Fort Wayne Mayor: Arena Project Could Return
A downtown arena could still be a possibility for Fort Wayne. In an interview with our partners at WPTA-TV, Mayor Tom Henry says there is renewed interest in a project, not unlike the $105-million facility proposed and then scrapped in 2017.
Henry told the station discussions surrounding a downtown arena and concert have been ongoing and he thinks an arena still has potential in the city.
He said that he believes the Indiana Pacers could embrace a downtown home for the team’s G-League affiliate, the Mad Ants, and that “other major players back the idea of a 5,000 to 6,000 seat venue.”
According to the report, a downtown arena could bridge a major gap if the current Electric Works project doesn’t get off the ground. Henry says he wants Electric Works to be a success, but knows that failure to secure an anchor tenant could force developers and the city to pursue a “Plan B.”
Henry also told the station he expects “serious discussions” will take place in 2020 about a potential project for the old OmniSource property just north of the Martin Luther King Bridge.
When WPTA-TV asked Henry if an announcement about a future development for the site might come in 2020, he said: “Is it possible, absolutely.”
You can see the full interview by clicking here.