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>> HERE'S WHAT'S MAKING NEWS
AROUND INDIANA.
LAST WEEK WE FEATURED THE
OPENING OF THE BRADLEY HOTEL IN

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DOWNTOWN FORT WAYNE. BUT THAT'S
JUST ONE OF MANY PROJECTS THAT
IS CHANGING THE SKYLINE OF
INDIANA'S SECOND LARGEST CITY.

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AROUND INDIANA REPORTER
MARY-RACHEL REDMAN CAUGHT UP
WITH MAYOR TOM HENRY TO DISCUSS
WHAT APPEARS TO BE A RENAISSANCE

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OF SORTS IN THE HEART OF ALLEN
COUNTY.
>> DOWNTOWN FORT WAYNE IN THE
LATE '30s. INDIANA'S SECOND

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LARGEST CITY BOOMING WITH
BUSINESSES AND MANUFACTURING
JOBS. BUT A ONCE ROBUST ECONOMY
BEGAN TO DECLINE BY THE EARLY

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'90s, AND 2000S.
>> FORT WAYNE WAS A CITY THAT
MADE THINGS AND FOR DECADES WE
ENJOYED THAT. WE HAD EXTREMELY

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HIGH WAGES, WE HAVE EXTREMELY
HIGH HOME OWNERSHIP, WE HAD A
NUMBER OF FACTORIES, THEY EMPLOY
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. THE

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EXODUS OF MANUFACTURING JOBS. WE
WERE HIT VERY HARD, WE LOST
20,000 JOBS IN ONE YEAR.
>> BUT OVER THE LAST DECADE,

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OVER $1 BILLION TO PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE INVESTMENTS IN DOWNTOWN
HAS IGNITED A TRANSFORMATION IN
A CITY THAT ONLY CONTINUES TO

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BUILD MOMENTUM.
>> WE FELT THAT DOWNTOWNS WERE
THE HEART OF ANY CITY. THAT IF
YOU MADE AN ATTRACTIVE DOWNTOWN

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THAT CONSISTED OF ART OFFERINGS
AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES,
AND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
HOSPITALITY OFFERINGS, THAT IT

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COULD ATTRACT PEOPLE NOT ONLY TO
COME DOWNTOWN AND PLAY, BUT TO
ALSO LIVE AND WORK, AND WE'VE
SEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN

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ALL THREE. WE'VE MORE THAN
QUADRUPLED THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE
THAT LIVE DOWNTOWN NOW. AS A
RESULT MORE AND MORE INVESTORS

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ARE APPROACHING US SAYING WILL
YOU PARTNER WITH US TO DO THIS
PARTICULAR PROJECT.
>> AND MAYOR HENRY TELLS ME THE

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KEY TAPPING INTO A ONCE UNWANTED
NATURAL RESOURCE THAT'S REALLY
OPENED UP THE FLOODGATES TO MORE
INVESTMENT.

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>> WE HAVE THREE RIVERS THAT
CONVERGE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR
CITY. OUR RIVERS HAVE BEEN A
CHALLENGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS

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THAT FLOODED HOMES, THAT FLOODED
BUSINESSES, AND WE FOUGHT THAT
FOR DECADES AND SPENT HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO

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PUSH THE RIVERS AWAY. WELL IT
NEVER REALLY WORKED. SO FINALLY
WE DECIDED TO CHANGE THAT
PHILOSOPHER AND ATTEMPTED TO

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EMBRACE OUR RIVERS.
>> AND THEY'VE DONE JUST THAT.
THE FIRST PHASE OF THE
RIVERFRONT PROMENADE PARK OPENED

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IN 2019. AND PHASE TWO OF THE
RIVERFRONT IS CURRENTLY IN THE
WORKS.
>> WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO.

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THIS IS ONLY PHASE ONE OF THREE
PHASES. THIS PARTICULAR PHASE WE
INVESTED ABOUT $30 MILLION. WE
STILL HAVE AGAIN ABOUT TWO

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PHASES TO GO TO THE EAST, A NEW
MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, ABOUT A
$90 MILLION INVESTMENT BY
SKOEKLY. WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF

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EXCITEMENT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR
AREA OF THE RIVER. WE HAVE
INVESTED ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS
IN OUR DOWNTOWN OVER THE PAST

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TEN YEARS. AND WE ANTICIPATE
ANOTHER BILLION OVER THE NEXT
FOUR, FIVE YEARS.
>> HAVE YOU SEEN IT PAY OFF?