing a sense of place. Neighborhood Public Realm focuses on these critical infrastructure investments while furthering the growth of the Historic Northeast’s physical assets.

Neighborhood Character: Throughout the planning process, residents emphasized that people and development tie the neighborhoods into a shared brand and identity. Neighborhood Relationships focuses on promoting collaboration, supporting social assets, and strengthening various relationships throughout the Historic Northeast area.

for Historic Northeast 2035

Engagement

Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

HISTORY OF Historic Northeast

Our history is a part of our identity that can transcend generations.

” Forest Park Neighborhood Resident

NORTHEAST AREA HISTORY

The area known today as Fort Wayne’s Historic Northeast has a long, rich history. This section of the city reflects the full range of human history in the City of Fort Wayne. From a Miami village, to the earliest rural and suburban development patterns, to today’s modern city, the Historic Northeast has continuously been home to generations of people. Although the area continues to change, it retains a unique character, features, and people that connect the present to the past.

Three Rivers

The geographic location of the area that would become the City of Fort Wayne, at the confluence of the St. Joseph, St. Mary’s, and Maumee Rivers, made it a central point

their way from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The extensive natural transportation network gave the site of Fort Wayne distinct advantages for commerce and settlement.

Miami Village

for river travel by both Native Americans and European traders and settlers. Before Europeans began to enter northeast Indiana, the area near the confluence of the three rivers was a gathering place for Native American tribes for centuries, and was a traditional trade center for the Miami, Potowatomi, Wea, and other tribes that inhabited the Great Lakes region. The three rivers provided access to the Great Lakes and much of Ohio, as well as northern and central Indiana. In addition, a short, swampy portage over a continental divide, between the St. Mary’s River and the Little Wabash River to the west, gave access to the Illinois lands, southern Indiana, and the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. This overland portage was a direct route for travelers by canoe when making

The Miami village of Kekionga flourished in the area that would become the Historic Northeast. The Miami nation established Kekionga east of the St. Joseph River in the mid-1600s; however, the three rivers area had likely been a settlement and camp location for centuries before. Kekionga was the traditional capital of the Miami nation and related Algonquian tribes. Kekionga, meaning “blackberry patch” because of the abundance of blackberries in the area, was likely a fortified village made up of huts surrounded by palisades – wooden defensive walls - spiraling to an entrance. At the center of this village was a great fire pit used for various types of ceremonies. While the village would have been surrounded by cultivated fields of corn, orchards, and gardens, the village itself was the center of the Miami nation and its source of strength.

Wayne Parks and Boulevard System

Eurpoean Settlement

As Europeans entered northern Indiana, Kekionga was the site of first contact between Native Americans and French explorers, traders, and missionaries. Perhaps as early as the 1680s, French traders established a post at Kekionga because it was the gateway to the direct portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. As a slow trickle of Europeans (primarily the

French) moved into northern Indiana in the 1700s, they inhabited Kekionga and the surrounding area. The French then established a series of military outposts to secure their trade routes. The first French fort in what would become the city of Fort Wayne was located along the St. Mary’s River to the west of the Historic Northeast area. It was built in 1697 and was named Fort Miamis, part of a group of forts built between Quebec, Canada and St. Louis. In 1721 Fort Miamis was replaced by Fort St. Philippe des Miamis.

In 1750 the French built a new fort, closer to the village of Kekionga and within the area that would become the Historic Northeast. The new Fort Miami was built along the east bank of the St. Joseph River near where St. Joe Boulevard and Delaware Avenue intersect. This location near Kekionga led to easier interaction between the French soldiers, French traders, and the Miami and other tribes that visited Kekionga. French traders and their families also likely made their homes in the Historic Northeast area, in order to be near both the fort and Kekionga. Travel accounts and other descriptions of the character of the village of Kekionga, from the 1760s to the early 1800s, describe it as a French and Native American settlement. There was a mix of French traders, Native Americans, and people of mixed descent. By the early 1790s, houses built in the area were likely based on typical French Colonial architectural models, similar to the few houses that have survived in other areas of the U.S. settled by the French. None of these houses survived in the Historic Northeast area or in northern Indiana.

French and Indian War

In 1755, French and British hostilities led to war. In the French and Indian War, Fort Miami was an important site. Many Native Americans allied with the French, and many Native raids on British forts to the east originated from Fort Miami. By 1760, the British had arrived in the area that would become the Historic Northeast. Fort Miami fell to the British in November 1760. The influence of the French military had officially ended, however French traders and former soldiers remained in Kekionga. French cultural influence would survive in the area for generations.

British Occupation

With the British occupation of Fort Miami, broken treaties and trade disputes eventually caused Native Americans all over the Great Lakes region to unite as the Northwestern Confederacy of Native Americans under Chief Pontiac of the Odawa. The confederacy, formally called the United Indian Nations, consisted of the Cherokee, Iroquois, Lenape (also called the Delaware), Miami, Odawa, Ojibwa, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wabash Confederacy, and Wyandot tribes. The confederacy

spanned the geographic area of modern-day Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota.

Chief Pontiac ordered the attack of all British garrisons north of the Ohio River. On May 25, 1763, Miami forces overtook Fort Miami in the battle called “Pontiac’s Rebellion” by Europeans. As a result, the Miami tribe regained control of Kekionga and the surrounding area, a rule that lasted for more than 30 years.

Today the location of Fort Miami is indicated in the Northside Neighborhood by a marker placed north of the intersection of St. Joseph Boulevard and Delaware Avenue, at St. Joseph Blvd. and Northside Drive. The text of the marker is a reminder of the importance of erasure in historical accounts and reads: “SITE OF LAST FRENCH FORT. Erected 1750 by Captain Raimond Surrendered to the British Under Lieutenant Butler, in 1760. Ensign Richard Holmes and British garrison massacred by Miami Indians in 1763. The most severe engagement of battle between Gen. Josiah Harmar and Miamis under Little Turtle fought here, Oct. 22, 1790. Tablet erected by the Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution June 14, 1922.”

The Treaty of Paris

On September 3, 1763, the French ceded claim of the Great Lakes region to the British, including Fort Wayne and the Historic Northeast area, with the Treaty of Paris. Although the British had technical claim to ownership from the treaty, they took no action to reclaim Kekionga or to settle the area. The Treaty of Paris also marked the end of the Revolutionary War and the start of the United States’ independence from the British.

Northwestern Confederacy and United States Clash

The Miami village of Kekionga’s strategic location in connecting water portages made it a priority for the fledgling United States nation. In 1790 President George Washington ordered the United States army to secure the area, beginning the United States’ first military campaign after the Revolutionary War. Between 1790 and 1794 three major campaigns were fought over Kekionga between Chief Little Turtle and the Miami Confederacy and the United States. Miami forces defeated the American Army in the first two major battles; known as “Harmar’s Defeat” and “St. Clair’s Defeat.”

“Harmar’s Defeat”/ Battle of Kekionga

The Northside Neighborhood area would become the scene of bitter conflict and loss of life in “Harmar’s Defeat.” On October 22, 1790, Commander Josiah Harmar marched north from Fort Washington in Cincinatti

with 320 regular soldiers and roughly 1,100 poorly trained militiamen from Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Native Americans fled their homes as Harmar’s army approached; several villages were burned completely. On October 20, 1790 Miami, Shawnee, and Potawatomi troops, led by Chief Simon Girty, also known as Katepacomen, ambushed a detachment of Harmar’s army led by Colonel John Hardin. Hardin’s force consisted of several hundred militiamen and a few regular soldiers. Most of the militiamen fled without firing a shot, while the regulars put up a brief resistance, but most were killed. Harmar attempted to take Kekionga two days later with his remaining forces. Once again, the Americans were badly defeated, with additional troops from Shawnee, Miami, Lenape, Odawa, and Sauk supporting the fight. Harmar retreated to the safety of Fort Washington with 183 men killed or missing. It is estimated that between 120-150 Miami, Shawnee and Potatwatomi troops were killed. The bloodiest battles of “Harmar’s Defeat,” occurred in today’s Northside Neighborhood.

A historic marker erected in the 1000 block of Edgewater Avenue tells the story from the United States’ perspective: “To the memory of Major John Wyllys and his brave soldiers who were killed near this spot in the battle of Harmar’s Ford, October 22, 1790 with the Miami Indians under Chief Little Turtle. Erected by the Mary Penrose Wayne Capter D.A.R. in the Centennial Year 1916.”

“St. Clair’s Defeat” / The Battle of

the Wabash

In 1791, Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory, led a second campaign to claim US control of Kekionga. In September 1791, St. Clair marched from Fort Washington, near Cincinnati. By November 3, his men arrived on the banks of the Wabash River, near Miami

Little Turtle, Chief of the Miami Tribe

Allen County Public Library

villages about 50 miles southeast of Kekionga. Little Turtle of the Miami, Blue Jacket of the Shawnee, and Buckongahelas of the Lenape (also known as Delaware) led troops including Powatami from eastern Michigan. On the morning of November 4th, 1791, the native troops attacked the American troops at Fort Recovery, Ohio. St. Clair’s Defeat was “the most decisive defeat in the history of the American military,” and the largest defeat ever by Native Americans.

General Anthony Wayne

In 1794, President Washington sent General Anthony Wayne to again attempt to gain US control of Kekionga. Wayne prepared his forces methodically and marched toward the Maumee River, ever aware of ambush. He built forts as he marched, in order to secure his supply line, and he did not directly attack Kekionga. This scattered the Northwestern Confederacy of Native American forces, as they attempted to respond to Wayne’s troop movements. On August 20th, 1794, Northwestern Confederacy of Native American troops led by Blue Jacket of the Shawnee and Egushawa of the Ottawas, were defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, near present-day Maumee, Ohio. After a brief standoff with British forces that held the nearby Fort Miamis, a British garrison in American territory, General Wayne marched southwest along the Maumee River and claimed Kekionga under United States’ control.

Fort Wayne

Wayne’s army built a garrison that was named “Fort Wayne” just across the Maumee River from the Historic Northeast area. Wayne’s victory was solidified with the Treaty of Greenville (Ohio) in 1795. Kekionga began to diminish in its importance as the Miami tribe and French traders increasingly moved to other river sites. By roughly 1810, Kekionga was largely abandoned and was likely left to return to a wild state.

Statehood

Indiana was established as a state in 1816, which led to greater stability in the region and an increase in American settlers in the 1820s. Allen County was formed by the Indiana legislature in 1823, and in 1824 the town of Fort Wayne was platted by John T. Barr of Baltimore, Maryland and John McCorkle of Piqua, Ohio. In 1829 Fort Wayne was incorporated as a town. By the 1840s the U.S. government had forcibly displaced most Native Americans to areas farther west and the Village of Kekionga was only a memory in what would become the Historic Northeast area.

Early American Development

As the city of Fort Wayne developed in the midnineteenth century, the Northside Neighborhood area was at the edge of the city, but removed from easy access of the early plats of Fort Wayne by the Maumee and St. Joseph Rivers. Major highway routes to and from the city passed through the area, and the area was likely used for pastures, small farms, gardens, fields, and woodlots. By the late nineteenth century, the Historic Northeast contained rural estates, and some scattered farms and individual houses with an early “suburban estate” character. In what is now the Lakeside area, near the Columbia Avenue Bridge, “Mad Anthony Park” was a private park and recreation area.

Architecture

Some nineteenth century Italianate houses survive within the Historic Northeast area, primarily near the St. Joseph River and near Lake Ave. Perhaps the best example of the early suburban character of the Northside Neighborhood is the Henry J. Baker House at 1004-1008 Delaware Avenue. Henry J. Baker was a Fort Wayne businessman, banker, and local politician. Henry and Mary Baker purchased 36 acres of land in 1858 along the St. Joseph Turnpike from Samuel Hanna. Around 1861, the Baker’s built the house that would become 1004-1008 Delaware Ave. well outside the city, facing the St. Joseph Turnpike. (As the Historic Northeast area urbanized, the St. Joseph Turnpike was renamed Baker Avenue, and even later became Delaware Avenue.) As a rural estate, the house was never a farmhouse, but it would have had a small barn and perhaps other outbuildings.

“Indiana School for Feeble-Minded Youth”

In 1887, Indiana state legislators enacted a law providing for a major state institution and campus to be built in what would later become Northside Park. The “Indiana School for Feeble-Minded Youth” was designed by prominent Fort Wayne architects Wing & Mahurin. The school opened its doors on what would become East State Boulevard in 1890, admitting 300 children. Young people enrolled at the new school took classes in art, music and gym. As they grew older, girls were taught laundry and domestic skills, while boys were taught farming, carpentry, brick-making, and cobblery. A large campus of training facilities and support buildings was developed on the site, and the state school farmed fields in the area. By 1918, the facility’s population had swelled to well over 1,000, including adults as well as children.

Driving Park

In 1892 The Driving Park Association purchased 100 acres in the vicinity of what is now Crescent Ave., N. Anthony Blvd., and E. State Blvd. The Association built a first-class one-mile trotting track with a grandstand, stables, and

Aerial Drawing, Historic Driving Park Track Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Office

other support buildings. Driving Park was a popular gathering spot for Fort Wayne society in the 1890s. In 1902, the Fort Wayne Trotting Association passed control of the grounds to the Fort Wayne Fair Association. By 1902 a trolley line on E. State Blvd. delivered passengers directly to the grandstand, assisting attendance at fairs that drew more than 10,000 spectators a day. Auto and motorcycle races were also held on the one-mile oval of Driving Park. Races were frequent, and were also a highlight of annual fairs through 1913. In 1910 Fort Wayne’s first aviation event was held at Driving Park. Miss Blanche Stuart Scott became the first American woman to make a solo public flight by airplane. After the improvements of E. State and N. Anthony, built to implement the Kessler plan, it was inevitable that Driving Park was sold to developers for residential development. N. Anthony was extended north of E. State to Crescent Ave., and Forest Park Boulevard was extended north of State as part of the Driving Park Addition.

During the time Driving Park was a destination, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, urban housing developed rapidly in the area. In this era the Historic Northeast began to attain the visual character of dense urban residential development that it retains today. The primary housing developments were Lakeside Park, Forest Park Addition, Forest Park Blvd., Driving Park, Kensington Blvd., developments on N. Anthony Blvd., and the Northwood addition.

Fort Wayne’s First Suburb

The Lakeside Park Addition was developed in the early 1890s as Fort Wayne’s first suburban addition. Lakeside Park Addition reaches east from the confluence of the St. Marys, St. Joseph, and Maumee Rivers to Lakeside Park. It stretches north of the Maumee River, including the streets of Edgewater Drive, Columbia Avenue, Lake Avenue, and Rivermet Avenue. Lakeside Park was developed as a residential area in conjunction with the extension of streetcar lines east of downtown Fort Wayne, and it is an example of a “streetcar suburb.” Streetcar suburbs extended outward from the central city, concentrated along streetcar lines. They often created infill development between the streetcar lines that were built on the transportation corridors. Because the streetcars made numerous stops spaced at short intervals, developers platted rectilinear subdivisions where homes, generally on narrow lots, were built within a five or ten-minute walk of the streetcar stops. The very large Forest Park Addition (now the “Seven States” area) was built after the Lakeside Park Addition, but it continued the “streetcar suburb” development pattern further to the north and east. Lakeside Park was developed as a city park between Lakeside and Forest Park Additions, using land donated by the housing developers of the area. Its ponds were originally borrow pits that provided earth for building dikes to protect the Lakeside area from river flooding.

