We appreciate investments in our infrastructure, even the ones we can’t see! Sewer work is beginning in Southwood Park.
You may have received a flyer already if work will commence on your block.
City press release follows:
please contact the City’s Project Manager, Khylei Myers, at (260) 427-2597
7 Things to Do, Eat, and See in The ’07
Board Meeting to be held on Zoom
The Board of Directors will meet tonight via Zoom. Please contact Steve McCord at southwood_park@yahoo.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Water Main Replacement Begins on South Wayne and Tacoma Avenues
City Utilities has begun Phase 2 of the Arlington-Sherwood Area Water main replacement project. This will take place on South Wayne and Tacoma Avenues in Southwood Park and Fairmont. Wondering why they are doing this? There have been dozens of water main breaks in the area in the last few years. In fact, there was another break this week on South Wayne north of Pasadena.
Here are some recent highlights from an email from City Utilities:
- Crews are wrapping up marking of utility lines and sidewalk slabs that will be temporarily removed during construction.
- Staging will take place in the yard area of the Summit property on the north side of Rudisill.
- Work is expected to begin next week. [Editor: It has, in fact, already begun.]
- As part of the project the intersection of Maple Grove and South Wayne will close for about two months. [Editor: This is weather dependent. It could take longer.]
- We are just starting to get forms back from property owners wanting to replace their private service line.
Watch for a letter from City Utilities in the mail. Please return the forms about water service line replacement.
Expect a mess and delays in the area. If you don’t live there, you’ll be better off driving an alternate route.
Feel free to send questions during construction to Nick Rupley at Nicholas.Rupley@cityoffortwayne.org. If problems are unresolved and persist, please inform the association at southwood_park@yahoo.com.
January 31 is Due Date
Annual dues notices were mailed on 12/31/20. Please note that because of an administrative error on behalf of Above & Beyond Community Management, the due date is incorrect. It states 1/1/21 but should be 1/31/21. No interest or late fees will be accrued until after January 31.2020 in Review: Historic Southwood Park Board Remains Active in Pandemic
Social distancing changed how the Board met in 2020. Some meetings were held in front yards, some were on Zoom, and one was at the Main Library with everyone spread far, far apart… But the Board still found ways to get things done! Here are some highlights:
- Radar speed sign purchased—new
- Neighborhood Flag debut—new
- Dumpster Day—new program x 2!
- TV and Tire Amnesty Day—new
- Tree Seedling giveaway—new
- Winter “Night of Lights”—new
- 38 City Street Trees purchased by Southwood Park
- Roundabout and Westover rewired for electricity
- Roundabout lighted again for holidays
- Pocket Gardens kept healthy and happy
- We worked to keep contractors accountable on water line construction.
- Association was an active member of the Packard Area Planning Alliance (PAPA) and the Southwest Area Partnership (SWAP) partnering with other associations near us, and throughout the southwest quadrant.
It takes a team to make these things happen, and I’d like to thank all the board members and volunteers for their dedication, in keeping Historic Southwood Park a great place to live. Scott Marker is leaving the board, and we can all thank him for great work with social events. During his time on the board, we began having “Flamingo Friday” gatherings and reinvented the Summer Block Party. We’ll miss his sense of fun and can-do attitude. Thank you, Scott!
The Board will welcome two new board member volunteers next year: Karen Bailey on Beaver Avenue and Sam Welch on Old Mill Road. We have a lot in store for 2021, but there is plenty of room for more helpers. Let us know how you can help in survey question #13.
2021 will be another great year in Southwood Park!
Steve McCord, Board President
Sign the Petition to Reduce Neighborhood Speeds
Did you know 30MPH is the standard speed limit in Fort Wayne?
The petition will lower the neighborhood speed limit to 25MPH for greater safety throughout Historic Southwood Park, Historic Fairmont, and Historic Foster Park neighborhood associations. The boundaries will be easy to understand through our shared streets. All association streets will be 25MPH except Fairfield and Pettit Avenues. Those two are arterial and collector streets. Southwood Park purchased a radar speed sign, allowing Traffic Engineering to include Old Mill Road, a collector street, in our petition. City traffic engineers are allowing us to pursue this petition by mail. We appreciate their flexibility.
Please sign the petition! It is an easy way to help make our streets safer for pedestrians, children, pets, cyclists, and parked vehicles. When 51% of residents sign the petition, it will go to the Board of Works. Signs will follow their final approval.
