Keeping with the theme of city growth and momentum, Mayor Tom Henry on Wednesday highlighted Fort Wayne’s progress and development in 2014 while looking ahead to the rest of 2015 during the annual State of the City address.
“I’ve lived in Fort Wayne almost all of my life,” Henry said, speaking to a crowd of more than 250 people at Grand Wayne Center on Wednesday afternoon. “And there’s an excitement in our city that I’ve never seen before, and I suspect you’ve seen it, too.”
Last year, Fort Wayne saw $166 million in private investments and 1,100 new jobs, Henry said. The city also retained 2,600 jobs, he added.
“Dana, Deister Machine, Fort Wayne Metals, Lutheran Shared Services, Sweetwater Sound and Valbruna Steel are examples of just some of the companies who are enhancing the business climate in Fort Wayne,” Henry said.
On economic development, Henry said growth in downtown Fort Wayne and improvements to the city’s neighborhood infrastructure took major strides forward last year, and residents can expect the same level of investment in 2015.
“We must continue to make these needed improvements to help our neighborhoods succeed,” Henry said.
He also highlighted Fort Wayne’s public safety efforts over the past year, citing a 63 percent drop in homicides, a 26 percent decline in burglaries and a 22 percent drop in robberies.