City officials release more details about Legacy Fund projects

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Tuesday Fort Wayne's mayor, Tom Henry, announced what he would like to spend $75 million in Legacy Funds on. Some of you voiced your concerns about the plans. So, NewsChannel 15 took your questions to the decision makers.

A lot of people were disappointed the Mayor gave vague details on the projects. Tuesday night he announced he'd like to see the McMillen Ice Arena turned into a community center. He'd also like to beautify the gateways into downtown as well as the riverfront. Wednesday the director of community development told me the city's looking at a common theme of bringing people downtown. He said it's important to focus on that area so our entire region can benefit.

"Downtown's important not just because it's the center of Fort Wayne, but it's the center of the region. And we've heard from numerous business leaders and government leaders throughout Northeast Indiana in the 10 county region that downtown Fort Wayne and the rivers downtown are a vital part of the economic system and will help us continue to grow as a region," Director of Community Development John Urbahns said.

Now, we've waited close to a year to hear how this money could be spent. Unfortunately though we'll have to wait another year before we see any concrete plans. That's because city officials would like to do a study on the area so they know exactly how and what to spend the money on. Some city council members question the study.

"The rest really involves having a request for proposals from outside consultants to do studies over the next year. So, hurry up and get this done so we can hire a consultant. I think the City Council has some questions about that," City Councilman Mitch Harper said.