Big Fort Wayne Trail Plan Moves Forward
(Image courtesy of Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPlans for the $9.5 million Fort Wayne Regional Trails project have received a boost. The Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority board has approved nearly $1.8 million in funding toward the project through the Regional Cities Initiative.
The funding recommendation will now head to the Indiana Economic Development Corp. for final approval. RDA Vice Chairman Bob Marshall, who also serves as executive vice president of Kendallville-based Campbell & Fetter Bank, says "trails provide an opportunity to engage residents with creative quality of life offerings while connecting communities and regional downtowns. By supporting the development of 8 miles of new trails in Fort Wayne, we are able to link four counties and provide opportunities for further development on the Road to One Million." The Road to One Million plan is focused on growing the region’s population.
If approved, the trail project would connect Lower Huntington Road along Bluffton Road through Waynedale to Foster Park; Washington Center Road to Wallen Road; Fernhill Avenue to State Boulevard; and the Fernhill-State trail to Franke Park and the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.
The RDA, which is in charge of distributing $42 million in funding through the Regional Cities Initiative, has recommended $108 million in funding to the IEDC to date. These projects include $65 million in private investment.