City Beautiful

The Northwood and Driving Park residential additions, along with Forest Park Blvd., N. Anthony, and Kensington Blvd., were developed after a period of civic awakening in Fort Wayne. The city’s Commercial Club enlisted Charles Mulford Robinson to draft a city plan that was published in 1909. Robinson was an early city planner from upstate New York who was inspired by the City Beautiful movement. In Robinson’s Fort Wayne plan, he recommended matching up streets in developing areas with the existing street patterns, an element of planning that had been lacking in some smaller additions in the Historic Northeast. Robinson’s plan also included an emphasis on parks, and encouraged the retention of trees in new developments. Deed restrictions in Fort Wayne additions developed after c.1910 reveal efforts on the part of the developers to control the development of residential neighborhoods by restricting the uses of residential lots.

City Beautiful Boulevards

Other residential areas of the Historic Northeast were filled by smaller housing developments that bridged the gaps between the larger developments. Large tracts of

the northern section of the Northside Neighborhood, mostly north of East State Boulevard, were developed more slowly and independently as large rural outlots that were later platted or subdivided. The development pattern in the northern section of the Northside Neighborhood led to greater diversity in the size of lots, and in great diversity in the age, size, character, and quality of housing in these areas. The Great Depression slowed residential construction in the Historic Northeast, but contributed to an increase in conversions of singlefamily housing to apartment units, primarily in the Lakeside area. By the 1940s, however, the area had recovered, and Crescent Avenue, Parnell Avenue, E. State Blvd., and N. Anthony Blvd. were largely developed. Housing continued to be built in northern sections of the Historic Northeast into the 1960s.

East State and North Anthony Boulevards are also products of the 1909 Robinson Fort Wayne plan, as refined by the nationally significant landscape architect George Kessler in 1911. East State was an existing road; however Kessler designated it as the major east-west corridor on the north edge of the city. It linked Anthony Boulevard to the St. Mary’s Parkway, two north-south corridors on the east and west edges of the city. The boulevards were designed to efficiently move automotive traffic in a scenic, pleasurable, and healthy environment. The rights-of-way were as much as one hundred feet wide, and contained a forty-foot wide road flanked by wide tree lawns and sidewalks. Improvements to create the boulevard system started in 1912. The increased vehicle traffic on East State Boulevard led to clustered business development; primarily a major neighborhood commercial area centered on State and Crescent Avenue. The boulevard system was a factor that contributed to the selection of East State at the St. Joseph River for the location of North Side High School when it was built in 1927. Later, the area near the high school, between Parnell and the St. Joseph River, developed as an additional commercial area.

After 1911, much of the new development in the eastern sections of Historic Northeast was a reaction to, and inspired by, the City Beautiful Movement and the George Kessler Plan. The earliest development was Forest Park Blvd. Louis Curdes platted Forest Park Place; the plat included Florida Drive, but the focus was on Forest Park Boulevard to the east. Forest Park Blvd. has large lots and the grand boulevard is 130 feet wide. The success of Forest Park Place led to expansion, and Driving Park Addition was platted in 1913, extending the Boulevard north from East State Blvd. to the East and West Drive area. Curdes used deed restrictions in the plat documents; while the homes of Forest Park Boulevard widely vary, the conditions resulted in a

uniform appearance of the area in terms of setbacks and character. Forest Park developed as an area for the wealthy and established families of Fort Wayne. The boulevard was home to key figures of Fort Wayne’s growth and development, as influential businessmen, realtors, politicians, and entrepreneurs chose to build on Forest Park Blvd. Forest Park Boulevard is a National Register-listed historic district with large high-style homes, many of them unique and architect-designed.

The North Anthony Boulevard area, the focus of the North Anthony Area Association, is a combination of several plats all united by their common relationship to North Anthony Boulevard. Development along Anthony represents a unique partnership between public entities and private developers during a period of rapid growth in Fort Wayne. The intersection of two of the Kessler boulevards, State and Anthony, created a development node that residential developers instantly recognized as desirable.

Kensington Blvd. is also part of the North Anthony Area Association, but it has a distinct character all its own. It stretches continuously from the Maumee River north to E. State Blvd. It was platted in 1917 and in 1921 by developer, W.E. Doud, hoping to emulate the success of nearby Forest Park Boulevard. A good collection of twentieth century house styles shows the evolution of houses in the period. One Italianate farmhouse from the

mid-to-late nineteenth 19th century remains and was incorporated into the development. River Forest Blvd. is a later Historic Northeast boulevard development, yet it echoes the earlier City Beautiful developments. River Forest, near Concordia High School, was developed in the period between 1948 and the mid-1960s. Residential developers like Curdes and Doud applied Robinson’s and Kessler’s ideals in a practical manner to successfully design residential developments in the eastern and northern sections of the Historic Northeast area.

Recent History

The construction of Parkview Memorial Hospital, and its opening in 1953 had a significant impact on development of the Historic Northeast as a desirable area. During the period from the 1950s to the 1960s the area completed the balance of its residential construction; it was adjacent to thriving commercial areas, educational centers, and community centers. Suburban development and the challenges of traffic and proximity to downtown Fort Wayne created the need for residents to monitor changes in the area. For example, the Northside Neighborhood Association has promoted community, stability, and quality development in the neighborhood since 1975. In the 1970s many neighborhood associations formed in Fort Wayne to advocate for urban areas.

North Anthony Blvd. Historic District Homes Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Office

NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORIC DISTRICTS

Given the earned name Historic Northeast, this area contains a longstanding history and growth with Fort Wayne. Alongside its development came preservation and protection of its past. This area holds diverse properties, plats, and districts that have come to be a part of local and national listings.

A Local Historic Districts designation may be applied to a single property or a group of properties. Property owners in historic districts are assured that their investment in their property will not be harmed by inappropriate alterations or construction on adjacent properties. The process and its benefits are similar to deed restrictions that are placed on lots in modern housing developments. In both cases, the goal is to guide development in order to protect individual investment and the common good. National Register designation are buildings, structures, districts, sites, and objects which meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation Benefits of National Register Listing with the primary benefit of this designation being recognition or publicity. Receiving National Register Designation is viewed as receiving an award since there are stringent guidelines for such designations.

Local Historic Districts:

Engine House NO. 10

Engine House No. 10 was built in 1926 at 1245 E. State Blvd., between Crescent and California Avenues. Although the identity of the architect for the building is a mystery at this time, it is architecturally important as an example of the Spanish Eclectic style adapted for a “modern” fire station. It is among the best examples of the Spanish Eclectic style in Fort Wayne, and it is unique among Fort Wayne’s historic fire stations. Other Spanish Eclectic buildings include landmarks such as the Embassy Theatre, St. Vincent Villa, and the Chamber of Commerce Building. Although the building has suffered some loss of historic integrity due to inappropriate alterations, the character defining features remain intact or merely covered.

Henry J. Baker House

The Henry J. and Mary Baker House, 1004-1008 Delaware Ave., was built c.1861. It is located at the southeast corner of Delaware and Bayer Avenues in the Northside Neighborhood. The house is a notable example of the Italianate style with the addition of Neoclassical porches.

The porches, along with some other modifications, are the result of a c.1905 remodeling. The Baker House is a large, two-story brick home with a rectangular form, however the north façade has a large, projecting, three-sided, two-story bay that is offset toward the east side of the house. Because the house was built facing a small hill, the ground slopes away from the rear of the house. This creates a three-story façade and a walk out basement at the rear of the building. The house contains four apartments, with two spacious units on each floor. The house was divided into apartments around 1952.

John B. & Amelia Franke House

The John B. and Amelia Franke House is located at 2131 Forest Park Boulevard, on the west side of the boulevard and south of the intersection of Forest Park Boulevard and East State Boulevard. This Prairie house was designed by architect Barry Byrne; it is Fort Wayne’s premiere example of a Prairie style home, with strong ties to Frank Lloyd Wright’s influence. The twostory structure is located on nearly three full lots. The property is nearly level, and the house is placed within a grove of trees. A driveway gently curves from Forest Park Boulevard to reach the porte cochere on the north side of the house; the drive extends beyond the porte cochere to reach the garage at the rear of the house. It terminates at the alley behind the house. A circular drive loops into the lawn north of the porte cochere to allow cars to easily return to Forest Park Boulevard.

Engine House NO. 10

Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

938-940 Lake Duplex

The current duplex structure at 938 Lake Avenue and 940 Lake Avenue was built c.1910. The address “940 Lake” is absent from the directory record in the years 1910 and 1911. In 1912 the address 940 Lake emerges as the household of George and Emma Gudekoontz. The address “938 Lake” first appears one year earlier in the 1911 Polk Fort Wayne City Directory as the household of Louis S. Hess. There is strong circumstantial evidence that the house at 1021 Dearborn is in fact the earlier house that stood at 940 Lake Avenue. This house is directly behind 938-940 Lake Avenue and it is located on the rear of the same lot (Lakeside Park lot 156). The house matches the 1902 Sanborn map, as it is a 1 ½ story Gabled-ell. The porch and the primary entrance match the location of the earlier house. Both houses have foundations of rock-face concrete block. The address of 1021 Dearborn does not appear in the 1910 (or earlier) city directory. Like the subject house, it first appears in the directories in 1911 as the home of John H.W. Rohlman. The Rohlmans were there for many years. The identity of the person that redeveloped lot 156 is currently unknown.

Columbia Avenue Historic District

The Columbia Avenue Local Historic District is significant as a late 19th-early 20th century “streetcar suburb” that clearly demonstrates the early growth of suburban housing developments along the active streetcar lines. Through the efforts of local residents, the historic district was established in 2007. In 1890, the Fort Wayne Land and Improvement Company purchased a large tract of land from Jessie Taber Loree and her husband for $75,000 to develop the Lakeside Park Addition. With apple orchards, fields, and woodland areas this land was largely undeveloped. Forming a peninsula at the intersection of the St. Joseph, Maumee, and St. Mary’s Rivers, the area was subject to flooding, so dikes were built along the riverbanks. By 1894 the addition’s streets were in place. While the streets were laid out in a grid pattern, the plan did not align itself with the existing Fort Wayne grid. Instead, the new development followed existing natural features by having the main streets run parallel to the Maumee River. At the easternmost end, a parcel of land was given to the City for use as a park. In 1908 additional land was donated by the Forest Park Company and the parcel was developed into what is now Lakeside Park. The Lakeside Street Railway extended a new streetcar line east from Calhoun Street along Columbia Street, across the river, and out Columbia Avenue to Crescent Avenue. With these improvements in place the Lakeside Park Addition began to fully develop as Fort Wayne’s first suburb.

National Register of Historic Places:

John H. & Mary Abercrombie House

The John H. and Mary Abercrombie House stands on approximately one acre of land in the Riverside Second Addition of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, platted in November 1903 by John Ferguson. Originally platted with large, estate-like lots each about an acre in size, the Riverside Second Addition is approximately two miles northeast from the town center. Only the lot where this house is and a few others exist of this size today. Most of the lots have been further divided, and most of the homes were built after about 1945. The Abercrombie House is located on the southeast side of Parnell Avenue just north of Vance Avenue. Parnell Avenue, known as Lawton Avenue prior to 1914, is a well-traveled, twolane thoroughfare lacking a public sidewalk on the side of the street as the Abercrombie House. Only recently was a public sidewalk added on the opposite side of the street as the Abercrombie House. A definitive date of construction for the house could not be determined. The northern boundary of a 1907 birdseye map of Fort Wayne stops about where the Abercrombie House would have been if it existed then, but no structure is noted. Also, no Sanborn Fire Insurance maps exist for this portion of Fort Wayne to be able to consult for help with establishing a date. Therefore, based upon being able to place, or not place, known early owners of the property at its current address, the house was built circa 1914.

The Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House is located on approximately half an acre of land encompassing the majority of four lots of the North Wildwood Addition of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, platted in 1913 by Daniel B.

Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House

Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Office

Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House

Ninde. Developed as an early suburban neighborhood, the North Wildwood Addition is approximately 1.25 miles northeast from the town center. The addition was likely built around the Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House, notably the largest and most prominent house in the neighborhood. The house sits facing north on the southwest corner of St. Joseph Boulevard and East State Boulevard, a busy east-west thoroughfare known as Griswold Avenue prior to 1908. The house is also positioned at the northern terminus of the St. Joseph Boulevard portion of the Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A definitive date of construction for the house could not be determined. The first resident, Daniel Ninde, lived at an address that approximates the current address of the house as early as 1902. Research Indicates that the house was likely designed by Joel Roberts Ninde, Daniel Ninde’s sister-in-law. Ms. Ninde was known to have designed her first house for her and her husband, Lee, but their house does not appear in a Fort Wayne City Directory until 1904; therefore, the Daniel Ninde house in 1902 could not be the Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House. A 1907 Birdseye map does indicate a house in the approximate location of the Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House, but this does not confirm the structures’ design, so it could have been the 1902 house. A passage in the book Distant Vision: Romance & Discovery on an Invisible Frontier by Elma G. Farnsworth, a subsequent Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House owner, makes a strong reference that the NindeMead-Farnsworth House was built for Daniel Ninde, but by 1913 was no longer living at the address. Therefore, based upon the known events in 1907 and 1913, the date of construction is circa 1910.

William C. & Clara Hagerman House

The William C. and Clara Hagerman House stands on about one-quarter of an acre of land in the Forest Park Addition to the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, platted in 1906 by the Tri State Loan and Trust Company. Approximately two miles northeast from the town center, the house sits raised on the lot and facing east on the northwest corner of Forest Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard, the latter being the eastern boundary of the addition and first known as Walton Avenue. A 1907 birdseye map of Fort Wayne shows no homes in the newly-platted addition, and across Walton/North Anthony to the east is a large tract of undivided land. In 1909, North Anthony Boulevard was included as part of the Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System designed by Charles Mulford Robinson, refined in 1912 by George Kessler, and now listed as an historic district in the National Register of Historic Places. The 1918 Sanborn Insurance Map of the area shows Walton Avenue re-named as North Anthony

Boulevard. There are no houses on North Anthony Boulevard in the block of the Hagerman House and only a scattered few others nearby. The next available Sanborn map, which includes revisions to 1957, shows a fully-developed neighborhood. Presently, North Anthony Boulevard in the area of the Hagerman House is a well-traveled, two-lane thoroughfare with parking on both sides of the street.

Driving Park - Seven States Historic District

Driving Park-Seven States Historic District derives its name from a combination of two residential developments from the first decades of the 1900s on Fort Wayne’s northeast side. Louis Curdes redesigned his 1906 Forest Park development to create the impressive Forest Park Boulevard in 1910 immediately adjacent to this district’s east side (Forest Park Boulevard Historic District was listed March 30, 2007). With the re-plat, streets in the east half of the district were changed to their current configuration, though the streets in the west half of the district remained the same and feature the district’s oldest architecture. The area of Forest Park that is represented in this district was platted with the names of seven states. In 1913, Louis Curdes created the Driving Park plat in the north part of the district. This development, combined with the areas of the Forest Park plat not included in the Forest Park Boulevard District, create the Driving Park-Seven States Historic District.

William C. & Clara Hagerman House Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Office

Forest Park Boulevard Historic District

The Forest Park Boulevard Historic District is roughly bounded by Dodge Avenue, the alley between Forest Park Boulevard and Anthony Boulevard, Lake Avenue, and the alley between Forest Park Boulevard and Florida Drive. The Forest Park Boulevard Historic District includes a range of high quality homes, most of them unique and architect-designed. A number of houses in the district have detached garages that were built to match the house in both style and material. Many houses in the district also have attached garages or garages that were integral to the original design of the home. Early attached garages remained as subordinate “behind the house” structures, with the doors facing to the side or toward the alley. A third group of properties in the district may have new additions that incorporate attached garages, or may have had the original garage replaced with a newer structure. Garages and substantial accessory structures were rated as a contributing structure if they are detached from the main house, and if they also retain integrity from the period of significance of 1910 to 1954.

