On October 29th, Purdue Fort Wayne broke ground on their newest student housing option - a 600-bed, 213,000-square-foot apartment building by Ginsberg Hall on the North Campus. The $90 to $100 million project is being constructed in partnership with Gilbane Development Company. Roughly half the beds will be contracted to students through the university, with the other beds being leased to students directly through Gilbane. It’s a change from the existing housing options PFW offers.The university currently offers students two options – on-campus housing contracted through the school, and leases with nearby apartment complexes that have arrangements with the school. In 2024, PFW entered into a public-private partnership with Gilbane to develop and manage the housing...
GOP Secures Major Wins Across Indiana: US Senate, Governor’s Seat, and Allen County City Council
https://youtu.be/SiZ7v3-MaXU?feature=shared The makeup of the Allen County Council will shift again in January, as local Republican candidates swept the three at large seats on the county’s fiscal body. The sweep came amid a very successful election day for Republicans nationwide, marked by Former President Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Congressman Jim Banks also handily defeated Democrat Valerie McCray for one of Indiana’s two U.S. Senate seats, while Senator Jim Braun beat Jennifer McCormick, Indiana’s last state superintendent of public instruction, for the governor’s office. In remarks delivered to the assembled crowd Tuesday at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne, Banks thanked his supporters and promised to fight for the state. Even...
National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, September 17, 2024
To promote voting and civic engagement, volunteers representing eight (8) local non-partisan organizations: League of Women Voters of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne (IN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, Alive Community Outreach - Peacemakers, Northeast Indiana National Organization for Women, Gen Action Club of Purdue Fort Wayne, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, A. Philip Randolph Institute, and Count US IN will provide voter registration and education opportunities in conjunction with National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, September 17th. The collaborative holiday, which includes thousands of community partners and over 100 major national organizations and corporations, is housed at and managed by Nonprofit VOTE which itself provides nonpartisan resources to help...
The Collaborative Corner | Rachel Blakeman
https://youtu.be/0c9D5O_gZcs Our latest episode of "The Collaborative Corner" features an insightful conversation with Rachel Blakeman, Director of the Community Research Institute (CRI) at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Learn about CRI's efforts to broaden its research scope beyond economic, workforce, and population data. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in community research and development. The Collaborative Corner is a production of the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative with the goal of connecting listeners to the stories and culture of Northeast Indiana. Hosted by WBOI Program Manager, Zach Bernard, and Digital Media Manager for the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative, Brianna Datta-Barrow. Produced by Brianna Datta-Barrow. Thank you to Fort Wayne Media Collaborative Program...
Land Banks: How They Work, and Why Fort Wayne Needs One
“We need land banks everywhere.” Nate Howard, the Executive Director of Muncie Land Bank, has seen what positive changes can come from rehabilitating abandoned and vacant properties in his area. An empowered land bank can reduce blight and save taxpayers money, plus contribute to the supply of affordable housing. He noted that in Ohio, most counties have their own land banks. Why not have more in Indiana? Within the state, the closest land banks to Fort Wayne are in Muncie and Indianapolis. “Where land banks really thrive, they are supported financially by the city, and the inventory they use comes through the county government. Where land bank legislation is more developed, a lot of those things are explicit in state law.” Land banks acquire property that has become tax-delinquent, and...
Full House: Generations of Families Share Homes and Lives
What happens when the adult kids come home to ride out the Covid lockdown and then settle in? Where can Mom or Dad go when they can’t live on their own anymore? Oftentimes, to conserve money and other resources, adult family members consolidate into one household. Due to the sharp jump in housing prices in Northeast Indiana and elsewhere within the past few years, this trend is increasing. According to the 2020 census, 7.2% of US homes were multigenerational. These homes were most common in the southern US and across the eastern seaboard as well as in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. By this measure, Indiana was only slightly below the national average, with the share of multigenerational households in most counties between four and seven percent. Similar trends were noted for children...
Fort Wayne’s first Innovative Housing Showcase seeks to fill gaps in the local market
As an architect from Detroit, Rena Bradley noticed Fort Wayne was lacking diverse housing styles when she moved here in 2015. At the time, she was working for Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries on the city’s Southeast side, addressing challenges in the neighborhood, like a housing shortage and a surplus of smaller, empty lots. Bradley thought that if she could bring a concept, like shipping container homes, to Fort Wayne it could benefit families and the city alike, giving residents an attainable path to homeownership and reactivating vacant lots too small for traditional housing. As an added bonus: It would give her more interesting homes to choose from, too. “I wanted to bring the type of housing to our community that I myself wanted to live in,” Bradley says. “Something...
Mobile Home Living in Fort Wayne: Get Grounded on the Rules, Rights, and Regulations
Roiann Smolinski of Fort Wayne lived in a mobile home with her family about 40 years ago, and remembers it well. “We had a small court, maybe only 30 homes, in a convenient location close to work. The court got plowed out early from snow. We had three bedrooms and two baths, and a nice sized kitchen. It served our purpose for living, until we bought a house six years later. My dad lived in the same court, so that was a bonus.” Smolinski also noted a few drawbacks, such as no access to covered or reserved parking spaces. Smolinski paid $135 for the home plus $190 for lot rent per month, which included landscaping and snow plowing but not utilities. Despite the arctic chills that visit Fort Wayne each winter, their mobile home stayed cozy. “We didn't have any trouble with...
Republican Q&A Candidate Forum 4.14.24
Did you miss your chance to attend the Republican Candidate Forum over the weekend? You can watch candidates presenting their platforms, discussing key issues, and answering questions from the audience at the link below. IN03 Congressional Candidates from left to right: Tim Smith (R), Grant Bucher (R), Wendy W. Davis (R), Jon Kenworthy (R), Marlin A. Stutzman (R), Michael Felker (R), and Eric Whalen (R). Video presentation candidate: Andy Zay (R). https://youtu.be/UqNkWCw4JSU?feature=shared For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com.
Renting in Cool Blue Illinois: Protections, Freedoms, and Support
What a difference a border makes! Illinois, known for its Democratic leanings in the heart of the more Republican Midwest, has set up some of its laws to protect both renters and landlords. However, with an increasing demand for affordable housing, Illinois’ housing market continues to be competitive and expensive. Illinois Rules and Laws Protections for landlords and tenants start with the laws that govern them. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office publishes the “Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws” to help navigate these roles. According to the AG, some protections that Illinois renters have are: They can ask that necessary repairs be made, and use this as a viable defense against eviction if they withhold a portion of their rent when the landlord has not paid for the...
About Us
Featured Stories
How Does PFW’s New Student Housing Fit Into Purdue’s Master Plan and Student’s Needs?
On October 29th, Purdue Fort Wayne broke ground on their newest student housing option - a 600-bed, 213,000-square-foot apartment building by Ginsberg Hall on the North Campus. The $90 to $100 million project is being constructed in partnership with Gilbane...
The Collaborative Corner | Christi & Amanda Hille
https://youtu.be/x6l437kZhq8 In this episode, we're diving into the vibrant film culture of Fort Wayne with Christy and Amanda Hilly from Cinema Center. As board president and secretary, they’re also festival chairs for the Hobnobben Film Festival happening October...
National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, September 17, 2024
To promote voting and civic engagement, volunteers representing eight (8) local non-partisan organizations: League of Women Voters of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne (IN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, Alive Community Outreach - Peacemakers, Northeast Indiana...