The General Electric campus along Broadway now sits empty, thousands of jobs gone. Staff photo by Samuel Hoffman
Fort Wayne-area residents want the former General Electric campus just south of downtown preserved for its historic significance – and redeveloped with an “anchor” attraction that could draw people from throughout the city and region.
Those are the main findings of a report summarizing three community roundtables in February that sought input on the future of the vacant 32-acre complex along Broadway.
Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics who facilitated the roundtables, presented the findings Wednesday to a meeting of the General Electric Campus Coalition.
The coalition commissioned the roundtables through funding provided by Greater Fort Wayne Inc., an economic development group.
Although the roundtables were not designed to provide a representative sample of the population, Downs said, they were well attended with about 155 participants.
“The thing people were really looking for was a major use, plus leaving significant square footage for future development,” he said. “People are looking for something with a master plan and an anchor.
“People do want to see something significant happen; don’t just throw in a couple of shops.”
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