Fort Wayne Park & Boulevard System

The Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System Historic District is based upon a plan conceived in 1909 by Charles Mulford Robinson and the more detailed one which followed it, designed by the landscape architect and planner, George Kessler in 1911-1912. To some extent, it also reflects fulfillments of the Robinson and Kessler concepts as shown in the 1927 Street Road and Public Space Improvements plan completed by the firm of Bennett, Parsons and Frost. The district is primarily bound by the city limits as shown on the Kessler plan and includes parkway/greenways and some parks which are its logical extensions. In general, they are encompassed between Coliseum Boulevard in the north and northeast, Hessen Cassel Road in the southeast to Tillman Road in the south, and Ardmore in the west. The district is subdivided into three components: Parks, Parkways (with their associated parks), and Boulevards. It includes 11 individual parks, encompassing more than 601 acres; 4 parkways, with 10 associated parks or park-like areas including 1133 acres; and 10 boulevards totaling 149 acres. The total area is approximately 1,883 acres.

Kensington Boulevard Historic District

Kensington Boulevard Historic District is best considered as the north section (from East State Boulevard south to Lake Avenue) and the south section (Lake Avenue south to Niagara Drive). Platted separately in 1917 and 1921 respectively, the sections demonstrate some obvious differences. First, the north section has larger lots, the lots are fewer in number, and the homes are a bit more high style and larger. The home styles in the south section understandably favor Craftsman, American Foursquare, and Colonial Revival. The Ranch-style

Kensington Boulevard Historic District Home

John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

Forest Park Blvd. Historic District Home

Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

homes in the south section are likely fill-ins from the 1950s. The north section contains a preponderance of earlier favorites such as Tudor Revival and a smattering of larger Colonial Revival, Prairie, and Neoclassical homes, often with masonry veneer.

Lakeside Historic District

The Lakeside Historic District is located at the confluence of three watercourses: the St. Joseph, the St. Mary’s, and the Maumee Rivers. Topographically, the land is reasonably flat with little deviation in elevation within

Lakeside

Historic District

John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

the boundaries. The one exception is a slight rise in elevation near the intersection of Tecumseh Street and Edgewater Avenue near the Coombs Street Bridge over the Maumee River. Located northeast of the downtown concentration of businesses and governmental buildings, the district resembles a foot or sock with the toe nearest the west entrance to the bridge over the St. Joseph River, which separates the district from the inner (oldest) portion of downtown; the heel is against the western edge Lakeside Park, not in the district, to its northeast. The axis of the district is northeast to southwest. The street design is basically an orthogonal grid pattern. The developers skewed the grid and included curved and slightly angled streets to suit the peninsular site. The natural boundaries, expectantly, are two of the rivers noted; the Maumee on the south side

and the St. Joseph on the west. The drawn boundaries of the district are Tennessee Avenue to the north, St. Joe Boulevard to the west, Edgewater Avenue to the south, and the eastern boundary is a composite of Crescent and California Avenues.

North Anthony Boulevard Historic District

Located in a large peninsula that separates the St. Joseph River to the north and west, and the Maumee River to the south, the North Anthony Boulevard Historic District features terrain that rises slightly in elevation from south to north. The southernmost portion of the district is nearest the Maumee River, and from that southernmost point the terrain elevates noticeably rising some 40 feet to its highest point between Clara and Charlotte Avenues. From this highest point, the terrain gradually lowers some 10 feet at the North Anthony Boulevard Historic District’s northernmost boundary.

Designed as part of an effort to plan and organize what had previously been a haphazard approach to development, Fort Wayne’s City Beautiful-era planning utilized the talents of Charles Mulford Robinson and George Kessler to develop a framework of parks and boulevards that girded the city. Beginning with the 1909 presentation of Robinson’s plan and continuing with the 1911 presentation of Kessler’s plan, the effort led to the creation of North Anthony Boulevard that would border the eastern portion of the city. Running from the southern limit of the city to the northern limit, Anthony Boulevard connected similar Kessler designed boulevards, Rudisill on the south and State on the north. These boulevards were designed to

North Anthony Blvd. Historic District Home Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Office

be a “skeleton” that would not only guide future development, but anticipated a future automobiledominated transportation system. The development of the Boulevard System was an undertaking by the park board, and featured landscape architecture and urban planning elements that conformed with Kessler’s 1911 plan. Adopted shortly after the 1911 Report was received, the Board of Park Commissioners voted on December 7, 1912 to begin the widening of the streets to meet the

requirements of Kessler’s plan. Designed as a 100foot wide boulevard, North Anthony Boulevard is the largest surviving residential example of Kessler’s plan in Fort Wayne. The 40-foot wide roadway was, and remains, flanked on each side by a 30-foot wide green space, in which an allée of trees bracketed the sidewalk.

Lakeside Historic District Home

Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Office

EXISTING CONDITIONS

I instantly fell in love with the sense of community in this neighborhood.

North Anthony Neighborhood Resident

IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS & OPPORTUNITIES

Using results from community engagement and existing conditions, several strengths and opportunities for the Historic Northeast Area have been identified. In this section, you will find key strengths that benefit the individuals who live, work, or worship within the planning boundary. The section following will represent a few of the areas of opportunities for improvement that are currently stressors to the quality of life of the residents and community as a whole.

STRENGTHS

Community: In the Historic Northeast, knowing your neighborhood and having community is one of the residents’ most cherished strengths. Whether lending a helping hand, sharing knowledge about a home improvement project, hosting block parties, or connecting with local businesses and organizations, the area has robust community connections. The Historic Northeast is built on a strong foundation of social capital that supports the members of the community.

Proximity to Downtown Fort Wayne: The Historic Northeast’s distance to downtown Fort Wayne and other amenities is seen as a strength to the three neighborhoods of the area. Downtown provides entertainment, shopping, and work for many of the residents with direct vehicular and pedestrian access by St. Joseph Blvd and the River Greenway. Thousands of visitors pass through and support local businesses within the area.

Neighborhood Character: The Historic Northeast area is rich in history and a vast array of housing types. With homes ranging from over 100 years old, to new build infill, the neighborhood contains different housing characteristics that help define the area as historic, as well as a place that is open to change. The Historic Northeast area contains Local Historic Structures, a Local Historic District, as well as multiple properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places.

Park, Trails, and Open Space: When asked what the greatest physical assets of the community are, respondents immediately listed Lakeside Park and Northside Park. Offering both recreational and leisure activities, these parks have an overabundance of activity from the surrounding neighborhoods and even citywide. Parks and greenspace are well-dispersed throughout the Historic Northeast area, and the majority of the area residents find themselves within a 15-minute walk of a city park. The area’s access to the River Greenway creates many opportunities to travel, play, and engage by accessing various greenspaces outside of and within of the area.

Urban and Business Corridors: The Historic Northeast area contains a robust selection of local businesses in the East State Village and the North Anthony corridor. These nodes provide access to various goods and services within reasonable walking and biking distances, or even a short drive. The hubs also bring people from around the City, providing local economic support. East State Village is a centralized urban corridor directly within the neighborhood. The North Anthony corridor has a more commercial landscape, but links a historic boulevard, the northern portion of the neighborhood, and major intersections. North Anthony also connects the planning area to other commercial, educational, and recreational opportunities.

OPPORTUNITIES

Neighborhood Capacity: In the Historic Northeast Area, the vast majority of the buildable landscape has already been developed, but the desire to live and do business in the area continues to increase. Due to this tension, the neighborhood has had some single-family homes divided into multi-unit and prominent commercial structures. Similarly, some lots have been purchased by large organizations. Opportunities to develop or expand are minimal, which heightens the strain for livability and affordability in the Historic Northeast area.

Absentee Landlords / Property Owners: Another perspective brought to light in the surveys and interviews was that some landlords and property owners do not consistently maintain properties to code. Residents also felt that new renovations were not always following the historic aesthetic that the rest of the neighborhood carries. The maintenance and improvements made to properties could create a lack of consistency and identity within the area.

Rising Prices and Housing Burdens: Inflation and rising home prices are a concern across the country. Prices of day-to-day items, homes, vehicles, and other costs of living have been on the rise in the past couple of years. Increased costs can cause a strain even on those who may not have had financial struggles before. Housing specifically has seen a drastic rise in cost, which is shifting the ratio of renter occupancy and home ownership. A person is considered cost-burdened if they pay 30% or more of their income on housing related costs. In the Historic Northeast, roughly 36% of renters and 15% of homeowners are considered cost-burdened as of 2022. Although it is a large increase for the area, Historic Northeast still favors slightly better than the entirety of Fort Wayne, which has 43% of renters and 14% of homeowners who are cost-burdened.

Neighborhoods Cooperation: Many community members felt that there were tremendous advantages and opportunities to grow and strengthen local

relationships. There are many organizations, private entities, and local non-profits that could provide support, connection, or education. Capitalizing on the three neighborhood’s’ unique identities would improve the Historic Northeast area’s ability to strengthen neighborhood networks.

Partner Relations: Many community members felt that there are opportunities available to further expand and help create stronger local connections and resources. The area contains many potential business and philanthropic partners like Parkview Hospital Randallia, Veterans Affairs Northern Indiana Health Care, and other entities close by like Purdue Fort Wayne, the YMCA, and Ivy Tech Community College. Collaboration could enhance or create health programs, mutual events, or provide resources to the planning area.

Improving

Urban Corridors: One of the most discussed topics across all engagement was the Historic Northeast corridors, specifically East State Village and North Anthony Boulevard. The community values these corridors and feels that the accessibility and character serve as a tremendous potential to further catalyze the neighborhoods. Improved walkability and access could further these corridors’ economic integration with local businesses.

Allen County Public Library, Tecumseh Branch

John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

NEIGHBORHOOD DEMOGRAPHICS

The following demographic information, extracted from the US Census Bureau, using Census Tract level data, has been compiled and analyzed to develop a snapshot of what shapes the neighborhoods of Historic Northeast. This information provides valuable insight to aid in formulating some of the recommendations in both this plan as well as future planning efforts.

CENSUS TRACT 1

• Northside Neighborhood

CENSUS TRACT 3

• Forest Park Neighborhood

• North Anthony Neighborhood

• Northside Neighborhood

CENSUS TRACT 4

• North Anthony Neighborhood

• Northside Neighborhood

CENSUS TRACT 34

• Forest Park Neighborhood

• North Anthony Neighborhood

• Northside Neighborhood

• Frances Slocum*

• Kirkwood Park*

• New Kirkwood Park*

* Neighborhoods Not Part of This Plan

Population Change

The Historic Northeast Area has held a stable population over the past twenty years with a slight increase in the past decade, and significant projected growth. Between 2010 and 2020, the population grew less than one percent, or a real increase of 120 residents. This is slightly less than the city-wide average of 4% growth in the same decade. Only recently has Historic Northeast seen a surge of growth. Between 2020 and 2022, the estimated growth has outpaced nearby neighborhoods, increasing population about 5.1% or an equivalent of approximately 650 new residents. While Census Tract 34 saw population decline in each decennial census, approximately 5.7% between 2000 and 2020, the same census tract is projected to grow 5.6% between 2020 and 2022, which would keep the overall population growth flat. The areas of Historic

Northeast which saw the most positive growth between 2010 and 2020 were Census Tract 3, which saw a 3% growth, followed by Census Tract 1, with an increase of 2.1%

The neighborhoods of Historic Northeast have grown more diverse over the past two decades. In 2000, the white only population totaled 94%, and in 2022, only constitutes 80%; a 14% change. The most noteable change occured in Census Tract 4 from 2,445 or 93% in 2000, to an estimated 1,962 or 70% in 2022. This change was accompanied by an increase in both the Black and Hispanic populations, which rose from 2% each in 2000 to an estimated 10% and 6% respectively in 2022.

Educational Attainment

The upward trend in higher education attainment among residents of Historic Northeast neighborhoods mirrors a national pattern. Particularly noteworthy is the increase in individuals attaining a Graduate or Professional degree, which increased from 700 individuals in 2000, constituting 8.2% of the adult population aged 25+, to an estimated 1,218 individuals in 2022, accounting for 13.4%. This represents a remarkable 54% increase over the twenty-two-year span. Additionally, the number of individuals securing bachelor’s degrees experienced a substantial uptick, rising from 1,484 in 2000 or 17.3% of the adult population aged 25+, to an estimated 1,739 in 2022, comprising 19.2% of the adult population. This marks a noteworthy 15.8% increase over the same period. Importantly, these statistics reveal that a higher proportion of Historic Northeast residents hold at least a post-secondary degree compared to the citywide average, indicating a positive educational attainment trend within the community.

North Side High School

Megan Grable, City of Fort Wayne

Median Household Income

Over the past two decades, the median household income in Historic Northeast has faced stagnation, declining by 9.9% from $64,865 (adjusted for inflation) in 2000 to $58,748 in 2022. This decline, sightly exceeding the ciywide average of 6%, impacted three out of four census tracts. Census Tract 4 however saw the largest decrease, with a 21.9% decline, amounting to nearly $10,807. However, Census Tract 3 stood out with a modest 4% increase in median household incomes, rising from $67,549 (adjusted for inflation) in 2000 to $70,324 in 2022.

Poverty Rate

Over the past two decades, poverty has seen a steady increase in Historic Northeast, increasing from

691 residents, or 5.2% of the population in 2000 to an estimated 1,598 residents, or 12% in 2022. Despite a gradual decrease in poverty rates since 2010, the overall increase from has been nearly 130.8% over twenty-two years. Each census tract experienced a surge in poverty, with Census Tract 4 witnessing the most significant spike. Starting with 343 residents, or 12.2% of the population in 2000, it swelled to an estimated 608 residents, or 21.8% in 2022 making a notable 77% increase. While no census tract saw an overall decline in poverty since 2000, Census Tract 34 observed the least significant change from 155 residents, or 3.4% in 2000 to an estimated 376 residents, or 8.2% in 2022. Census Tract 1 has seen the most promising improvements in 2022, from 387 residents, or 16.4% in 2010 to an estimated 277 residents, or 10.4% in 2022, which was a 28.4% decrease.

NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC

The Historic Northeast neighborhoods boast several heavily traveled corridors that serve as vital thoroughfares within the neighborhood and connectors to suburban destinations in Fort Wayne. Among these are East State Boulevard, Lake Avenue, North Anthony Boulevard, St. Joseph Boulevard, and Crescent Avenue, which are the most frequently traveled segments in the area. North Anthony Boulevard and East State Boulevard experience the highest traffic volumes and host the neighborhoods’ largest commercial corridors. These routes often provide the most convenient access to downtown, Parkview Hospital Randallia, Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Kroger, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, and other commercial and institutional hubs.

Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) quantifies the average number of vehicles traversing a street on any given day throughout the year. We can analyze traffic patterns more precisely by breaking down AADT by street segments. For example, the segment of East State Boulevard between Spy Run Avenue and Parnell Avenue registers the highest AADT in Historic Northeast, with 14,763 daily vehicles. Notably, despite the substantial traffic flow between Spy Run Avenue and Parnell Avenue on East State Boulevard, a significant portion of this traffic travels to and from Parnell Avenue, which is evidenced by the drop of nearly 800 vehicles per day, or 13,994 AADT near Northside Park as East State Boulevard continues to travel east. This segment is essential for Fort Wayne as it directly links to North Side High School and serves as the primary east-west connector from Northside Neighborhood to other parts of the community. Not surprisingly, all of the top five segments with the highest AADT counts are located on East State Boulevard, showing the importance of this primary corridor and its connectivity to neighborhoods and institutions. Other streets with significant AADT counts include Lake Avenue between Randallia Drive and North Anthony Boulevard at 11,367 daily vehicles, North Anthony Boulevard between East State Boulevard and Crescent Avenue at 11,207 daily vehicles, Crescent Avenue between North Anthony Boulevard and St. Joe River Drive at 11,254 daily vehicles, Parnell Avenue between Curdes Drive and St. Joe River Drive at 5,916 daily vehicles and St. Joseph Boulevard between Columbia Avene and Lake Avenue at 8,299 daily vehicles.

A closer examination of AADT and crash data reveals that most accidents occur at intersections along the busiest segments in the Historic Northeast. Intersections with the highest crash rates include East State Boulevard at Parnell Avenue, Crescent Avenue, and North Anthony Boulevard; North Anthony Boulevard at Crescent Avenue; and St Joseph Boulevard at Tennessee Avenue. Notably, these intersections also record the highest numbers of incapacitating and fatal crashes. Between 2019 and 2023, the intersection of Lake Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard witnessed the highest number of fatal or incapacitating crashes. While most reported crashes involved vehicles exclusively, numerous incidents involved pedestrians and cyclists. Safety remains a top priority in the Historic Northeast area, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to ensure the neighborhood is safe for walking, biking, and driving.

Community engagement has highlighted residents’ concerns regarding bike and pedestrian safety on streets, at crossings, and the insufficient safe access to sidewalks or trails. This was especially noted at primary crossings, such as the intersection of North Anthony Boulevard and Crescent Avenue, followed by the intersection of St. Joseph Boulevard, Columbia Avenue, and Edgewater Drive. While improvements to the intersections have been made in recent years, it is encouraged to continue studying these intersections and see what additional adjustments can be made for pedestrian safety. Past initiatives, such as installing temporary bump outs on Crescent Avenue, North Anthony Boulevard, and Columbia Avenue, aimed to slow down vehicles and deter them from maneuvering around parked cars, have made positive improvements to the neighborhood. In 2017, the AARP Community Challenge established a partnership between Team Better Block and the City of Fort Wayne to improve the quality of life for people of all ages along a block of Columbia near Conjure Coffee. Another project saw the installation of bump outs and lane striping on North Anthony Boulevard in 2019, which saw average speeds decrease 3 miles per hour, helping improve safety and visibility for pedestrians while reducing the number of accidents involving parked cars. While some of these projects have influenced permanent design changes to the street (e.g., Columbia Avenue), others remain temporary and should be further evaluated for additional improvements. Even with the recent improvements made on North Anthony Boulevard, the high traffic volume and higher-than-posted speeds remain a significant concern, especially as residents try to navigate the neighborhoods on foot.

The Historic Northeast plan specifically seeks to make additional safety improvements at key locations, especially in the most walkable portions of the neighborhood. For example, adding concrete-curbed bump-outs with sidewalk extensions on both Lake and Columbia will drastically advance safety measures at Dearborn Avenue and improve pedestrians’ overall safety and visibility. Additionally, new crosswalks and pedestrian refuge improvements at Lake and Delta will enhance the overall sense of safety for residents walking to and from Lakeside Park. Such measures can be costly, and each project should be studied and evaluated to understand travel patterns for further improvements in the area.

Average Annual Daily Traffic Map Shows the Highest Traveled Streets

NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME & SAFETY

As mentioned, Historic Northeast residents value safely very highly. When it comes to crime, residents are not in agreement about how much of a concern safety is in their neighborhood. Some neighborhood residents are concerned about crime, while others describe the area as “very safe.”

Of 500 survey respondents, 55% rate their sense of safety as “good.” Another 27% of survey respondents rate their sense of safety “fair.” When asked about their sense of personal safety, 65% of survey respondents determine it is “very good” or “good”. However, despite so many residents reporting feeling safe, safety issues are still primary concerns.

The most common crime types discussed by residents were theft, burglary, vandalism, as well as safety in and around parks. Despite safety around parks being a concern, 65% of survey respondents rate the safety and security in parks as “very good” or “good.”

Residents are concerned with how the lack of safety can negatively impact the economic vitality of the area. There is particular concern about the safety of State Street, for both vehicular traffic and fear of crime, and how this issue hinders possible economic development.

Many residents share a concern about unsafe traffic speeds. Only 38% of survey respondents rated safety when interacting with traffic as “very good” or “good,” and 35% rated it as only “fair.” Unsafe vehicular speeds threaten pedestrian safety, particularly around parks and schools. This lack of vehicular safety on residential streets decreases eyes on the street and can lead to an increased risk of crime.

The changing landscape of nearby downtown, as well as the location of emergency shelters, has also caused safety concerns among residents. Loitering begets fear, and actual instances of harassment and assaults are cited as well.

Data Used

To analyze the crime rate in the Historic Northeast area, police crime data was examined from 20102023. Offense police data was utilized to reflect crimes committed rather than the limited information available when calls are made to 911 dispatch. In collaboration with the Fort Wayne Police Department, crimes were categorized into violent or nonviolent and by crime type. Violent crime is any crime that involves either violence or the threat of violence. Nonviolent crimes are those crimes that do not involve violence, primarily property crimes.

One limitation of this dataset is that it includes only crimes that are reported to the police. The Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey in 2020 found that only 40% of violent crimes and 33% of nonviolent crimes are reported nationwide. The primary reasons that victims cite for not reporting crimes are “dealing with the issue another way,” “police could not or would not do anything to help,” or that the issue was “not important enough.” Therefore, when examining this data, we should understand the results as overall trends that give valuable information, rather than a complete picture of the safety of the area.

Perception of Crime

In the Historic Northeast area, as everywhere in the nation, the perception of crime does not always correlate to actual crime rates. In other words, it is possible for low crime rates to occur at the same time as the fear of crime is increasing or the same time that people believe crime is increasing.

However, the perception of crime impacts economic realities, area reputation, and the health and psychology of residents and visitors to area. Therefore, though the perception of crime may differ from actual crime rates, the perception of crime is its own indicator that has real world impacts.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is one measure that can decrease both crime and the fear of crime through changes to the built environment and social cohesion. Measures used in the CPTED Pilot Area in Fort Wayne have had great success and could be considered to increase the sense of safety in the Historic Northeast area.

Overall Crime Rate

The crime rate in Historic Northeast has decreased steadily over the last 10 years. 2023 saw the lowest crime rate, for both violent and nonviolent crime, since 2010. This steady decrease is also true for each of the three neighborhoods individually. The entire area and each individual neighborhood have a steady downward trend in nonviolent, violent, and overall crime.

Car Theft

Car thefts have gained national attention for their rapid increase. Nationally, the rate of vehicle theft has doubled from 2019 to 2023.

The car theft rate is affected by the Kia and Hyundai viral phenomenon, in which used Kias and Hyundais are vulnerable to theft with a USB cable and do not have an engine immobilizer to prevent the engine from starting when the key is not nearby. The details of how easily these models could be highjacked was documented in a viral trend called “Kia Boys,” in which many minors stole the vehicles and posted the experience on social media sites.

Despite a national trend of increased car thefts in 2023, the Historic NE Neighborhoods did not experience this increase. Even the spike in 2022 was still lower than the rate of car thefts between 2011 and 2013, in which the rate ranged from 33-39 instances per year.

Though the 2023 crime rate was not the lowest is has been in the past ten years, it is close to the lowest rate. That the area did not reflect the national increase in car thefts is encouraging for the Historic Northeast area.

Burglary

Burglary is defined as the “intentional breaking into of a dwelling with the intent to steal.” Burglary was one of the largest concerns for Historic Northeast residents. However, as previously discussed, the fear of crime is

Fort Wayne Police Officer

John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

sometimes not in line with the actual crime rate, which is true in this case. The number of burglaries in the Historic Northeast area is at a historic low. The 2023 burglary rate is a mere 10% of the area’s peak in 2013. Since 2020, the number of burglaries has not exceeded 20 per year, only a fraction of the average from 2010-2017.

Assault/Battery

Assault is defined as “an unlawful attack by one person upon another.” Several Historic Northeast residents shared concern about the rate of assaults in the area. However, despite relative peaks in 2022 and 2020, the rate of assault has declined over the last ten years. 2023 had the lowest rate of assault in the past ten years, with half the number of assaults compared to the peak in 2012.

Vandalism

Vandalism is defined as the “mindless and malicious harm and injury to another’s property.” Historic Northeast residents were concerned about the rate of vandalism, particularly around parks and near downtown. The overall rate of vandalism has decreased in the last 10 years but remains higher than five years ago when there were only 1-2 instances of vandalism per year. The current rate is still a fraction of the peak in 2012.

Increasing Crime Types

The vast majority of crime types in the area have decreased over the past ten years, including assault, homicide, burglary, robbery, theft, vehicle theft, child abuse or neglect, fights, simple assault, and threats. The overall crime rate, and the overall violent and nonviolent crime rate is decreasing steadily. However, a few crime types are increasing. The crimes which have increased overall over the past ten years are rape, aggravated assault, and shots fired. Given the serious nature of these crimes, they may be contributing to the fear of crime. However, none of these crimes were cited as a specific source of concern by residents. Steps to decrease these crimes should be a matter of priority for the area, in collaboration with the FWPD, the Center for Nonviolence, YWCA, and other agencies that address rape, aggravated assault, and shots fired.

Conclusion

Overall, the crime rate in the Historic Northeast area is decreasing. This is true for nonviolent, violent, and total crimes. While most residents feel safe in the area, there is some concern about specific crime types. Burglary, vandalism, and assault, which are the greatest concern, have decreased in the past ten years. This reflects the fact that the fear of crime does not always match the rate of crime itself. However, the perception of safety has real world impacts on an area’s economics, resident behavior, and health. Additionally, a small number of crimes are increasing in the area. Further collaboration with FWPD and CPTED measures can decrease those few crimes which remain concerning and alleviate the fear of crime.

Crime Heat Map

Map Shows Density of Reported Crime

LAND USE & ZONING

The Historic Northeast contains primarily residential land use with some commercial, institutional, and parks throughout. Zoning and land use commonly overlap, where residential zoning is also a residential land use for example. In accordance with the zoning, these land uses are permittable and, for the most part, correlate with one another in the neighborhoods. East State Village and the North Anthony commercial corridor are both recognized as one of the few areas zoned Limited Commerical (C2) or General Commercial (C3). There are other pockets zoned C2 as well, and two areas on the corner of Vance Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard are the only Neighborhood Corridor (NC) and Professional Office and Personal Service (C1) in the area. Given that this is a high residential area, the rest of Historic Northeast is almost explicitly zoned Single Family Residential (R1). The Lakeside area is the second largest residential zone outside of R1, and that is classified as Multiple Family Residential (R3). There are also about five small pockets that are zoned either R3 or Two Family Residential (R2).

Land Use Map Map Shows Local Parcel Uses

Zoning Map

Map Shows the Zoning Types of the Area

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING

Safe, diverse, and quality housing is important for the vitality of a neighborhood. The Historic Northeast area provides a variety of housing options across nearly 6,000 units. The Median Value of owner-occupied units in the Historic Northeast Area is $125,175.00 (2022), which is 71.9% of the average for the entire Fort Wayne community. This remains consistent with values of property in the year 2010, as the Median Value of owner-occupied units was roughly $82,525 after being adjusted for inflation to reflect the value of the dollar in 2022.

Housing choice is greatly influenced by income. Housing affordability is determined by how much a household pays in monthly or annual housing costs. As the city’s population continues to grow, the demand for housing will continue to increase, especially in historically dense and walkable neighborhoods such as Historic Northeast. This means that housing costs will likely continue increasing, unless the number and types of housing units increase to meet demand. With its proximity to Downtown Fort Wayne, Parkview Randallia, and local universities, the Historic Northeast Area will likely continue to be less affordable, unless new and innovative housing typologies can be introduced at various scales. While few open and vacant lots remain, neighborhoods in the Historic Northeast Area should look at alternatives to traditional housing options to continue supporting the necessary growth in housing availability.

With its ease of access to downtown and other areas of the City, it is not surprising that the Historic Northeast Neighborhood area remains highly desirable among individuals of all ages and families of all sizes. Overall the Historic Northeast saw an increase of 257 occupied units, resulting in a total of 6,403 occupied units. However, similar to other areas of the City, the Historic Northeast has seen a slight decrease in the number of owner-occupied units, from 70.2% of all units in 2010 to 69.6% in 2020. The greatest decrease in owner occupancy occurred in Census Tract 34, with a 6.4% decrease from 2010 to 2020.

Housing Potential

The 2021 Residential Market Potential Study completed by Zimmerman & Volk found that from 2022-2027, an annual average of 4,195 households of all incomes has the potential to move within or to the study area. The housing preferences are (1) Rentals at 1,973 per year, or 47%, (2) Detached Houses at 1,643 per year, or 39%, and (3) Townhouses at 358 per year, or 9%

The housing preferences by income show that affordability continues to be a concern. Of these 4,195 households, 454 or 10.8% would look for workforce housing, with incomes between 60 percent and 80 percent AMI (Area Median Income). The housing preference of these individuals is primarily rental, at 216 total units, or 47.6% of all potential residents within this income segment. Market rate units have also experienced continued demand within the study area. Market rate includes incomes of 80 percent or higher of AMI and shows a potential of 2,300 households or

54.8%. Historic Northeast has long provided ample housing for both renters and homeowners, and of the potential residents, 1,362 or 63.3% would likely be able to afford a monthly rent range of $750 to $1,750

NEIGHBORHOOD Property Values and Permits

Permits that have been pulled on behalf of the Historic Northeast area provide an insight into improvements to structures in the neighborhoods. In total, between 2013 and 2023 9,484 permits were pulled.

Permits - Added Value Improvements

Throughout the Historic Northeast area, there were a total of 3,216 building permits that add additional value to a property. These permits are inclusive of commercial and residential improvements to things like garages, framing, basements, and other alterations that would not be considered a necessary repair. This makes up roughly 34% of the total permits analyzed for the neighborhoods.

Permits – Repairs

There were 1,865 permits requested for repairs, which equates to 20% of total permits. The four main categories that are representative of a repair to a property are reroofing a home, adding or redoing siding, tear offs (removing, but not demolition), and other small construction projects like foundation and crawlspace improvements.

Permits, Repair Map Map of All Repair Permits 2013-2023

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Spending Patterns

Understanding how the average Historic Northeast Area resident spends their weekly income and how much they are willing to pay for a specific product or service helps organizations better understand the neighborhood economic profile. This data is sourced from STI (Synergos Technologies Inc.) and measures spending pattern data provided through the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics). In the Historic Northeast Neighborhoods, the average weekly spending per person is $349.00, of which 26.4% immediately is used to support housing costs, while 22.8% is used to support transportation costs. Understanding this weekly expense is crucial because nearly 49% of a resident’s weekly expenses go to hard costs that are inflexible. This leaves fewer dollars for other necessities like food, healthcare, and personal care.

