Fort Wayne City Council voted seven to one to award $1 million of the city's Legacy Fund to the planned Victory Gardens housing development Tuesday night.
The 74-unit development will feature single-family, duplexes, town homes and zero-lot line houses are planned for the development near Paulding and Hessen Cassel roads.
The residences will cost between $186,000 and $325,000.
In a press release, Fort Wayne Community Development Director Jonathan Leist said he was excited to see the development reach this important milestone.
“Housing continues to be a top priority for Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker and this development helps expand access to homeownership opportunities and encourages additional housing development by signaling market confidence in Southeast Fort Wayne,” he said.
Additional funds will come from a READI grant and the creation of a tax increment financing, or TIF, district, according to the city.
Councilman Paul Ensley voted in favor of approving the establishment of the development but voted against spending the Legacy Fund money.
About $43 million remains in the Legacy Fund.
The Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission will vote on the TIF funding in October.
According to city estimates, economic impact projections show that the development could support approximately 322 jobs and produce more than $5.2 million in state and local tax revenue.
The project prioritizes local labor and emerging, minority‑ and women‑owned contractors, reinforcing local workforce capacity and keeping Legacy Fund dollars circulating within Fort Wayne, according to the release.