Scotty's Brewhouse backs out

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Major changes are on the horizon for downtown Fort Wayne’s Harrison Square project. It’s scheduled to be built next to Parkview Field.

Despite signing a letter of intent with Barry Real Estate to build a Scotty's Brewhouse restaurant at the site, business founder Scott Wise has decided to focus on other opportunities.

He said he hoped to build an 8,000 square foot restaurant, but several obstacles emerged.

He's busy opening a new Scotty’s Brewhouse in Indianapolis and said he’s had issues securing financing and working out lease terms for what would have been the Fort Wayne location.

“We went back and forth and I finally said you know what, this isn't going to work. The dates of construction aren't clear. The dates of you getting your financial funding aren't clear,” Wise said.

He said because there’s no definite construction start date, he would encounter difficulty getting bank funding for this project. Wise also expressed frustration with the timeliness of the project. He said, “No dirt was being moved, nothing was being done.”

Wise said he’s still open to the possibility of doing business in Fort Wayne in the future.

“If another opportunity arises either in that project or somewhere else in Fort Wayne-- we're not done looking,” he said. “Fort Wayne is still a market that's on our radar.”

The city's Redevelopment Commission will meet January 12, 2011 to discuss the Harrison Square project and its progress.