GFW Inc. Layouts Action Plan
Economic development officials from Fort Wayne and Allen County have unveiled an action plan to guide the region’s economic efforts for the next 10 years. Greater Fort Wayne Inc. says its “Allen County Together” blueprint will help build a nationally recognized economy in northeast Indiana.
GFW Inc. says the ACT plan includes three pillars to reach its economic goals: high growth, innovative and inclusive.
“The progress we’ve seen across Allen County over the past 10-12 years has been remarkable. There’s no question we’ve become one of the top communities in the Great Lakes region—but we can’t get complacent,” said John Urbahns, president and CEO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc. “The ACT plan challenges us to reach our full potential as a community and lays out the next steps to get us there.”
The action plan seeks to attract $1 billion in private investment to Fort Wayne’s riverfront by the end of 2031. Development along the river has been a high priority for the city in recent years, as it has developed Promenade Park. Last February, the city broke ground on multi-use development, The Riverfront at Promenade Park. The project includes housing, office and retail space.
It also set a goal to attract 2,500 high-wage, high-tech jobs by attracting tech-driven growth industries.
The action plan also looks to create incentives and financial support for Allen County’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by launching a $10-million venture fund and accelerator by the end of 2026. The goal is to grow the venture fund to $25 million by the end of 2031.
“If we’re going to drive our community forward, we need to keep raising the bar—and that’s what ACT does. It challenges us to build a community with expanded, equitable opportunities for individuals and families to live their best lives here,” said Ellen Cutter, GFW Inc. VP of economic development. “Now we’ve got to do the work to make these projects a reality. We know it won’t always be easy, but if we work together, we can create a better future in Allen County.”
The consulting team that helped developed the action plan conducted 20 roundtables and dozens of individual interviews to gather information and ideas from more than 200 local stakeholders.
Click here to view the action plan.