Fort Wayne Indiana needs to see some economic development activity (Lafayette: 2009, school)

[mbuszu]

I've been observing that the industry least affected by the economic crisis - Medicine, is the industry that cities such as Fort Wayne should have been focusing on developing and growing the past 10 years to avoid feeling the brunt of future cyclical recessions and even the major economic crisis like that which we're all feeling. Instead due to some really ignorant economic development decisions, no real progress has been made to bring Fort Wayne into the 21st century. I've heard that recent economic development meetings have not resulted in any promising plans which just ticks me off.

It is incomprehensible to me how a small city such as Warsaw Indiana (right next to Fort Wayne) can reap fantastic benefits from the medical industry (orthopedic manufacturing) while Fort Wayne's political decision-makers continually flounder around making ridiculous and fiscally irresponsible decisions. Decisions such as building a duplicate minor league ball park and building a duplicate ice arena in 2009. Decisions to cut funding for Science teachers and specific science labs in the Fort Wayne community school system. Decisions to pay ridiculous sums of tax dollars to attract airlines who shortly after taking the money close their routes to Fort Wayne and leave. Why not instead copy Warsaw and focus on industry development through programs designed to bolster education, research and business in particular areas related to science and technology?

One thing Fort Wayne is rich in is hospitals... we have several. Imagine if the city of Fort Wayne invested in expanding the Medical Programs offered by the local University and College campuses... if both Parkview and Lutheran Hospitals became "teaching" AND "research" hospitals, and if the local tech and community colleges had programs specifically geared towards retraining folks to work in medical device manufacturing, or biotech, or other "hot areas" which are obviously where investors have no problem putting their money.

Obviously Fort Wayne has blue collar roots, but times are definitely changing and Fort Wayne needs to change with them. I think science and high-technology related industries are the ones to bring to our great city.

What do you think?

[Signora]

We are going to be moving to Fort Wayne this summer.... I thought I heard that it is currently in the works to make the medical school a full term program....

[domergurl]

Medical school where ... IPFW? I remember years ago when Notre Dame's efforts to start a medical school were thwarted by the AMA ... methinks it was an IU conspiracy ... they don't want to share their turf.

[Future Trooper]

I do think that Fort Wayne could be more "built up"

Lafayette has taller buildings than Fort Wayne does and Fort Wayne is the 2nd largest city in Indiana!

[ShadowCaver]

Good grief people... c'mon, get with the program here - Fort Wayne is gonna have the PotHeads baseball team leading its new economic development activities, don'tcha know? Just think, all of that extra congestion on the ~4 main arteries that feed the downtown area - need new gas stations for fuel and snacks. Thats progress baby!


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[fabumom07]

Just drove by the Parkview Field on Saturday and the new structures are very beautiful. I was so relieved and excited. The angry little apple faces leering down from the brick facade kinda distacted me , but overall my family swelled with pride. We had a lovely afternoon at the botanical gardens and then went Munchie Emporium on Taylor, for some fantastic lunch served by a charming yet drunken waitress. The kids loved the "scooby snacks".

I call the new mascot "Le Pomme Terrible"- french for angry, bratty apple. I'll have the hubby translate to German sometime, which will be more appropriate.