Market Outlook

Estimated figures for the Historic Northeast Area help us understand the supply and demand insight needed to meet the real consumer demands of residents. The study considers the available supply and demand for residents who live within a 30-minute walk of East State Village, which includes most of the Historic Northeast Area. The data shows that the average annual demand for goods and services of the residents of the Historic Northeast Area is $188.67 Million, while there is nearly $253.99 Million in supply available. It is important to note that because of the geographic size of Historic Northeast, this area includes some businesses near Coliseum Boulevard, Clinton Street, and East State Boulevard, such as Kroger and Target.

This data uses STI (Synergos Technologies Inc.) Market Outlook data to directly compare the annual retail sales and consumer spending in each retail segment identified by the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) and provide supply/demand insight for the neighborhoods.

Quick Exchange at Conjure Coffee John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

Travel Patterns

Understanding the regular travel patterns of most residents in Historic Northeast is crucial for analyzing the outflow of money from the neighborhood into other areas or shopping districts across Fort Wayne. This insight enables us to create a comprehensive profile of economic leakage and identify opportunities for enhancing local businesses and connectivity to resident destinations. Leveraging advanced technology, we can now capture and analyze the movement of residents and visitors within Historic Northeast. The data presented is an estimation derived from available data from April 1, 2017, to December 31, 2023.

Several local establishments in Historic Northeast have operated for generations, serving the residents who live and work in Forest Park, North Anthony, and Northside. This same technology shows us that of all the businesses in the neighborhood, its gathering spaces remain some of the most essential assets for friends and neighbors. For example, Firefly Coffee House, located on North Anthony Boulevard, welcomed over 100,000 unique customers in 2023, yet the primary customer base travels from Northside and Forest Park neighborhoods.

While the coffee shop sits near the northern border of Historic Northeast, its proximity to nearby universities continues to drive local business, including users from Purdue Fort Wayne and residents of nearby Kirkwood Park. Other coffee shops, such as Conjure Coffee, located on Columbia Avenue, and Old Crown Coffee Roasters, also play essential roles in the community, as they bring visitors into the neighborhood, especially those crossing from downtown. Klemm’s Candlelight Café, El Azteca, and ACME have long-standing relationships in the neighborhood, with a combined 160,000 plus visitors in 2023, primarily serving residents in Historic Northeast, while attracting visitors from nearby neighborhoods.

Grocery Store Viability

While residents shared their desire to see a full-service grocery store in their neighborhood, a majority of customers at nearby retail stores such as the WalMart Supercenter on Coldwater Road, and Kroger on North Clinton are Northwest residents.

This does not mean that the desire for a full-service grocery is not valid; in fact, the wish to have a local grocery store within walking distance of most of the neighborhood shows the support for an active, walkable community where daily needs can be met within 15 to 20 minutes of someone’s home. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service, only Census Tract 4, which is the southernmost portion of the Historic Northeast Planning Area, is considered a food desert and 13.4% of households are without a personal vehicle.

The Historic Northeast Area is not without ample food resources, such as the Lake Avenue Halal Market, Jamison Meats, and Pio Market II. In an effort to promote the variety of goods and services available within the neighborhood, the Historic Northeast Neighborhoods should promote these bodega-type businesses within walking distance. There is a proven pattern of Historic Northeast residents traveling to and from larger box stores for daily grocery needs, such as Kroger and WalMart just across the Saint Joseph River. While accessing these stores by foot is either hard, or for many, impossible, improving access for all users should be a priority. This includes improving sidewalk conditions on Parnell Avenue and Saint Joseph River Boulevard.

Neighborhood Nodes

Great neighborhoods have varying development intensity and character, which can result in a vibrant community. Historic Northeast provides residents

with several of these neighborhood nodes, including the intersection of North Anthony Boulevard and Lake Avenue or the North Anthony Boulevard Shopping Center. While each of these centers offers unique services and local businesses such as the Lake Avenue Halal Market or Jamison Meats, they also offer daily needs such as gasoline filling stations, fast-service food operators, and professional medical offices and laundromats.

Most notable is East State Village, located in the heart of Historic Northeast at the intersection of East State Boulevard and Crescent Avenue. This vibrant neighborhood node is primarily a walkable corridor with multiple trip generator activities including restaurants and pubs, a branch library with ample community meeting spaces, professional offices, a bank with drive-thru, and automobile service stations. East State Boulevard is a crucial location for additional placemaking investments such as streetscape enhancements, landscape improvements, and storefront viability.

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This neighborhood has great places to visit, like our parks, trails, library, and local businesses.

Northside Neighborhood Resident

RECOMMENDATIONS INTRODUCTION

The Historic Northeast 2035 Recommendations were created from a collective effort of the planning area’s community members, the Historic Northeast Committee, and City of Fort Wayne staff. Fundamentally, these recommendations represent the thoughts, visions, concerns, and ideas of the people who work, live, and interact with Forest Park, North Anthony, and Northside neighborhoods. These recommendations help to establish broad aspirational goals, strategies to guide efforts towards the goals, and action steps to provide specific implementation opportunities. These are not definitive, but help to provide the three neighborhoods, local government, private entities, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders a guide to future development.

This is a ‘living’ document, which provides flexibility for any future adjustments required on behalf of the neighborhoods without jeopardizing the value of the community’s input. These goals, strategies, and action steps may not incorporate all of the area’s positions, but rather its shared themes and continuous tuning of them with the Committee and community’s feedback. With that, these recommendations are established through well over 1,100 Historic Northeast stakeholders. With the input, guidance, and approval from these stakeholders and Committee, the following are the recommendations for the Historic Northeast area.

Lakeside Rose Gardens John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND CHARACTER

The Historic Northeast Planning Area prioritizes maintaining the area’s historic value, while supporting and encouraging advancements in identity and character. The community wishes to achieve its goals by celebrating and enhancing the area’s visual and economic strengths. The aspirations for the Neighborhood Revitalization and Character section has three themes from the community engagement:

(1) Ensure Historic Northeast neighborhood corridors, nodes, and gateways are appealing, connected, and economically strong

(2) The Historic Northeast area maintains its property values and neighborhood character,

(3) The Historic Northeast Neighborhoods’ rich history and culture are celebrated and protected.

Historic Urban Village: The Historic and Urban lens of “Historic Urban Village” are the primary aspects of Revitalization and Character in the area. Existing history must be preserved while new ideas are pursued. Revitalization comes with new development and visual improvements; ideas that Urban improvements can showcase as a catalyst to the community. In-hand, the Historic value embodies the area’s character. Historic and Urban both carry economic vitality, alongside a celebration of the new and old character of the neighborhoods. Historic Urban provides a sense of ownership and pride, while Village creates a deeper sense of place. Investing in corridors, properties, and historic places allows the Village to further solidify its identity among the City and its community.

GOAL ONE:

Historic Northeast Neighborhood Corridors, Corridors, Nodes, And Gateways Are Nodes, And Are Appealing, Connected, And Connected, And Economically Strong Strong

1.1 Encourage preservation of and enhancements to the East State Village area to ensure its continuation as a pedestrian and neighborhood-oriented mixed-use corridor.

1.1.1 Develop an East State Boulevard corridor improvement plan, which outlines aesthetic, lighting, zoning, pedestrian, safety, parking, and mobility enhancements.

1.1.2 Work with the City of Fort Wayne’s Public Works Division and/or an outside consultant to develop a traffic study that considers alternative street designs to improve the corridor.

1.1.3 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on East State Boulevard between Kentucky Avenue and Florida Drive to promote pedestrian activity and improve the aesthetics of the nearby East State Village area.

1.1.4 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on Crescent Avenue between Lynn Avenue and 2200 Crescent to promote pedestrian activity and improve the aesthetics of the nearby East State Village area.

1.1.5 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on East State Boulevard between Northside Drive and Parnell Avenue to promote pedestrian activity and improve the aesthetics near North Side High School.

1.1.6 Replace existing lighting on East State Boulevard between the St. Joseph River and Kentucky Avenue to support pedestrian visibility.

1.1.7 Replace existing lighting on East State Boulevard between Alabama Avenue and Randallia Drive to support pedestrian visibility.

1.1.8 Work with property owners to reduce the width and number of curb cuts per property where feasible to maintain a continuous, safe, and comfortable pedestrian realm.

1.1.9 Encourage façade improvements in the East State Village corridor between Kentucky Avenue and Florida Drive.

1.1.10 Consider the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and other available incentives to support future investment along the East State Boulevard corridor.

1.2 Encourage enhancements to North Anthony Boulevard that promote neighborhood-oriented retail, personal service development, and connectivity to the surrounding neighborhoods.

1.2.1 Work with Public Works and the North Anthony Neighborhood Association to consider additional traffic calming options to help improve safety on North Anthony Boulevard.

1.2.2 Develop a North Anthony Boulevard corridor improvement plan, which outlines aesthetic, lighting, zoning, pedestrian, safety and mobility enhancements.

1.2.3 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on Lake Avenue at the intersection with North Anthony Boulevard to promote pedestrian activity and economic development and to improve the aesthetics of the area.

1.2.4 Work with property owners to reduce the width and number of curb cuts per property where feasible to maintain a continuous, safe, and comfortable pedestrian realm.

1.2.5 Encourage façade improvements at the intersection of Lake Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard.

1.2.6 Encourage façade improvements on North Anthony Boulevard between Crescent Avenue and St. Joseph River Boulevard.

1.3 Encourage new development, redevelopment, and adaptive reuse that is compatible with adjacent neighborhood areas and is focused on adjacent neighborhood retail and service needs.

1.3.1 Request that all new mixed-use construction projects incorporate design that promotes outdoor space for residents such as porches, balconies, roof decks, and courtyards.

1.3.2 Encourage neighborhoods to advocate that all new developments, especially those on East State Boulevard and North Anthony Boulevard, are context sensitive.

1.3.3 Discourage the demolition of existing structures that would significantly alter the neighborhood fabric and character of the corridor.

GOAL TWO:

Historic Northeast Neighborhoods Maintain Maintain Property Values And Property Values And Neighborhood Character Character

2.1 Support and encourage zoning changes that will improve alignment between zoning classifications and existing or encouraged land uses.

2.1.1 Apply Urban Corridor (UC) designation to East State Boulevard between Kentucky Avenue and Florida Drive to enhance and preserve the existing urban scale, pedestrianoriented, neighborhood node.

2.1.2 Apply Urban Corridor (UC) designation to the southwest corner of Lake Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard to enhance and preserve the existing urban scale, pedestrianoriented, mixed-use corridors.

2.1.3 Apply Urban Corridor (UC) designation to the commercial node at the intersections of Columbia Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard, and Lake Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard.

2.1.4 Apply Neighborhood Center (NC) designation to North Anthony Boulevard between Crescent Avenue and St. Joe River Drive to enhance and preserve the existing urban scale, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use corridors.

2.1.5 Apply Limited Commercial (C2) designation to East State Boulevard between the St. Joseph River and Pleasant Avenue to encourage commercial development that supports the neighborhood.

2.1.6 Apply Limited Industrial (I1) designation to the southside of East State Boulevard between the St. Joseph River and Parnell Avenue.

2.1.7 Discourage the use of spot zoning that does not meet the existing zoning pattern of the surrounding area.

2.1.8 Discourage use variances that are out of character with the planned character of the neighborhood and the recommendations described herein.

2.2 Encourage commercial and institutional uses with outdoor display, storage, and surface parking areas, to meet or exceed current screening and buffering standards.

2.2.1 Educate residents and neighborhood organizations about regulations for screening, storage, maintenance, and other zoning/ neighborhood code matters that are primarily enforced though citizen complaints.

2.3 Encourage regular maintenance and upkeep of residential properties in a way that supports the existing character of the neighborhood(s).

2.3.1 Work with non-profit housing organizations to create a centralized hub of educational materials that provide information for homeowners on a variety of housing maintenance and upkeep topics.

2.3.2 Work with neighborhood leaders to develop maintenance and rehabilitation programs for homeowners and landlords.

2.3.3 Provide residents and neighborhood associations with information on local, state, and national programs and incentives that support façade improvements and maintenance repairs to their properties.

2.3.4 Encourage neighborhood associations to work with the City of Fort Wayne’s Neighborhood Code Compliance Department to provide residents with resources on rules and regulations.

2.3.5 Encourage neighborhood associations to develop a database of neighborhood residents with skills and abilities that could be used to assist residents in need of home repair.

GOAL THREE: THREE:

The Historic Northeast Area’s The Northeast Area’s Rich History And Culture Is Rich And Culture Is Celebrated And Protected

3.1 Promote programs that educate residents about historic preservation and rehabilitation and/or adaptive reuse of historic structures.

3.1.1 Encourage the use of social media to advertise and share educational materials on how to maintain and rehabilitate historic structures.

3.1.2 Host annual workshops for property owners that showcase tips and methods for the maintenance of historic properties.

3.1.3 Seek funding through grants to create a program that assists property owners with historic preservation efforts.

East State Boulevard Rezone

East State Village Rezone

Lake & Anthony Rezone

Lakeside Rezone

North Anthony Rezone

3.1.4 Actively support events that promote historic properties and neighborhoods.

3.1.5 Encourage property owners to consult with the Historic Preservation Staff on preservation projects and rehabilitation.

3.1.6 Share educational materials through neighborhood social media on the social and economic value that historic preservation provides.

3.1.7 Develop a coloring book that features historic properties located in the neighborhoods and can be distributed to students at local schools.

3.1.8 Promote an economic analysis of properties in the Lakeside Local Historic District to encourage and educate other districts on the possible benefits of local historic designation.

3.2 Ensure historic preservation and protection efforts are inclusive to the community’s diversity and accessibility.

3.2.1 Support efforts by the City’s Historic Preservation Commission to improve inclusivity and equity for historic preservation in the Historic Northeast.

3.2.2 Be intentional and proactive in forming partnerships with groups that have either been marginalized or are not actively sought out to discuss historic preservation.

3.2.3 Identify and document assets and locations that may not be traditionally recognized as historically significant through the historic resources inventory.

3.2.4 Encourage the City’s Historic Preservation Commission to complete a social and economic benefit analysis of historic preservation in the Historic Northeast Area.

3.2.5 Work with the City’s Historic Preservation staff to ensure materials promoting the process and value of historic preservation are available in English, Spanish, and Burmese.

3.2.6 Facilitate discussion between preservation minded groups, neighborhoods, City of Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Staff, and development entities to ensure that the area retains its historic character.

3.3 Encourage the designation of eligible National Register Districts, Local Historic Districts, Conservation Districts, Heritage Areas, and individual commercial/ institutional properties.

3.3.1 Provide ongoing education to neighborhoods and property owners on the process and benefits of being listed as a local historic designation.

3.3.2 Encourage and support eligible neighborhoods and property owners to work with the City’s Historic Preservation staff and seek listed status as either a National Register District or property, or a Local Historic District or property.

3.3.3 Utilize neighborhood websites, newsletters and social media to promote the historic designation of the neighborhoods and properties.

3.3.4 Invite the City’s Historic Preservation Staff to attend neighborhood meetings and events to discuss the benefits and practice of historic preservation districts.

3.3.5 Support the adjustment of North Anthony Boulevard Historic District’s period of significance to fully include the contributing historic resources within the historic district.

3.4 Promote the acknowledgement of the Native American village of Kekionga and the Miami nation as a key historical site in today’s Historic Northeast area.

3.4.1 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to establish a Land Acknowledgement that represents the current Historic Northeast area.

3.4.2 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and State of Indiana to dedicate a sign to the Kekionga and Miami Tribe’s history in the area.

3.4.3 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and City Fort Wayne to create a stamped concrete walking trail that identifies the village of Kekionga’s location, paths, or other significant geographies.

3.4.4 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and the Historic Northeast neighborhoods to incorporate public art that shares the land’s story.

