Project Description
The East Central Forward Neighborhood Plan was adopted on June 11, 2025, by the City of Fort Wayne. This plan was developed by the City of Fort Wayne's Department of Neighborhoods, which spent nearly two years working with residents, businesses, and organizations in the East Central Neighborhood.
This website presents the East Central Forward Neighborhood Plan in an interactive format, featuring goals, strategies, and actions in the Implementation section.
The expected outcome of this work is a 10-year neighborhood plan that provides a shared vision and direction for the neighborhoods, providing strategies for investing in growth, building community, and improving the quality of life for neighborhood residents, businesses, and organizations.
You may ask why a neighborhood plan is important. The neighborhood planning process offers local stakeholders the opportunity to come together and shape the future of your neighborhood.
Neighborhood plans do a lot for a community, including
- (1) engaging residents and businesses in identifying a future vision for the area and providing strategies and recommendations for achieving that vision,
- (2) providing detailed recommendations for the neighborhood to ensure neighborhoods grow as envisioned by the plan, and
- (3) provide a level of analysis, detail, and guidance on issues affecting local areas that a "comprehensive" citywide plan cannot.
The last East Central plan was developed in 2005. In nearly 20 years the neighborhood has seen a lot of change, and updating the plan to reflect the East Central neighborhood today is important for future growth and development.
In short, everyone! This plan involves anyone who lives, works, worships, and participates in the East Central Neighborhood planning area, and we want to ensure your voice is included.
Direct involvement from the neighborhood's stakeholders and residents is central to developing a neighborhood plan. To ensure that the neighborhood planning process goes smoothly, a team of steering committee members, made up of residents, business owners and organizations in the East Central Neighborhood planning area, meet regularly to provide feedback and guidance in the plan development process.
Implementation is underway!
Stay up-to-date on the progress of the plan's many projects and programs happening throughout the East Central Neighborhood.
East Central Forward Plan
Investing in East Central
Images below show investments made in the East Central Neighborhood since the Summer of 2024. These projects are recommendations in the East Central Forward Neighborhood Plan and result from community input since the planning process began.
Hanna Street Trail
A new 0.74-mile connection to the growing Hanna Street Trail is under construction in 2025. Once complete, this section will allow East Central residents to connect to many of the 107 miles of the trail network across Fort Wayne. The project includes a new 8-foot-wide walking trail, pedestrian signal upgrades, ADA improvements, and new pedestrian-level street lights to enhance safety.
Monroe Street Safety Improvements
Nearly $300,000 in new sidewalks and streetlights have been added to Monroe Street, improving residents' connectivity to Brackenridge Playground. This project is supported through Mayor Sharon Tucker's initiatives to invest in the East Central Forward Neighborhood Plan.
Hanna Homestead Sidewalk Safety Improvements
Nearly $200,000 in new sidewalks are being constructed on both Lewis Street and Hugh Street, improving residents' connectivity to Hanna Homestead Park and the Jennings Recreation Center. This project is supported through Mayor Sharon Tucker and 5th District Councilman Geoff Paddock.
Neighborhood Sidewalk Improvements
Nearly $500,000 in new sidewalks are being constructed on Maumee Avenue and Anthony Boulevard near the Indiana Tech campus. In addition, several hundred feet of new curbs, sidewalks, and ADA ramps were added on Berry Street, Harmar Street, and East Wayne near the site of four new innovative homes being constructed in the neighborhood. This project is supported through Mayor Sharon Tucker and Indiana Tech.
Innovative Housing Showcase
Four new housing units were added to the neighborhood in a partnership between Community Development and Royal Development. The houses on the northern side of the East Central Neighborhood include four innovative models, including Fort Wayne's first shipping container home on East Berry Street. These lots have been vacant for several years and will bring new families to the neighborhood.
Neighborhood Engagement
Two East Central Neighborhood block parties were hosted in 2023 and 2024, providing residents with an opportunity to visit Hanna Homestead Park and discuss their hopes for the future of the East Central neighborhood. Several dozen residents stopped by, enjoyed some food, fellowship, and fun, and helped provide direction for the neighborhood planning process.
The final public engagement phase of the East Central Forward Neighborhood Plan offered residents two open-house events at MKM Architecture + Design and the Foellinger Foundation in February 2025. Over 100 residents stopped out to give their feedback and rank priorities for implementation.
East Central Neighborhood
Interactive Map
English Survey
Spanish Survey
Contact Us
Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:
| Phone | 260-427-8311 |
|---|---|
| In writing | Citizens Square, 200 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne IN 46802 |
