By the numbers
Among the 70 projects included in northeast Indiana’s grant proposal to the Regional Cities Initiativeare:

$72.5 million

regional trails network connecting 11 counties

$68.7 million

Fort Wayne riverfront development 

$38 million

IPFW Center for Leadership

$23.3 million

North Buffalo residential and mixed-use project in Warsaw

$20 million

redevelopment of The Landing in downtown Fort Wayne into an entertainment destination

$10 million

vice presidential museum and learning center at Huntington University

$9.9 million

Rock City Lofts project in Wabash

$7.3 million

downtown lofts and co-working space in Decatur

$4 million

Columbia City outdoor aquatics facility

$2.3 million

Outdoor recreation complex in Kendallville
Niki Kelly and Sherry Slater, The Journal Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS – Northeast Indiana  – represented by 11 counties and anchored by Fort Wayne – won a $42 million jackpot Tuesday to transform the region into an area with a national draw.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s trustees selected three regions in the state – northeast, north central and southwest – to receive Regional Cities grants.

“We’re writing a new future for our region and our state,” said John Sampson, president of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, which was instrumental in directing the effort. 

Officials didn’t simply hope for state funding but worked hard to secure it, he added. 

“We planned to be here today,” Sampson said.

The Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority was formed to distribute state grants to various applicants, including Fort Wayne’s downtown riverfront development and a network of area trails. The extensive proposal focused on improving quality of place to attract younger generations to the region.