“Fort Wayne city officials say they’ve now communicated to the developers out of Atlanta, Barry Real Estate and Hardball Capital, that the city would be willing to allow the space dedicated for residential living to be converted into office space.”

Offices could fill Harrison Square site
Link (WANE)

“In an effort to drum up sales, developer Barry Real Estate has tweaked the design: making the condos bigger, even eliminating a floor. But it hasn’t worked.

“The price point for that particular location has been higher than what it appears our market wants to pay,” Leatherman said.

So why not change the development to lower the price?

“That would conflict with the very nice baseball park and the parking deck and the park that’s there and the new hotel that’s being built,” Leatherman said.”

City open to adding offices to Harrison
Condo project morphs into multiuse building
Link (JG)

““We all still realize the best thing to happen is for more people to live downtown,” Leatherman said. “That doesn’t mean they necessarily have to live right at that spot.”

The project would still have to be of similar quality as Parkview Field and the Courtyard by Marriott that is under construction, Leatherman said, and it would have to support stores and restaurants that bring people downtown after normal business hours.

“What we want more than residential for that area are things that bring people downtown,” he said.”

LEGAL ACTION AGAINST HARRISON SQUARE DEVELOPERS WRONG MOVE: CITY REDEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Link (INC)

“Greg Leatherman/Ft. Wayne Redevelopment Director: ” Those things are still within our rights under the agreement, but at this point, we don’t believe that that’s the best way to successfully launch a project that will complement the hotel, the ballpark and the parking garage.”
The developers are required under their contract to make a minimum 14.5 million dollar investment, but Leatherman suggests that might be subject to some re-negotiation in an effort to encourage the project moving ahead.”

“We are in the midst of a very special season, ballpark fans: talk about an abundance of riches. Earlier in the season we proclaimed Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers, the perfect ballpark. We certainly stand by that assessment; if anything we may have underestimated how quickly local fans would embrace such an outstanding facility.

We have our second gem of the year: After all is said and done, Parkview Field, home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, earns our praise for achieving the same level of perfection. At a time when the new Yankees and Mets ballparks are attracting a lot of attention, the really noteworthy new ballparks are at the minor-league level. In Fort Wayne, TinCaps owner Jason Freier and architect Populous have managed to create an intimate, thoughtfully designed facility where community is king and fans are prompted to have a new experience every time they visit the park — even if they’re season-ticket holders on their thirtieth visit.”

Check out the link for the full review!

H/T: Baseball in Fort Wayne

“For several months city officials didn’t know for sure that the new hotel would ever get built.

Representatives from the developer White Lodging Services, joined city leaders and banking officials on Monday in commemorating the official start of the project.

The hotel will have 250 rooms, meeting space, and a Champions Sports Bar.

One of the biggest beneficiaries will be the Grand Wayne Center, hungry for more downtown hotel space to attract bigger events.”

Crews break ground on downtown hotel
Project 6 months behind schedule
Link (WANE)

“Coming through at the eleventh hour were seven local banks who decided to put their financial support behind the project. The lead bank is Centier, and along with STAR Financial Bank, Salin Bank, TOWER Bank, First Federal Bank, Grabill Bank, Lake City Bank, and Chase Bank, they were able to grant the financing for the project. Now, construction is underway, putting 50 to 75 people to work every day for the next 16 months. More than half of them local.

“This is a project that’s coming online just at a point when we need the jobs, when we need the economic development,” said former Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard, who largely spearheaded the Harrison Square project in it’s conceptual stage during his administration.”

“Parkview Field cost nearly $3 million more to construct than expected, but reductions in the costs of other parts of Harrison Square mean fewer tax dollars will be spent on the project than projected.

Greg Leatherman, Fort Wayne executive director of redevelopment, briefed the City Council on Tuesday on the public costs for the downtown project – with an estimated total between $120 million and $130 million.

