News » Local

Major Shakeup May Be In Works For Troubled Harrison Square Condo Project

By Jeff Neumeyer
June 18, 2010 Updated Aug 19, 2009 at 5:11 PM EST FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana's NewsCenter) --- The stalled Harrison Square Condominium and Retail project may go forward without residential condos at all. It would be a major deviation from the project's original blueprint. Fort Wayne city officials say they've now communicated to the developers out of Atlanta, Barry Real Estate and Hardball Capital, that the city would be willing to allow the space dedicated for residential living to be converted into office space. There continues to be no progress on the land off Jefferson Boulevard near Ewing Street that has been set aside for a multi-story building with retail space planned for the ground floor, and condos above. The condos aren't selling in a tough housing market, and city officials now admit they were probably over-priced in the first place. City Redevelopment Director Greg Leatherman says a new concept is now being fully explored, that would keep retail in the picture for the ground floor, but focus on attracting things like accounting firms or law offices to the levels up above. Greg Leatherman/Ft. Wayne Redevelopment Director: " We can't have just an office building at that location, that would not be complementing the rest of the project, but we're interested in what the market can produce, so we're all ears." Tom Smith/(R) Ft. Wayne Council President: " I think what we've come to is the realization that we've got to go to Plan B. We're still going to have apartments, condos, lofts in Harrison Square, just not on that corner." Council President Smith favors building condos on Baker Street on the south part of the property, where phases two and three were originally envisioned. City officials say they will continue to insist that a mix of retail businesses occupy the ground floor of the project next to Jefferson Boulevard. Leatherman says Mayor Tom Henry’s administration wants things like a full-service restaurant, sandwich shops, a fitness center, or a mini grocery-drug store in the mix to draw people to that area after normal business hours.
RSS Stay up to date, subscribe to the Local & Regional RSS Feed.

What are your thoughts on this story? CLICK HERE to leave us "Your 2 Cents."


What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "Your2Cents” comment.

Want to be in the know for the next weather event, the next school closing or the next big breaking news story?

TextCaster alerts from Indiana's NewsCenter are your defining source for instant information delivered right to your cell phone and email. It's free, easy and instant. Sign-Up Now!
Powered by Summit City Chevrolet



© Copyright 2011 A Granite Broadcasting Station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

To submit a comment on this article, your email address is required. We respect your privacy and your email will not be visible to others nor will it be added to any email lists.