Planning and Policy staff and the Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Commission, in partnership with Visit Fort Wayne and the Allen County Public Library, are undertaking an analysis of the economic impacts of historic preservation and heritage tourism in Fort Wayne.

The firm contracted to undertake this analysis is PlaceEconomics, a firm with over 30 years of experience in the quantitative analysis of the impacts of historic preservation. The purpose of the study is to determine and communicate the value of historic preservation and heritage tourism, promote heritage tourism activities and investment in historic properties, and encourage historic district designations.

Members of the PlaceEconomics team came to Fort Wayne in early March to conduct on-the-ground research and speak to local stakeholders about the analysis. The goal of these meetings was to educate community stakeholders about the study, help the consultant team learn important context in which to situate the data, as well as gather qualitative stories about the impact of historic preservation and heritage tourism to supplement the quantitative data.

The PlaceEconomics team will submit its preliminary findings in June before finalizing their final report at the end of September 2025.