Fort Wayne City Council unanimously repealed a 43-year-old statute known as the West Main Street Renewal Project.
On the books since 1974, the law sought “orderly physical and economic growth of the Central City Area … through controlled redevelopment,” specifically residential and recreational living spaces for seniors.
Craig Berndt is an administrator with the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission. He says the statute was written before TIF districts and economic development areas existed, and has outlived its usefulness.
It also posed some problems with a current development effort.
“It was discovered during the title work for the Landing project that this has potentially some conflict with current standards, both for the zoning and for urban renewal areas and other such things,” said Berndt.
Berndt says some problems have come up regarding the height of buildings and signage requirements on the Landing, but notes that changes to the zoning code would be a much more effective way to tackle that problem.
Council agreed, passing the measure unanimously.