Historic Preservation Mapping Map Shows Current Historic Districts

Historic Preservation Mapping Map Shows Elgible Historic Districts

NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC REALM

Public engagement brought forward a variety of resident concerns and opportunities, but an overwhelmingly common theme is the importance of safe, connected, and enjoyable parks and infrastructure. The Historic Northeast area desires to improve infrastructure, while maintaining and improving parks and recreational areas. The aspirations of the Historic Northeast Neighborhoods can be expressed by two goals:

(1) Historic Northeast Neighborhoods have safe, connected, and high-quality infrastructure

(2) Historic Northeast Neighborhood residents enjoy growing and well-maintained parks, open spaces, and trails

Historic Urban Village:

In the Urban Village lens, the intersection of people and place is a major focus. Opportunities to further streetscape, transportation, and greenspace improvements allow the neighborhoods to better navigate safely, enjoy amenities, and connect to neighbors. These improvements are supported, embraced, and enhanced by the maintenance of the Historic identity.

GOAL ONE:

Historic Northeast Neighborhoods Have Safe, Have Safe, Connected, And High-Quality Connected, And Infrastructure

1.1 Encourage infrastructure improvements to enhance pedestrian safety and mobility for Historic Northeast residents and visitors.

1.1.1 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on:

2024-2025

• St. Joe River Drive between Parnell Avenue and Anthony Boulevard

• Lake Avenue between Crescent Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard 2026-2029

• River Forest Boulevard between St. Joe River Drive and Vance Avenue

• Parnell Avenue between Curdes Avenue and St. Joe River Drive

• Ferguson Avenue between Parnell Avenue and Kentucky Avenue

• Vance Avenue between Northside Drive and Crescent Avenue

• Vermont Avenue between Pemberton Drive and Randallia Drive

2030-2035

• Glenwood Avenue between Kentucky Avenue and Crescent Avenue

• Northlawn Drive between Parnell Avenue and Addison Avenue

• Oswego Avenue between Vance Avenue and Somerset Lane

• Woodrow Avenue between St. Joe River Drive and Glenwood Avenue

• Somerset Lane between Oswego Avenue and Woodrow Avenue

• Addison Avenue between St. Joe River Drive and Vance Avenue

1.1.2 Encourage neighborhood associations to complete annual sidewalk audits and report their findings to the City to prioritize annual sidewalk improvements.

1.1.3 Develop an intersection improvement plan for both Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue at St. Joseph Boulevard to improve connectivity between downtown and the neighborhood.

1.1.4 Implement temporary placemaking strategies that help improve the intersection at Lake Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard that could later be made permanent.

1.1.5 Develop an intersection improvement plan for North Anthony Boulevard at Crescent Avenue to improve connectivity between Purdue Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne, Concordia High School, Holy Cross Lutheran School, the North Anthony corridor, and the neighborhoods.

1.1.6 Improve the existing intersection at Columbia Avenue and Delta Boulevard to support pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

1.1.7 Enhance the intersection of Tecumseh Street and Edgewater Avenue to make temporary traffic calming measures permanent.

1.1.8 Enhance pedestrian safety and visibility at the following intersections with safety features such as concrete curbs and bumpouts utilizing French drains, painted crosswalks and larger pedestrian crosswalk signage:

• Columbia Avenue at Dearborn Street

• Lake Avenue at Dearborn Street

• Lake Avenue at Crescent Avenue

• Columbia Avenue at Crescent Avenue

• Crescent Avenue at Forest Avenue

Sidewalk Construction, Delta Blvd. 2024 Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

Proposed Sidewalk Project Trajectory Map of Potential Sidewalks (2024-2035)

1.1.9 Add a pedestrian crossing traffic island at the intersection of Delta Boulevard and Lake Avenue to improve connectivity between the two sections of Lakeside Park.

1.1.10 Provide informational resources to residents and business owners on the 50/50 program for sidewalk improvement projects.

1.2 Encourage regular maintenance and complete street improvements to neighborhood streets and alleys.

1.2.1 Prioritize visual and safety improvements to the intersections of Tennessee Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard, Tennessee Avenue and Kentucky Avenue, and Tennessee Avenue and Crescent Avenue.

1.2.2 Evaluate the existing crosswalks and traffic calming devices on North Anthony Boulevard at Curdes Avenue, Forest Avenue, and Delaware Avenue to see if any adjustments need to be made for improvement, or to be made permanent.

1.2.3 Work with Public Works to provide an annual conditions analysis of alleys in the neighborhood to the associations, in order to coordinate and determine improvement projects, while also communicating projects to the residents.

1.2.4 Promote infrastructure that discourages excessive vehicular speeds on neighborhood streets.

1.2.5 Work with Fort Wayne Police Department to encourage additional traffic safety measures in the neighborhood.

1.2.6 Work with Public Works to study and consider adding additional stop signs at intersections with poor visibility.

1.3 Encourage enhancements to Kentucky Avenue and Vance Avenue in the Northside Neighborhood to improve safety, accessibility, and connectivity.

1.3.1 Conduct a traffic study on Kentucky Avenue between East State Boulevard and Ferguson Avenue.

1.3.2 Reconstruct Kentucky Avenue between East State Boulevard and Ferguson Avenue with new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks.

1.3.3 Reconstruct Vance Avenue between Parnell Avenue and Kentucky Avenue with new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks.

1.3.4 Add new pedestrian-level lighting on Kentucky Avenue between East State Boulevard and Ferguson Avenue.

1.3.5 Add new pedestrian-level lighting on Vance Avenue between Parnell Avenue and Crescent Avenue.

1.3.6 Work with Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department to plant new street trees on both Vance Avenue and Kentucky Avenue.

1.4 Encourage the establishment and clear designation of bicycle routes to better connect residents to destinations within and adjacent to the Historic Northeast Neighborhoods.

1.4.1 Improve bicyclist safety and visibility on the existing bike lanes for Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue by ensuring bike lanes are clearly marked and signed.

1.4.2 Construct bike lanes on Columbia Avenue to allow bicyclists to connect from the existing terminus at Crescent Avenue to the River Greenway and Lake Avenue Trail near Lakeside Middle School.

1.4.3 Improve bicyclist safety and visibility at the crossing of Columbia Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard once the bicycle lanes are constructed.

1.4.4 Conduct a survey for residents on Tennessee Avenue to see if a bicycle lane could be added to improve connectivity.

1.4.5 Construct a bicycle repair station and rest stop at the Maumee Trailhead.

1.4.6 Support the implementation of new bicycle infrastructure that aligns with the community’s active transportation goals and strategies.

1.5 Encourage adequate lighting along streets, alleys, sidewalks, and trails in Historic Northeast neighborhoods.

1.5.1 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrian-level lighting on the following streets:

• Dearborn Street

• Delaware Avenue

• Forest Avenue

• Lafort Street

• Loree Street

Transportation Map Map of Alternate Transportation Routes

• Lynn Avenue

• Oneida Street

• Parnell Avenue

• St. Joseph Boulevard

• Tecumseh Street

1.5.2 Replace existing lighting with historically appropriate pedestrian-level lighting on both Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue to support visibility.

1.5.3 Review the existing network of streetlights and suggest further lighting infrastructure improvements that support neighborhood safety.

1.5.4 Continue to replace existing highpressure sodium light fixtures with LED light fixtures.

1.6 Support increased access to and encourage the use of public transportation.

1.6.1 Provide safe pedestrian access and, where appropriate, comfortable walking areas, ADA ramps, lighting, and bus stop signage at Citilink bus shelter and bus stop locations.

1.6.2 Partner with Citilink to provide information to Historic Northeast Neighborhood residents on the economic, health, and environmental benefits of using public transportation.

1.6.3 Partner with Citilink and Public Works to ensure the following routes have adequate transit amenities, including bus stops, benches, shelters, and appropriate signage at high-use locations on the following routes:

• Route 1 – St. Joe Boulevard and Parnell Avenue

• Route 2 – Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue

• Route 3 – State Boulevard, St. Joe Boulevard, and North Anthony Boulevard

• Route 4 – North Anthony Boulevard and Randallia Drive

• Route 15 – North Anthony Boulevard, East State Boulevard, Parnell Avenue, and Randallia Drive

1.6.4 Partner with Citilink to review and possibly adjust flag stops on Route 2 (Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue).

GOAL TWO:

Historic Northeast

Neighborhood Residents Enjoy Residents Growing And Well-Maintained And Well-Maintained Parks, Open Spaces, And Trails Parks, Open Spaces, And Trails

2.1 Encourage and support access to quality programming and recreational opportunities in existing parks, playgrounds, and open spaces for all Historic Northeast residents.

2.1.1 Incorporate the data from the Parks & Recreation Needs Assessment survey to provide additional programming, especially for neighborhood youth, in parks, playgrounds, and open spaces.

2.1.2 Promote programming and recreational activities at Lakeside and Bob Arnold Northside parks through neighborhood media and marketing materials.

2.1.3 Work with the City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department to provide commercial, recreational, and other community-based opportunities within the park pavilions.

2.2 Encourage existing parks, playgrounds, and open spaces to be physically accessible to all modes of travel from adjoining neighborhoods, schools, trails, and corridors.

2.2.1 Ensure that trails safely and effectively connect bikers to the neighborhood parks.

2.2.2 Improve accessibility to Bob Arnold Northside Park by adding a sidewalk on both the north and east perimeters near Charlotte Avenue (between Parnell and Kentucky), and Kentucky Avenue (between Charlotte and East State Boulevard).

2.2.3 Improve accessibility to Lakeside Park by maintaining existing sidewalks on Tecumseh Street, Crescent Avenue, and Columbia Avenue.

2.2.4 Work with the City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department and Public Works to determine where additional sidewalks, trails, and bike racks can be installed to improve accessibility to both Northside and Lakeside parks.

2.2.5 Add walking paths south of Lakeside Park to further connect the neighborhood and enhance accessibility.

2.3 Encourage and support additional trail connectivity and recreational access to the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers.

2.3.1 Support the development and implementation of a river access strategy that looks at options for connectivity and viewshed improvements from the neighborhood to both the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers.

2.3.2 Incorporate interpretive signage along the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers that describes the local ecological significance.

2.3.3 Promote volunteer activities that aim to improve the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers, including viewshed maintenance and river clean-ups.

2.3.4 Ensure that adjacent public open spaces are maintained and kept clear of debris that hinders safety and accessibility to trails, parks, and river viewsheds.

2.3.5 Incorporate native species plantings on City-owned property near the St. Joseph River to support the natural habitat and reduce surface runoff and sound pollution.

2.3.6 Partner with the Maumee Watershed Alliance to educate residents about their relationship to the surrounding rivers.

2.4 Support the implementation of recommendations from the Parks & Recreation Department Master Plan for both Lakeside and Bob Arnold Northside parks.

2.4.1 Update playground equipment at both Bob Arnold Northside Park and Lakeside Park.

2.4.2 Replace the existing baseball diamond fence at Bob Arnold Northside Park.

2.4.3 Update existing lighting fixtures to LED at both Bob Arnold Northside Park and Lakeside Park.

2.4.4 Add new walking trails, including a new sidewalk along Charlotte Avenue.

2.4.5 Enhance the shoreline along Delta Boulevard and dredge the ponds at Lakeside Park.

2.4.6 Replace the north pond fountain at Lakeside Park.

2.4.7 Renovate the pavilion and kitchens at Pavilions 1 & 2 at Lakeside Park.

2.4.8 Renovate the monument at Lakeside Park.

Sidewalk Repair, East State Village 2024

John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

Park Walkshed Map

Map of a 10-Minute Walk Zone to Area Parks

NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships play a large role in Historic Northeast Neighborhoods, and the community prioritizes strengthening and expanding social connections. Enhancing social, business, and neighborhood connections are important to the area. The neighborhood relationship aspirations can be expressed by two goals:

(1) Historic Northeast Neighborhoods foster a collaborative and inclusive environment that promotes health, wellness, and safety for residents, businesses, and visitors,

(2) Build neighborhood pride through shared identity.

Historic Urban Village:

The Historic Village lens shares a parallel line of current and past identities. Among differences, the area has a shared sense of social community connections. The Historic Northeast is a Village in that it includes, strengthens, and empowers its neighborhoods. The History of the area is an inherent value that blends seamlessly into its identity. Developing a collective brand for the three neighborhoods, while simultaneously celebrating and establishing their own unique identities, can strengthen community pride. The Historic Village lays a foundation for a communitydriven future that enhances the physical and social roots that encourage Urban and economic development.

GOAL ONE:

Historic Northeast Neighborhoods Foster A Foster A Collaborative And Inclusive And Environment That Promotes Promotes Health, Wellness, And Safety Health, Wellness, And For Residents, Businesses, And For And Visitors

1.1 Strengthen neighborhood relationships and collaboration.

1.1.1 Encourage neighborhoods to participate and attend meetings in the Northeast Area Partnership.

1.1.2 Encourage neighborhoods to attend the quarterly Presidents Meeting.

1.1.3 Encourage neighborhoods to partner with other associations with similar characteristics to Historic Northeast to share ideas and collaborate on projects that advance preservation efforts.

1.1.4 Encourage neighborhoods to partner with other associations near downtown to share ideas and collaborate on projects that enhance urban neighborhoods.

1.1.5 Encourage neighborhoods to partner and promote cleanup days that are rotated at various locations throughout the Historic Northeast.

1.2 Advance efforts for an inclusive, accessible, and robust community.

1.2.1 Create a neighborhood-led task force to lead coordination and planning efforts for inclusive programming.

1.2.2 Develop and organize social activities that encourage renters to participate in the neighborhood association.

1.2.3 Create opportunities for students and youth in the neighborhood, and ensure they are included in decisions that shape the association.

1.2.4 Increase outreach to diverse communities to stimulate volunteer recruitment and neighborhood participation.

1.2.5 Promote existing neighborhood organized events such as Northside Night Out Food Truck Rally at Lakeside Park, Lakeside Concert in the Park, Forest Park Annual Ice Cream Social, and North Anthony Boulevard Block Party across the Historic Northeast neighborhoods.

1.2.6 Utilize neighborhood websites, newsletters, and social media to promote projects and programs that support and recognize culture and diversity in the community.

1.3 Engage with local organizations that can empower residents to be active in the community.

1.3.1 Establish relationships with postsecondary institutions to improve educational outcomes in the neighborhood.

1.3.2 Work with Purdue University Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech, and Indiana Tech to establish a pipeline of internship opportunities for the neighborhoods and area businesses.

1.3.3 Establish a relationship with the Community Foundation to advance neighborhood goals through potential funding opportunities and scholarships.

1.3.4 Establish a relationship with Fort Wayne Community Schools as a partner for incorporating youth as part of the Historic Northeast Area.

1.3.5 Utilize the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch community meeting room for neighborhood related activities, workshops, and educational opportunities.

1.3.6 Work with the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch to establish a second branch of the Seed Library program in partnership with the Purdue University Extension office.

1.3.7 Promote the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch’s AARP Tax Aide program for residents in the neighborhood.

1.3.8 Work with the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch to encourage residents to participate in summer programming and activities.

1.3.9 Establish a relationship with ARCH as a partner to assist in historic preservation education and nomination efforts.

1.4 Partner with the City’s Public Safety Divisions to monitor, communicate and improve safety.

1.4.1 Coordinate with the Fort Wayne Police Department to ensure each neighborhood has an assigned liaison officer that can serve as a primary point of contact for neighborhood concerns.