The most visible part so far – Parkview Field – ended up costing the city $27.7 million, above the $24.9 million budget. Hardball Capital, owner of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, spent $900,000 more than originally expected on the project, and that amount is included in the city’s overage.”

[...]

“The city’s extra costs were for a larger-than-expected contract to ensure groundwater didn’t seep into the ballpark and for amenities added after the city knew there was money remaining in the Harrison Square budget.

Leatherman said those items included a children’s playground, shade structures for fans, and an enhanced “batter’s eye” to improve the look of the area just beyond the center-field wall.”

[...]

“Councilman Tom Didier, R-3rd, said that while he supports Harrison Square, more doubters will arise the longer The Harrison lags.

“When you see that hole there, it’s a constant reminder it’s not finished,” he said. “It will start to wear on people.”

Tim Haffner, corporate counsel for the city, said he understands those concerns, and the city has started to address the problem with letters sent to the developer, Barry Real Estate, which is linked to Hardball Capital.

All options are being considered, Haffner said, but the city expects a response from the developer this month.”

Costs of Harrison Square explained to council
Link (NS)

“So far, Harrison Square is coming in below budget, the city’s director of redevelopment told City Council members Tuesday night.

But only because interest rates dropped sharply after the budget was developed, City Councilman Mitch Harper, R-4th, and other council members pointed out.”

[...]

“Councilman Tom Didier, R-3rd, said the gaping holes that exist where the rest of the Harrison Square project detract from the image of downtown.

“I know you’re in a honeymoon stage with them” after the completion of Parkview Field, Didier said.

City Attorney Tim Haffner responded, “We’re back from the honeymoon.” Haffner said the city notified both companies in June 2 letters that they have failed to perform according to their contracts.

Leatherman said an official groundbreaking is scheduled for the hotel June 29.

City Councilman Tim Pape, D-5th, and Council President Tom Smith, R-1st, both pursued the question of what comes next for downtown. How does the city leverage more private investment to build momentum for revitalization?

“We still have some heavy lifting to do,” on Harrison Square, Leatherman said.”

“The Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission on Monday approved changes to its contract with White Lodging, the hotel developer, which call for the $20 million-plus, 250-room hotel to be substantially complete by Aug. 15, 2010, and open for business in September. The project was originally scheduled for completion March 1, 2010.

Greg Leatherman, city executive director of redevelopment, said he is pleased the project has begun construction. A ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony will be June 29.”

[...]

“The half-year delay means property taxes on the hotel will be received a year later than expected, and commission member Thom Obergfell said the city needs to take that into account in its spending plans. He said the commission should be cautious in spending property tax money from the Jefferson Pointe special taxing area – which is also helping finance Harrison Square – in case more money is needed to pay off the city’s loans.”

“As has become customary when a team moves into a new ballpark, the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Midwest League decided to switch to a different nickname for 2009. They came up with the name TinCaps, because Johnny Appleseed allegedly wore a tin cooking pot on his head as he traveled about cultivating apple trees. ”

[...]

“Decidedly younger than the Johnny Appleseed legend is Fort Wayne’s Memorial Stadium. It was built in 1993, but after only 14 years of life, the city decided to replace it. It was a ballpark that was “charmless, featureless and amenity-less” said Jason Freier, the CEO of Hardball Capital, which owns the TinCaps. Other than that, it was quite a facility.

The fate of the sterile ballpark, which was located only four miles away from downtown (but when you look at its surroundings, it seems more like a thousand miles away), was sealed in 2007. That’s when it was decided that a shiny new baseball facility would be the anchor for a significant urban-renewal project downtown known as Harrison Square.”

[...]

“You know, with Populous — the new name for HOK — being heavily involved in the two new Major League parks opening in New York this year, as well as the very ambitious spring-training park in Goodyear (not to mention Target Field that will open in Minneapolis next year), I was fearful that a ballpark in the low-A Midwest League might not get the best and brightest designers at Populous. My fears were unfounded.

