As he provided an update Wednesday on his administration's position on the planned Electric Works redevelopment project south of downtown Fort Wayne, Mayor Tom Henry held firm to a previous offer of $50 million in public funding to support the project.
He also asked the City Council to consider spending $500,000 to cover legal, logistical and financial expenses. Henry said he has asked City Councilman John Crawford, R-at large, to bring that measure to the table.
But one city council member thinks that might be a tough sell.
"Just like everything else in this project to date, the costs have been undersold and then the reality is that they are coming in much higher than they should be," Jehl said. "I suppose, on the surface this appears to fit in that category."
The project, which is expected to cost about $221 million for renovations to the site's west campus, would transform an area that has sat vacant for two decades into a mixed-use development consisting of commercial and residential space. RTM Ventures, which is developing the location, has asked for $65 million in public funds.
At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Jehl issued sharp criticism of the Electric Works project thus far and claimed the development is "in danger of collapsing under its own weight."