September 21, 2015 - Today marks another milestone in construction of the Ash Skyline Plaza, as one of the final steel beams was put in place for the downtown development, which currently includes the Ash Brokerage headquarters, the city-owned parking garage, street-level retail space and additional commercial space.

During the ceremony, representatives of Ash Brokerage, the City of Fort Wayne, Weigand Construction, MSKTD and Associates, and Hoch Associates signed the final beam, which was then lifted into place on the top level of the southeast corner of the building.

Ash and City officials are pleased with the progress and eager to see the expected positive impact the project will have on the city. Construction remains on target – the parking garage is set for completion in December, while the retail, commercial and Ash office spaces remain on target for completion in May 2016. Approximately 100 people are working on the site currently – when work begins indoors over the winter, that number will nearly triple. 

Ash Brokerage is the largest independently owned insurance brokerage agency in the United States, serving independent and career agents, financial advisors and registered representatives nationwide. Ash’s investment of up to $29 million includes its new three-story headquarters, the street-level retail space and a level of commercial office space for lease.

The city’s investment of $39 million includes the 1,077-space parking garage, land acquisition, site preparation, streetscape improvements, utility upgrades, as well as other project enhancements. Funding for the city's investment in the development comes from a combination of tax increment financing (TIF) funds through the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, Legacy funds, and support from the Allen County-Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board (CIB). No property taxes are being used to fund the City’s portion of the project.

Weigand Construction, regarded as a specialist in healthcare, education, industrial and commercial work throughout the Midwest, is the builder for the project. The architect for the Ash Brokerage headquarters, as well as the retail and commercial spaces, is MSKTD and Associates, a 70-person, full-service architectural, engineering and interior design firm with offices in both Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. The architect for the garage portion of the building is Hoch Associates, an architecture, engineering, urban planning and interior design firm with offices in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Dayton.