1.4.2 Ensure regular appearances of public safety officials at neighborhood meetings and on City-coordinated neighborhood walks.

1.4.3 Regularly provide updated crime data and maps to target crime prevention tactics for neighborhoods.

1.4.4 Work with the Fort Wayne Police Department to promote Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) tactics to reduce vandalism and burglary concerns.

1.4.5 Promote fire safety and prevention programs, especially promotion of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.

1.4.6 Ensure that concerns regarding enforcement of traffic laws are communicated to law enforcement, and that traffic enforcement is conducted in an equitable manner.

1.5 Encourage a healthy community for all residents by enhancing current neighborhood assets.

1.5.1 Create a neighborhood-led task force to lead a neighborhood wide health improvement initiative.

1.5.2 Establish a relationship with Parkview Randallia and Indiana University Fort Wayne as partners to advance neighborhood health improvement initiatives.

1.5.3 Work with Parkview Randallia to design and promote a self-guided loop that connects key amenities and promotes safe leisure and exercise.

1.5.4 Work with Parkview Randallia to create new opportunities for residents to participate in holistic health practices.

1.5.5 Work with Parkview Randallia to assist residents in navigating barriers to access and connect with mental health services.

1.5.6 Establish a relationship with the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne to host a Y on the Fly program that supports youth related summer activities.

A Stroll Through Lakeside Park John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

1.5.7 Partner with local recreation and health organizations to hold seasonal sports fairs for youth and families to encourage increased physical activity.

1.5.8 Develop a neighborhood recreation fund to assist income-limited neighborhood youth with registration fees and equipment supplies.

1.5.9 Establish a monthly pop-up market on North Anthony Boulevard that provides residents with access to fresh food and local goods.

GOAL TWO: Build Neighborhood Pride Build Pride Through Shared Identity Shared

2.1 Establish a cohesive brand and identity that can be shared across the Historic Northeast neighborhoods.

2.1.1 Develop a cohesive brand, identity, and marketing strategy for Historic Northeast Neighborhoods.

2.1.2 Ensure that residents and businesses embrace the Historic Northeast’s brand and identity.

2.1.3 Ensure consistent use of branding in all communication and marketing efforts.

2.1.4 Encourage the design and installation of welcome signage at the following gateway locations:

• Columbia Avenue at the Maumee River

• East State Boulevard at the Saint Joseph River

• Lake Avenue at the intersection of Randallia Drive

• North Anthony Boulevard at the Maumee River

• North Anthony Boulevard at the intersection of Crescent Avenue

• Parnell Avenue at the Saint Joseph River

2.1.5 Improve the existing aesthetic appearance of current neighborhood gateways, including landscaping and lighting.

2.2 Enhance branding and marketing efforts in each of the three neighborhoods to instill a sense of pride through identity.

2.2.1 Work with the City of Fort Wayne Public Works Division and American Electric Power to locate light poles in which neighborhood signage medallions can be installed.

2.2.2 Ensure that each neighborhood crosspromotes individual brands with the cohesive identity for Historic Northeast where applicable.

2.2.3 Increase branding and marketing efforts to promote businesses, attractions, and special events.

2.2.4 Develop a self-guided walking tour that showcases historic properties located throughout the neighborhoods.

2.3 Support investments in placemaking and public art projects that celebrate history and expand access to arts and culture in the Historic Northeast.

2.3.1 Support and prioritize strategies as outlined in the Fort Wayne Public Art Master Plan.

2.3.2 Work with local artists and arts organizations to install new mural art throughout the Historic Northeast, especially on neighborhood corridors, nodes and gateways.

2.3.3 Establish common identity throughout the Historic Northeast using murals, and other installations, to support a cohesive identity and tell a compelling story.

2.3.4 Encourage neighborhood youth to become storytellers by interviewing long-term residents, capturing the history of Historic Northeast and instilling pride in the next generation.

2.3.5 Share local stories and interviews through neighborhood social media, and work with Allen County Public Library to establish an archive.

2.4 Support the development of a cohesive brand and identity for East State Village to encourage economic development and investment.

2.4.1 Establish a boundary for the East State Village commercial district.

2.4.2 Develop a cohesive brand, identity, and marketing strategy for East State Village.

2.4.3 Ensure that the East State Village brand, identity, and marketing strategy enhance the existing neighborhood identities and support one another.

2.4.4 Actively promote the new identity through the addition of appropriate signage and banners in public spaces and encourage display of the new brand in local businesses.

2.4.5 Encourage the establishment of an East State Village businesses organization that works collaboratively to support business attraction and retention, entrepreneurship activities, and foot traffic-generating events.

2.4.6 Support the development of annual social activities on East State Boulevard that generate traffic for area businesses.

2.4.7 Work with Community Development to create an economic development strategy for East State Village.

2.4.8 Work with Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District (SEED), City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development, and other local economic development organizations to implement the goals and strategies of the East State Village economic development strategy to attract and retain businesses.

Shopping in PIO Market II

Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND CHARACTER

GOAL ONE:

Historic Northeast Neighborhood Corridors, Nodes, And

Historic Northeast Corridors, Nodes, And Gateways Are Appealing, Connected, And Economically Strong Gateways Are Connected, And Strong

1 Develop an East State Boulevard corridor improvement plan, which outlines aesthetic, lighting, zoning, pedestrian, safety, parking, and mobility enhancements.

2 Work with the City of Fort Wayne’s Public Works Division and/or an outside consultant to develop a traffic study that considers alternative street designs to improve the corridor.

3 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on East State Boulevard between Kentucky Avenue and Florida Drive to promote pedestrian activity and improve the aesthetics of the nearby East State Village area.

4 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on Crescent Avenue between Lynn Avenue and 2200 Crescent to promote pedestrian activity and improve the aesthetics of the nearby East State Village area.

5 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on East State Boulevard between Northside Drive and Parnell Avenue to promote pedestrian activity and improve the aesthetics near North Side High School.

6 Replace existing lighting on East State Boulevard between the St. Joseph River and Kentucky Avenue to support pedestrian visibility.

7 Replace existing lighting on East State Boulevard between Alabama Avenue and Randallia Drive to support pedestrian visibility.

8 Work with property owners to reduce the width and number of curb cuts per property where feasible to maintain a continuous, safe, and comfortable pedestrian realm. (East State Blvd.).

9 Encourage façade improvements in the East State Village corridor between Kentucky Avenue and Florida Drive.

10 Consider the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and other available incentives to support future investment along the East State Boulevard corridor.

11 Work with Public Works and the North Anthony Neighborhood Association to consider additional traffic calming options to help improve safety on North Anthony Boulevard.

12 Develop a North Anthony Boulevard corridor improvement plan, which outlines aesthetic, lighting, zoning, pedestrian, safety and mobility enhancements.

13 Enhance the existing sidewalks and streetscape on Lake Avenue at the intersection with North Anthony Boulevard to promote pedestrian activity and economic development and to improve the aesthetics of the area.

14 Work with property owners to reduce the width and number of curb cuts per property where feasible to maintain a continuous, safe, and comfortable pedestrian realm. (North Anthony).

15 Encourage façade improvements at the intersection of Lake Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard.

16 Encourage façade improvements on North Anthony Boulevard between Crescent Avenue and St. Joseph River Boulevard.

17 Request that all new mixed-use construction projects incorporate design that promotes outdoor space for residents such as porches, balconies, roof decks, and courtyards.

18 Encourage neighborhoods to advocate that all new developments, especially those on East State Boulevard and North Anthony Boulevard, are context sensitive.

19 Discourage the demolition of existing structures that would significantly alter the neighborhood fabric and character of the corridor.

20 Encourage rehabilitation of existing structures.

21 Work with realtors and developers to market available first-floor storefronts, especially on primary corridors, to businesses that provide

neighborhood-serving goods and services.

22 Work with Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department to conduct a tree cover survey to determine current gaps in the tree canopy.

23 Work with Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department to explore opportunities within the Citizen Match Tree Planting Program to increase the number of street trees in Historic Northeast Neighborhoods to meet or exceed the citywide average of 24% tree canopy coverage.

24 Work with Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department to explore opportunities within the Tree Canopy Growth Fund to increase the number of private property trees in Historic Northeast Neighborhoods to meet or exceed the citywide average of 24% tree canopy coverage.

25 Work with City Utilities to implement green stormwater infrastructure in areas with high percentages of impervious surface and high flood risk due to heavy rain events.

26 Encourage North Side High School, Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department, and private businesses near the intersection of East State Boulevard and Parnell Avenue to redesign and green their parking lot to reduce stormwater runoff and improve the appearance of the area.

27 Improve air quality and mitigate heat island effects by adding native landscape improvements throughout the neighborhood, especially along business corridors.

28 Encourage the exploration of funding opportunities for landscape improvements.

29 Encourage neighborhoods to pursue grant programs for additional funding to support beautification projects.

30 Encourage annual cleanups of debris at the Hosey Dam on the Maumee River.

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND CHARACTER

GOAL TWO:

Historic Northeast Neighborhoods Maintain Property Values And Historic Northeast Maintain Property Values And Neighborhood Character Character

1 Apply Urban Corridor (UC) designation to East State Boulevard between Kentucky Avenue and Florida Drive to enhance and preserve the existing urban scale, pedestrian-oriented, neighborhood node.

2 Apply Urban Corridor (UC) designation to the southwest corner of Lake Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard to enhance and preserve the existing urban scale, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use corridors.

3 Apply Urban Corridor (UC) designation to the commercial node at the intersections of Columbia Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard, and Lake Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard.

4 Apply Neighborhood Center (NC) designation to North Anthony Boulevard between Crescent Avenue and St. Joe River Drive to enhance and preserve the existing urban scale, pedestrianoriented, mixed-use corridors.

5 Apply Limited Commercial (C2) designation to East State Boulevard between the St. Joseph River and Pleasant Avenue to encourage commercial development that supports the neighborhood.

6 Apply Limited Industrial (I1) designation to the southside of East State Boulevard between the St. Joseph River and Parnell Avenue.

7 Discourage the use of spot zoning that does not meet the existing zoning pattern of the surrounding area.

8 Discourage use variances that are out of character with the planned character of the neighborhood and the recommendations described herein.

9 Educate residents and neighborhood organizations about regulations for screening, storage, maintenance, and other zoning/ neighborhood code matters that are primarily enforced though citizen complaints.

11 Work with neighborhood leaders to develop maintenance and rehabilitation programs for homeowners and landlords.

12 Provide residents and neighborhood associations with information on local, state, and national programs and incentives that support façade improvements and maintenance repairs to their properties.

13 Encourage neighborhood associations to work with the City of Fort Wayne’s Neighborhood Code Compliance Department to provide residents with resources on rules and regulations.

14 Encourage neighborhood associations to develop a database of neighborhood residents with skills and abilities that could be used to assist residents in need of home repair.

10 Work with non-profit housing organizations to create a centralized hub of educational materials that provide information for homeowners on a variety of housing maintenance and upkeep topics.

North Anthony Corridor

Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND CHARACTER

GOAL THREE: THREE:

The Historic Northeast Area’s Rich History And Culture Is The Historic Northeast Area’s Rich And Culture Is Celebrated And Protected

1 Encourage the use of social media to advertise and share educational materials on how to maintain and rehabilitate historic structures.

2 Host annual workshops for property owners that showcase tips and methods for the maintenance of historic properties.

3 Seek funding through grants to create a program that assists property owners with historic preservation efforts.

4 Actively support events that promote historic properties and neighborhoods.

5 Encourage property owners to consult with the Historic Preservation staff on preservation projects and rehabilitation.

6 Share educational materials through neighborhood social media on the social and economic value that historic preservation provides.

7 Develop a coloring book that features historic properties located in the neighborhoods and can be distributed to students at local schools.

8 Promote an economic analysis of properties in the Lakeside Local Historic District to encourage and educate other districts on the possible benefits of local historic designation.

9 Support efforts by the City’s Historic Preservation Commission to improve inclusivity and equity for historic preservation in the Historic Northeast.

10 Be intentional and proactive in forming partnerships with groups that have either been marginalized or are not actively sought out to discuss historic preservation.

11 Identify and document assets and locations that may not be traditionally recognized as historically significant through the historic resources inventory.

12 Encourage the City’s Historic Preservation Commission to complete a social and economic

benefit analysis of historic preservation in the Historic Northeast Area.

13 Work with the City’s Historic Preservation staff to ensure materials promoting the process and value of historic preservation are available in English, Spanish, and Burmese.

14 Facilitate discussion between preservation minded groups, neighborhoods, City of Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Staff, and development entities to ensure that the area retains its historic character.

15 Provide ongoing education to neighborhoods and property owners on the process and benefits of being listed as a local historic designation.

16 Encourage and support eligible neighborhoods and property owners to work with the City’s Historic Preservation staff and seek listed status as either a National Register District or property, or a Local Historic District or property.

17 Utilize neighborhood websites, newsletters and social media to promote the historic designation of the neighborhoods and properties.

18 Invite the City’s Historic Preservation Staff to attend neighborhood meetings and events to discuss the benefits and practice of historic preservation districts.

19 Support the adjustment of North Anthony Boulevard Historic District’s period of significance to fully include the contributing historic resources within the historic district.

20 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to establish a Land Acknowledgement that represents the current Historic Northeast area.

21 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and State of Indiana to dedicate a sign to the Kekionga and Miami Tribe’s history in the area.

22 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and City Fort Wayne to create a stamped concrete walking trail that identifies the village

of Kekionga’s location, paths, or other significant geographies.

23 Partner with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and the Historic Northeast neighborhoods to incorporate public art that shares the land’s story.

Kensington Blvd. Historic District

John Felts, City of Fort Wayne

NEIGHBORHOOD

PUBLIC REALM

GOAL ONE:

Historic Northeast Neighborhoods Have Safe, Connected, And

Historic Northeast Have Safe, Connected, And High-Quality Infrastructure Infrastructure

1 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on St. Joe River Drive between Parnell Avenue and Anthony Boulevard

2 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on River Forest Boulevard between St. Joe River Drive and Vance Avenue

3 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Parnell Avenue between Curdes Avenue and St. Joe River Drive

4 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Ferguson Avenue between Parnell Avenue and Kentucky Avenue

5 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Vance Avenue between Northside Drive and Crescent Avenue

6 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Vermont Avenue between Pemberton Drive and Randallia Drive

7 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Glenwood Avenue between Kentucky Avenue and Crescent Avenue

8 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Northlawn Drive between Parnell Avenue and Addison Avenue

9 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Oswego Avenue between Vance Avenue and Somerset Lane

10 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Woodrow Avenue between St. Joe River Drive and Glenwood Avenue

11 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Somerset Lane between Oswego Avenue and Woodrow Avenue

12 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by closing existing sidewalk gaps on Addison Avenue between St. Joe River Drive and Vance Avenue

13 Improve walking conditions in the Historic Northeast Area by replacing existing sidewalk on Lake Avenue between Crescent Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard

14 Encourage neighborhood associations to complete annual sidewalk audits and report their findings to the City to prioritize annual sidewalk improvements.

15 Develop an intersection improvement plan for both Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue at St. Joseph Boulevard to improve connectivity between downtown and the neighborhood.

16 Implement temporary placemaking strategies that help improve the intersection at Lake Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard that could later be made permanent.

17 Develop an intersection improvement plan for North Anthony Boulevard at Crescent Avenue to improve connectivity between Purdue Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne, Concordia High School, Holy Cross Lutheran School, the North Anthony corridor, and the neighborhoods.

