October 30, 2023 - Mayor Tom Henry and the City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division today led a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on More Brewing Company’s restaurant and brewpub located on the North River property.
More Brewing Company, which has three locations in the Chicago area, is planning to invest approximately $6 million to build a two-story restaurant and brewery with a riverfront patio and terrace, located just north of the riverfront public space and near the intersection of Fourth and Calhoun streets. This is the first project to be constructed at North River.
“More Brewing is a significant addition to the tremendous momentum and investments we’re experiencing along our riverfront,” said Mayor Henry. “Having More Brewing as the first public-private partnership on the North River site is an outstanding win for our community and region. Residents and visitors will have another unique amenity to enjoy as we continue to work to be the best live, work, and play city in the country.”
The North River property is comprised of 29 acres generally bounded by Clinton, Fourth and Harrison streets and serves as an important gateway into downtown. The site was previously used as a rail yard and other industrial type uses, dating back to 1902. The land has not been actively used since 2006. The City of Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission acquired the property in 2017 and approved an economic development agreement with More Brewing in 2021.
“On behalf of the Redevelopment Commission, we are excited to witness the advancement of this project with More Brewing and their position as the pioneering site at North River," said Jonathan Leist, Deputy Director of Redevelopment.
"We're thrilled to embark on the journey of establishing our inaugural restaurant and brewpub in Indiana at North River, which stands as one of the top development sites in both the region and the state," expressed Sunny Patel, an owner of More Brewing Company.
The opportunity for development at the North River site was made possible in part with support from the Allen County-Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board of Managers (CIB). They approved $4.6 million in funding for the City to purchase the North River site in 2017. The CIB has continued to be an advocate and partner for development of the site since the acquisition.
The opening of Promenade Park in 2019 was Phase I of riverfront public space development. Promenade Park quickly became one of our region's most popular destinations for residents and tourists. In addition to being a nationally renowned park, Promenade Park furthered the City’s proven track record of leveraging public funds to catalyze private investment.
Project completion is anticipated in the first quarter of 2025.