In fact, Populous associate principal Martin DiNitto put it this way: “Projects like Parkview Field are at the heart and soul of our practice.” The effort they put into the park’s design certainly attest to this fact.

Indeed, the architectural work here is first-rate. Not only does it pass the “first glance” test with flying colors, it also blows you away when you start doing a thorough analysis of the finer points of the design — especially as “themes” are carried out in different parts of the facility.”

[...]

“Overall, the food offerings at this Low-A facility are what you would expect to find at nicer Double-A or Triple-A ballparks. Both the variety and quality are quite high. Right off the bat, I have to tell you that my favorite stand is the Center Field Grill, which serves up some of the best barbecued ribs (below left, $8.75 for the “plate” as shown) I’ve had outside of my home state of Texas, which I consider to be the BBQ Capital of the civilized world.”

[...]

“Jason Freier, who was a tremendous help in putting this review together, told me that he is “thrilled with the way the ballpark turned out.” He should be. He, and the fans of Fort Wayne, received a tremendous ballpark for their $30-million investment.”

“Greg Leatherman, city executive director of redevelopment, will provide details on the public finances of the project to council Tuesday.

Those who requested the report said the controversial project deserves such scrutiny, but at least one councilman said further attacks on the project are pointless and much of the information to be presented has already been publicly released.”

[...]

“Council President Tom Smith, R-1st, said he asked for the report simply because it was time to give a public accounting of one of the largest and most hotly debated public projects. Smith voted against Harrison Square and has often voted against related issues to the project.

He said he wasn’t trying to push an agenda through the report, but it was appropriate to look at all the public money spent constructing Parkview Field and the nearby parking garage, as well as prepping the site for a Courtyard by Marriott and The Harrison, a proposed condominium/retail building.”

[...]

“Councilman Tim Pape, D-5th, said he was concerned with opponents to the project simply using this as another chance to criticize it. Pape, one of the more vocal supporters of Harrison Square on council, said he understands the project deserves public scrutiny, but said council members could have received all this information on their own had they simply asked.

Pape said opponents have hammered on Harrison Square by saying they are looking out for the public good, but they have offered little scrutiny of any other project, such as the redevelopment of Southtown Mall. He said continued criticism discourages private developers who might be interested in investing in the city.”

TIME: 4:00 p.m.
DATE: 15 June 2009
PLACE: Omni Room, 2nd floor, City-County Building, One Main Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Resolution 2009-36
Approving change order #4 to a Contract with Fort Wayne Roofing Corporation for the Harrison Square (Parkview Field) Stadium

Resolution 2009-37
Approving the Collection of Tax Increment for 2009 Pay 2010 Tax Year from Various Tax Allocation Areas in the City of Fort Wayne

Resolution 2009-38
Approving an Expense (Concrete Sealant) for the Harrison Square Parking Garage

Resolution 2009-39
Approving the Parkview Field Naming Rights Agreement

Resolution 2009-40
Approving a 4th Amendment to the Hotel Development Agreement with White Lodging Services Corporation

Click to embiggen

“Fort Wayne city officials gave Harrison Square’s condominium developers a month to renegotiate their broken contract with the city.

The Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission issued two letters this week regarding the condominiums, one to Barry Real Estate, the project developer, and one to Hardball Capital, Barry’s partner and owner of the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Barry’s agreement with the city required the developer to construct a $14.5 million condominium/retail building by June 1. Construction on the project has yet to begin.”

Hardball letter
Link (JG, PDF)

Shoen letter
Link (JG, PDF)

Fort Wayne satisfied hotel developer meeting contract stipulations
Link (NS)

“Half the construction contracts awarded to date on the new Courtyard by Marriott Hotel have gone to local contractors – a percentage that appears to satisfy the developer’s contract with the city, officials say.

Although just 30 percent of the contracts for construction of the 250-room downtown hotel in Harrison Square have been awarded, local companies have won seven of the 14 awarded to date, said Deputy Director of Redevelopment Greg Leatherman. Indianapolis-based Shiel Sexton is general contractor.”