18 Improve the existing intersection at Columbia Avenue and Delta Boulevard to support pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

19 Enhance the intersection of Tecumseh Street and Edgewater Avenue to make temporary traffic calming measures permanent.

20 Enhance pedestrian safety and visibility at the intersection of Columbia Avenue at Dearborn Street with safety features such as concrete curbs and bump-outs utilizing French drains, painted

crosswalks and larger pedestrian crosswalk signage

21 Enhance pedestrian safety and visibility at the intersection of Lake Avenue at Dearborn Street with safety features such as concrete curbs and bump-outs utilizing French drains, painted crosswalks and larger pedestrian crosswalk signage

22 Enhance pedestrian safety and visibility at the intersection of Lake Avenue at Crescent Avenue with safety features such as concrete curbs and bump-outs utilizing French drains, painted crosswalks and larger pedestrian crosswalk signage

23 Enhance pedestrian safety and visibility at the intersection of Columbia Avenue at Crescent Avenue with safety features such as concrete curbs and bump-outs utilizing French drains, painted crosswalks and larger pedestrian crosswalk signage

24 Enhance pedestrian safety and visibility at the intersection of Crescent Avenue at Forest Avenue with safety features such as concrete curbs and bump-outs utilizing French drains, painted crosswalks and larger pedestrian crosswalk signage

25 Add a pedestrian crossing traffic island at the intersection of Delta Boulevard and Lake Avenue to improve connectivity between the two sections of Lakeside Park.

26 Provide informational resources to residents and business owners on the 50/50 program for sidewalk improvement projects.

27 Prioritize visual and safety improvements to the intersections of Tennessee Avenue and St. Joseph Boulevard, Tennessee Avenue and Kentucky Avenue, and Tennessee Avenue and Crescent Avenue.

28 Evaluate the existing crosswalks and traffic calming devices on North Anthony Boulevard at Curdes Avenue, Forest Avenue, and Delaware Avenue to see if any adjustments need to be made for improvement, or to be made permanent.

29 Work with Public Works to provide an annual conditions analysis of alleys in the neighborhood to the associations, in order to coordinate and determine improvement projects, while also communicating projects to the residents.

30 Promote infrastructure that discourages excessive vehicular speeds on neighborhood streets.

NEIGHBORHOOD

PUBLIC REALM

GOAL ONE (continued): GOAL ONE

Historic Northeast Neighborhoods Have Safe, Connected, And

Historic Northeast Have Safe, Connected, And High-Quality Infrastructure Infrastructure

31 Work with Fort Wayne Police Department to encourage additional traffic safety measures in the neighborhood.

32 Work with Public Works to study and consider adding additional stop signs at intersections with poor visibility.

33 Conduct a traffic study on Kentucky Avenue between East State Boulevard and Ferguson Avenue.

34 Reconstruct Kentucky Avenue between East State Boulevard and Ferguson Avenue with new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks.

35 Reconstruct Vance Avenue between Parnell Avenue and Kentucky Avenue with new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks.

36 Add new pedestrian-level lighting on Kentucky Avenue between East State Boulevard and Ferguson Avenue.

37 Add new pedestrian-level lighting on Vance Avenue between Parnell Avenue and Crescent Avenue.

38 Work with Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department to plant new street trees on both Vance Avenue and Kentucky Avenue.

39 Improve bicyclist safety and visibility on the existing bike lanes for Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue by ensuring bike lanes are clearly marked and signed.

40Construct bike lanes on Columbia Avenue to allow bicyclists to connect from the existing terminus at Crescent Avenue to the River Greenway and Lake Avenue Trail near Lakeside Middle School.

41 Improve bicyclist safety and visibility at the crossing of Columbia Avenue and North Anthony Boulevard once the bicycle lanes are constructed.

42 Conduct a survey for residents on Tennessee Avenue to see if a bicycle lane could be added to

improve connectivity.

43 Construct a bicycle repair station and rest stop at the Maumee Trailhead.

44 Support the implementation of new bicycle infrastructure that aligns with the community’s active transportation goals and strategies.

45Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Dearborn Street

46 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on streets Delaware Avenue

47 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Forest Avenue

48 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Lafort Street

49 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Loree Street

50 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Lynn Avenue

51 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Oneida Street

52 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Parnell Avenue

53 Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on St. Joseph Boulevard

54Improve pedestrian and motorist safety by adding new historically appropriate pedestrianlevel lighting on Tecumseh Street

55 Replace existing lighting with historically appropriate pedestrian-level lighting on both Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue to support visibility.

56 Review the existing network of streetlights and suggest further lighting infrastructure improvements that support neighborhood safety.

57 Continue to replace existing high-pressure sodium light fixtures with LED light fixtures.

58 Provide safe pedestrian access and, where appropriate, comfortable walking areas, ADA ramps, lighting, and bus stop signage at Citilink bus shelter and bus stop locations.

59 Partner with Citilink to provide information to Historic Northeast Neighborhood residents on the economic, health, and environmental benefits of using public transportation.

60 Partner with Citilink and Public Works to ensure the following routes have adequate transit amenities, including bus stops, benches, shelters, and appropriate signage at high-use locations on Route 1 – St. Joe Boulevard and Parnell Avenue

61 Partner with Citilink and Public Works to ensure the following routes have adequate transit

amenities, including bus stops, benches, shelters, and appropriate signage at high-use locations on Route 2 – Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue

62 Partner with Citilink and Public Works to ensure the following routes have adequate transit amenities, including bus stops, benches, shelters, and appropriate signage at high-use locations on Route 3 – State Boulevard, St. Joe Boulevard, and North Anthony Boulevard

63 Partner with Citilink and Public Works to ensure the following routes have adequate transit amenities, including bus stops, benches, shelters, and appropriate signage at high-use locations on Route 4 – North Anthony Boulevard and Randallia Drive

64 Partner with Citilink and Public Works to ensure the following routes have adequate transit amenities, including bus stops, benches, shelters, and appropriate signage at high-use locations on Route 15 – North Anthony Boulevard, East State Boulevard, Parnell Avenue, and Randallia Drive

65 Partner with Citilink to review and possibly adjust flag stops on Route 2 (Columbia Avenue and Lake Avenue).

NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC REALM

GOAL TWO:

Historic Northeast Neighborhood Residents Enjoy Growing And

Historic Northeast Residents And Well-Maintained Parks, Open Spaces, And Trails Well-Maintained Parks, Open Spaces, And Trails

1 Incorporate the data from the Parks & Recreation Needs Assessment survey to provide additional programming, especially for neighborhood youth, in parks, playgrounds, and open spaces.

2 Promote programming and recreational activities at Lakeside and Bob Arnold Northside parks through neighborhood media and marketing materials.

3 Work with the City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department to provide commercial, recreational, and other community-based opportunities within the park pavilions.

4 Ensure that trails safely and effectively connect bikers to the neighborhood parks.

5 Improve accessibility to Bob Arnold Northside Park by adding a sidewalk on both the north and east perimeters near Charlotte Avenue (between Parnell and Kentucky), and Kentucky Avenue (between Charlotte and East State Boulevard).

6 Improve accessibility to Lakeside Park by maintaining existing sidewalks on Tecumseh Street, Crescent Avenue, and Columbia Avenue.

7 Work with the City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department and Public Works to determine where additional sidewalks, trails, and bike racks can be installed to improve accessibility to both Northside and Lakeside parks.

8 Add walking paths south of Lakeside Park to further connect the neighborhood and enhance accessibility.

9 Support the development and implementation of a river access strategy that looks at options for connectivity and viewshed improvements from the neighborhood to both the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers.

10 Incorporate interpretive signage along the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers that describes the local ecological significance.

11 Promote volunteer activities that aim to improve the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers, including viewshed maintenance and river clean-ups.

12 Ensure that adjacent public open spaces are maintained and kept clear of debris that hinders safety and accessibility to trails, parks, and river viewsheds.

13 Incorporate native species plantings on Cityowned property near the St. Joseph River to support the natural habitat and reduce surface runoff and sound pollution.

14 Partner with the Maumee Watershed Alliance to educate residents about their relationship to the surrounding rivers.

15 Update playground equipment at both Bob Arnold Northside Park and Lakeside Park.

16 Replace the existing baseball diamond fence at Bob Arnold Northside Park.

17 Update existing lighting fixtures to LED at both Bob Arnold Northside Park and Lakeside Park.

18 Add new walking trails, including a new sidewalk along Charlotte Avenue.

19 Enhance the shoreline along Delta Boulevard and dredge the ponds at Lakeside Park.

20 Replace the north pond fountain at Lakeside Park.

21 Renovate the pavilion and kitchens at Pavilions 1 & 2 at Lakeside Park.

22 Renovate the monument at Lakeside Park.

Delta Blvd./Lakeside Park Connection

Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONSHIPS

GOAL ONE:

Historic Northeast Neighborhoods Foster A Collaborative And Historic Northeast Foster A Collaborative And Inclusive Environment That Promotes Health, Wellness, And Inclusive Environment That Promotes And Safety For Residents, Businesses, And Visitors For Residents, Businesses, And Visitors

1 Encourage neighborhoods to participate and attend meetings in the Northeast Area Partnership.

2 Encourage neighborhoods to attend the quarterly Presidents Meeting.

3 Encourage neighborhoods to partner with other associations with similar characteristics to Historic Northeast to share ideas and collaborate on projects that advance preservation efforts.

4 Encourage neighborhoods to partner with other associations near downtown to share ideas and collaborate on projects that enhance urban neighborhoods.

5 Encourage neighborhoods to partner and promote cleanup days that are rotated at various locations throughout the Historic Northeast.

6 Create a neighborhood-led task force to lead coordination and planning efforts for inclusive programming.

7 Develop and organize social activities that encourage renters to participate in the neighborhood association.

8 Create opportunities for students and youth in the neighborhood, and ensure they are included in decisions that shape the association.

9 Increase outreach to diverse communities to stimulate volunteer recruitment and neighborhood participation.

10 Promote existing neighborhood organized events such as Northside Night Out Food Truck Rally at Lakeside Park, Lakeside Concert in the Park, Forest Park Annual Ice Cream Social, and North Anthony Boulevard Block Party across the Historic Northeast neighborhoods.

11 Utilize neighborhood websites, newsletters, and social media to promote projects and programs that support and recognize culture and diversity in the community.

12 Establish relationships with post-secondary institutions to improve educational outcomes in the neighborhood.

13 Work with Purdue University Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech, and Indiana Tech to establish a pipeline of internship opportunities for the neighborhoods and area businesses.

14 Establish a relationship with the Community Foundation to advance neighborhood goals through potential funding opportunities and scholarships.

15 Establish a relationship with Fort Wayne Community Schools as a partner for incorporating youth as part of the Historic Northeast Area.

16 Utilize the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch community meeting room for neighborhood related activities, workshops, and educational opportunities.

17 Work with the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch to establish a second branch of the Seed Library program in partnership with the Purdue University Extension office.

18 Promote the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch’s AARP Tax Aide program for residents in the neighborhood.

19 Work with the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch to encourage residents to participate in summer programming and activities.

20 Establish a relationship with ARCH as a partner to assist in historic preservation education and nomination efforts.

21 Coordinate with the Fort Wayne Police Department to ensure each neighborhood has an assigned liaison officer that can serve as a primary point of contact for neighborhood concerns.

22 Ensure regular appearances of public safety

officials at neighborhood meetings and on Citycoordinated neighborhood walks.

23 Regularly provide updated crime data and maps to target crime prevention tactics for neighborhoods.

24 Work with the Fort Wayne Police Department to promote Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) tactics to reduce vandalism and burglary concerns.

25 Promote fire safety and prevention programs, especially promotion of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.

26 Ensure that concerns regarding enforcement of traffic laws are communicated to law enforcement, and that traffic enforcement is conducted in an equitable manner.

27 Create a neighborhood-led task force to lead a neighborhood wide health improvement initiative.

28 Establish a relationship with Parkview Randallia and Indiana University Fort Wayne as partners to advance neighborhood health improvement initiatives.

29 Work with Parkview Randallia to design and promote a self-guided loop that connects key amenities and promotes safe leisure and exercise.

30 Work with Parkview Randallia to create new opportunities for residents to participate in holistic health practices.

31 Work with Parkview Randallia to assist residents in navigating barriers to access and connect with mental health services.

32 Establish a relationship with the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne to host a Y on the Fly program that supports youth related summer activities.

33 Partner with local recreation and health organizations to hold seasonal sports fairs for youth and families to encourage increased physical activity.

34 Develop a neighborhood recreation fund to assist income-limited neighborhood youth with registration fees and equipment supplies.

35 Establish a monthly pop-up market on North Anthony Boulevard that provides residents with access to fresh food and local goods.

NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONSHIPS

GOAL TWO:

Build Neighborhood Pride Through Shared Identity Build Pride Through Shared

1 Develop a cohesive brand, identity, and marketing strategy for Historic Northeast Neighborhoods.

2 Ensure that residents and businesses embrace the Historic Northeast’s brand and identity.

3 Ensure consistent use of branding in all communication and marketing efforts.

4 Encourage the design and installation of welcome signage at Columbia Avenue at the Maumee River

5 Encourage the design and installation of welcome signage at East State Boulevard at the Saint Joseph River

6 Encourage the design and installation of welcome signage at Lake Avenue at the intersection of Randallia Drive

7 Encourage the design and installation of welcome signage at North Anthony Boulevard at the Maumee River

8 Encourage the design and installation of welcome signage at North Anthony Boulevard at the intersection of Crescent Avenue

9 Encourage the design and installation of welcome signage at Parnell Avenue at the Saint Joseph River

10 Improve the existing aesthetic appearance of current neighborhood gateways, including landscaping and lighting.

11 Work with the City of Fort Wayne Public Works Division and American Electric Power to locate light poles in which neighborhood signage medallions can be installed.

12 Ensure that each neighborhood crosspromotes individual brands with the cohesive identity for Historic Northeast where applicable.

13 Increase branding and marketing efforts to promote businesses, attractions, and special events.

14 Develop a self-guided walking tour that showcases historic properties located throughout the neighborhoods.

15 Support and prioritize strategies as outlined in the Fort Wayne Public Art Master Plan.

16 Work with local artists and arts organizations to install new mural art throughout the Historic Northeast, especially on neighborhood corridors, nodes and gateways.

17 Establish common identity throughout the Historic Northeast using murals, and other installations, to support a cohesive identity and tell a compelling story.

18 Encourage neighborhood youth to become storytellers by interviewing long-term residents, capturing the history of Historic Northeast and instilling pride in the next generation.

19 Share local stories and interviews through neighborhood social media, and work with Allen County Public Library to establish an archive.

20 Establish a boundary for the East State Village commercial district.

21 Develop a cohesive brand, identity, and marketing strategy for East State Village.

22 Ensure that the East State Village brand, identity, and marketing strategy enhance the existing neighborhood identities and support one another.

23 Actively promote the new identity through the addition of appropriate signage and banners in public spaces and encourage display of the new brand in local businesses.

24 Encourage the establishment of an East State Village businesses organization that works collaboratively to support business attraction and retention, entrepreneurship activities, and foot traffic-generating events.

25 Support the development of annual social activities on East State Boulevard that generate traffic for area businesses.

26 Work with Community Development to create an economic development strategy for East State Village.

27 Work with Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District (SEED), City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development, and other local economic development organizations to implement the goals and strategies of the East State Village economic development strategy to attract and retain businesses.

Owners Jessica and Piper, Fuller Plants

Michael Terronez, City of Fort Wayne

ii Historic Northeast 2 2035