August 10, 2018 - City officials today announced a team of professionals has been selected to design and begin implementation of Riverfront Fort Wayne Phases II and III, which will focus on preparations for public and private investment within the downtown riverfront area, including along the river’s edge.
DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, a landscape architecture and urban design firm with studios in Philadelphia and Indianapolis, will lead the team of landscape architects, architects, urban designers, engineers and economists that will design Phases II and III.
“Our community and region continue to support the Riverfront Fort Wayne efforts. Everyone involved with riverfront development appreciates the public’s interest and excitement,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “We’re committed to building world-class amenities along the riverfront as we continue to work together to make Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana a point of destination to live, work and play. Being in position for the next phases speaks to the importance of why we’re always moving to make unique and innovative progress for residents, visitors and businesses.”
Design work for Phases II and III will focus on setting the groundwork for public and private investment within the riverfront area. The work will include the following:
1) Creation of a Riverfront Fort Wayne area master plan. The master plan will pick up where past Riverfront efforts ended by developing in detail the design elements that will help attract and support private investment. The master plan will include a market analysis that will determine the types of retail, commercial and residential development that can be supported locally and it will further define the character of the Riverfront Fort Wayne area. The consultant team will determine design guidelines and zoning recommendations, as well as recommendations for ensuring the business sector connects seamlessly with public spaces, nearby neighborhoods and downtown.
2) Infrastructure Plan. The work will evaluate what changes to infrastructure (such as streets, sewers, and flood/wetland protection measures) are needed to support new development.
3) Riverbank public space improvements. This will include the design and preparation of construction documents for the riverbank on the north and south sides of the St. Marys River, between Ewing and Wells streets and Harrison and Clinton streets.
The work will build upon the vision laid out in the Riverfront Fort Wayne Conceptual Plan, which was developed with significant community input and finalized in 2015. It will further complement Phase I/Promenade Park and the current private investment (Hall’s Restaurants, Superior Lofts, Continental Property Group Mixed-Use Development/Parking Garage) taking place along Superior Street.
A contract in the amount of $2.5 million will be introduced to City Council on August 14. Funding for the contract will come from the .13 percent adjustment to the local income tax approved last year. That revenue stream also supports sidewalk and alley improvement projects. If approved by Council, work will begin immediately; construction on the public spaces along the riverbank is expected to begin in late 2019 or early 2020.
Contracts with Riverworks Design Group to design Phase I/Promenade Park totaled $2.2 million funded through Legacy Fort Wayne.
DAVID RUBIN Land Collective is an award-winning landscape architecture and urban design firm that has worked in cities across the world. The studio has completed, or is working on, designs for waterfront districts in Wilmington, DE; Allentown, PA; Bala Cynwyd, PA; Westfield, IN; Columbus, IN; Muncie, IN; Indianapolis; and the Cayman Islands.
In addition to DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, other members of the implementation team include: Agency Landscape + Planning, Beyer Blinder Belle, HR & A, Bruce Mau Design, One Lucky Guitar, Christopher B. Burke Engineering (CBBEL), DLZ, CE Solutions, MSKTD & Associates, Wilson Consulting, and Dharam Consulting.
