Fort Wayne innovation district earns national recognition
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The redevelopment of a former General Electric industrial site has earned a Fort Wayne mixed-use innovation district a national award for community revitalization.
The district, called Electric Works, was recognized as the top redevelopment within the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 5, which covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The honor was presented at the 2023 Phoenix Awards in Detroit, which honors exemplary projects redeveloping brownfields.
“Under General Electric, this property was a vital economic engine and hub of innovation for our
city, county, and region for more than a century,” Allen County Commissioner Nelson
Peters said in a news release. “Its redevelopment and rebirth as Electric Works honors that important legacy while positioning it as a vibrant new hub of innovation and economic activity
The annual award honors communities that clean up hazardous materials and contaminants left by such industrial operations.
The district was formed after a partnership between the City of Fort Wayne, developer Ancora Partners, Allen County and the state. The former General Electric campus was turned into 700,000 square feet of offices, retail, entertainment and community space in the $286 million first phase.
The district’s second phase will feature new residential space with The Elex, which will include nearly 300 apartments, including about 75 for people over 55 years of age, as well as 1,143-space parking garage, an early childhood learning center, and an additional 9,000 square feet of commercial space.
Ancora said The Elex is slated to open in 2024.
“Electric Works is an important effort to redevelop our city’s historic GE campus into an innovation district,” Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry said. “Electric Works is gaining national exposure and is now home to Amp Lab, Do it Best, Union Street Market, and many other businesses, creating a positive economic impact in our community.”
The award is the latest recognition for Electric Works, which was named to the National Register of Historic Places in April.