Does the mayor see the world differently than the rest of us?
Posted by: Lucy in BusinessAs I have been following along on the discussion I started the other night with some local businesses closing in Fort Wayne when I came across this ditty in the Journal Gazette I was kind of left scratching my head.
Fort Wayne’s efforts to redevelop itself, including the Harrison Square project, are already bringing people (and their wallets) into town, according to the mayor.
Citing the downtown development, Mayor Tom Henry said the city’s redevelopment efforts helped lure the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns annual conference back to Fort Wayne in 2010.
I guess the ultimate difference being what is happening now and who is coming to visit Fort Wayne in the year 2010…
The conference is tentatively scheduled for early October 2010.
Dan O’Connell, president and CEO of the Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the Courtyard played a large part in bringing the convention back to Fort Wayne for the first time since 2005.
The convention is estimated to bring more than 800 local government delegates from around the state, along with 100 vendors and several guests.
Read the whole story here.
Well gang if you all can just hang on until early October of 2010!!!
Posted by Lucy
Last 5 posts by Lucy
- Does the mayor see the world differently than the rest of us? - January 24th, 2008
- On a Warsaw Radio Website - January 22nd, 2008
- You've got to be kidding me! - January 14th, 2008
- To Each of You - January 1st, 2008
- Keep our troops in your hearts and your prayers this Christmas - December 24th, 2007
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I’ve been a fan of blogs for just a little while now, and I have lived in F.W. my whole life, and I happened to hear about this blog through some locals, and I have to say one thing. I don’t think you like living in F.W.. I mean you’re saying that you don’t think F.W. is good enough for this. Man, you have some real issues. What’s wrong with F.W. hosting this event?
There is nothing wrong with Fort Wayne hosting this event, in fact they did in 2005. Its just that so many believe this Harrison Square project to be the end all beat all to everything that is wrong. There are so many other positive things that could have been done with the astronomical amount of money that is being spent for this project.
Seriously, the Indiana association of cities and towns? Just how many big cities do they have to choose from to have this event and how often might Fort Wayne fall into that rotation? I don’t think Harrison Square was the lure in this decision.
That conference rotates between 5 cities, to spread the wealth among the few places that offer convention facilities. Does anyone really believe they said “oh, wow, a Courtyard- free fruit and dry cereal in the lobby every morning! Let’s go to Fort Wayne.”
Too bad the convention is in October — they won’t be able to see the new baseball stadium.
This conference was hosted by Fort Wayne in 2005, before there was a Harrison Square or a Courtyard. Yawn…..
Mark Garvin is correct. The city is assigning value to something that would have happened anyway.
“Oh look, since Harrison Square had been determined, the sun is rising in the east. Boy I’m glad we rammed this down the throats of the taxpayers or we would have no sun. It is a miracle.”
The Harrison Square miracle.
So there’s a good chance they will come back again in 2015, 2020, 2025…wow think of all the things that can be built each five years to lure them back again and again…..
So, really this isn’t that big of a deal. They aren’t coming to Fort Wayne because of Harrison Square, people. They are coming to Fort Wayne because there aren’t many other choices. Where else would they go? The options are pretty limited. The fact that people are saying that they are coming here because of Harrison Square just makes me laugh.
I’m w/ Lucy & Squarefinger on this one.
(assigning value to a “given”….yeah)
@ Derek:
I really LIKE living in Ft. Wayne. It beats Philly in MANY aspects (except for some amenities in foods back east), but I take exception to the way the city manages to mismanage MY part of town (the SOUTH side).
And while I’m sure there are MANY people in this city of good repute, such cannot be said WHERE I LIVE.
(so just move, Derek said)
Well, the short answer is since we’re not independently wealthy, and don’t want to go into hock up to our necks, we’re staying put (for now).
Trouble is, we just don’t like public urination, trash, drugs, gunshots, boomcars, screaming kids and adults, and people who don’t know WTF a sidewalk is used for.
And neither would ANY OTHER NORMAL person.
If Ft. Wayne suffers from ANY problem…it’s the PEOPLE, whether they’re politicians, service workers, or neighbors (using the term loosely).
Change THAT…and you CAN, in effect, change the face of this city for the better…and on a more permanent basis.
(Something a “stadium” will never be able to do).
B.G.
Lucy - That’s what scares me the most about the baseball stadium move from being a county to city run public facility - It will justify future unlawful actions because , like HS, it can be hidden behind a redevelopment department running with no controls. Witness Pat Roller’s response to the State Board of Accounts calling out of the errors in the acquisition of property prior to legal approval in their audit of her books for 2006 where she said “thank you for saying we did things correctly” which was bunk! In other words,”We can do whatever we want, and we will, - thank you”. John B. Kalb
Pay no attention to the first “bye assed” post. I believe he has ties to the current mayor, I’d bet he knows Ben very well!
Mark Garvin is correct. The convention is on a rotation with Indy area getting it about every other year. Some of the other cities I know that have hosted it include Evansville, South Bend, Fort Wayne and I believe even Gary had it once. So basically yes, in any given 5 to 6 year period, Fort Wayne would get the conference. There were more than enough current Hotel Rooms to accomodate the attendees and vendors.
Derek,
Dan is not saying he doesn’t like Fort Wayne. He is saying that he doesn’t like it when our elected officials offer us B.S. statements such as Mayor Henry’s above.
Bob G. & john b. kalb make excellent points. When the city leaders act without regard for the wishes of their constituents, or try to mislead them, they are no different than the punks that expect you to drive around them instead of them using the sidewalk.
Rid Fort Wayne of these disrespectful elements and you will have a better city.
Lynn,
Just so we’re on the up and up, I’ve only met the new mayor a couple of times, and that was when he was on the city council, and by the way, who is Ben?
FYI - Lucy - that’s me - posted this article, Dan hasn’t even commented on any of this. In fact he didn’t respond when I offered to remove it because some readers seemed to think it was him and not me. I simply was making my point that this whole cities and towns group would have visited Fort Wayne in 2010 regardless…..Harrison deal or no deal, the course of the future was not altered.
HS isn’t a catalyst for more private development, it will be the catalyst for more government projects. Last year they said that it will spark more private downtown development in Fort Wayne. Ten years from now, when that development doesn’t come, they’ll still say that Harrison Square was such a big success that we need three more projects just like it.