Speeding is a perennial concern residents share with the board. The Association has raised speed awareness with residents, posted safety signage, requested increased traffic enforcement, and purchased a radar speed sign in our strategy to make our streets safer. This petition is the next step, and you get to help! Please fill out and return the Petition Form on page 4 of your January 2021 Southwood Park News with your yearly dues statement.
November Board Meeting Moved to Main Library
The November 11 Historic Southwood Park Board of Directors meeting has been moved to Meeting Room A at the Main Library. The meeting begins at 7PM.
This location change allows us to be inside with room to socially distance. Masks are required. All residents are welcome!
October 2020 Southwood Park News
The October 2020 edition of the Southwood Park News is published! Just click the link to read it.
Read about our new Official Neighborhood Flag, Fall Cleanup Day, the Fall Decor Contest, and the Association’s battle against speeding.
Breakthrough Announced for Electric Works
A City of Fort Wayne press release from October 6, 2020 follows:
Fort Wayne – RTM Ventures and Mayor Tom Henry today announced that a tentative agreement has been reached to move the Electric Works project forward.
The Model Group has joined RTM Ventures as a co-developer for the project and local businessman Tim Ash has become an investor and general partner. The Model Group and Ash will have integral leadership
roles in helping ensure the success of Electric Works.
In addition, a newly revised economic development agreement will provide the framework for the public and private sectors to meet certain expectations in order to reach a closing to be followed by the start of
construction. When finalized, the agreement will need approval by the local governing bodies responsible for approving the Electric Works project. No official timetable has been established to go before the governing bodies, but the City of Fort Wayne and RTM will begin seeking the necessary approvals as soon as possible to complete a closing by year-end.
The Model Group is based in Cincinnati and specializes in revitalizing urban neighborhoods and was instrumental in the redevelopment of Cincinnati’s historic Over-The-Rhine community. The Model Group led the successful $34 million redevelopment of The Landing in downtown Fort Wayne and is currently working on the $100 million redevelopment of the Arcade in downtown Dayton with lead developer Cross Street Partners. Cross Street Partners is part of RTM Ventures.
Tim Ash serves as CEO for Ash Brokerage, a leader in the insurance services sector and has its national corporate headquarters in downtown Fort Wayne as part of the Ash Skyline Plaza development that also features office and retail space and a parking garage and connects to Skyline Tower that offers housing and dining. Ash is also part of a new project in downtown Fort Wayne, the Ashberry, a mixed-use development to include commercial and retail space and a parking garage.
The new partnership will also allow for two additional improvements in Fort Wayne. First, $7.5 million in a New Markets Tax Credits allocation from UACD, a Cross Street Partners affiliate, will go toward the development of the new headquarters for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, which will be located on the Perfection Bakeries site in downtown Fort Wayne. Second, Tim Ash has committed to reinvest any financial gains associated with his investment in Electric Works to the southeast side of Fort Wayne.
The first phase of Electric Works is 12 acres and 730,000 square feet of office, innovation, education, healthcare, retail, and entertainment uses. With over 60% pre-leasing, Electric Works is anchored by the corporate headquarters of Do it Best Corp with other major tenants including Parkview Health, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Indiana Tech, IU Ventures, Medical Informatics Engineering, and Fort Wayne Metals. The $280 million project includes commitments for over $215 million of private capital, federal, and state tax credits.
“Electric Works presents the rare opportunity to revitalize a vacant and blighted remnant of the past by leveraging the historic buildings to create a mixed-use innovation district that will impact the economy of northeast Indiana,” said Bobby Maly, Chief Executive Officer of Model Group. “We look forward to working with Mayor Henry and to again partner with principals of RTM Ventures in our shared mission to positively transform communities.”
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that keeps our City moving forward and continues the momentum of positive development that has been taking place in downtown for the past several years,” said Tim Ash. “We know that 2020 has been a challenging year on many levels and getting Electric Works underway is an example of how Fort Wayne is going to be a “net winner” in attracting and retaining talent and creating new jobs. I am excited to work alongside of RTM, The Model Group and the City and I have all of the confidence in the world this project will be a success as our sole focus will be on producing a great outcome for the citizens of Fort Wayne.”
“Tim Ash’s major investments in and passionate commitment to downtown gave us confidence to invest in Fort Wayne,” said Josh Parker, managing principal of RTM Ventures. “With Model Group’s demonstrated success with The Landing, and our work together in Dayton, we have a co-developer that
we respect and who shares our values. Tim and Bobby fully support the community’s vision for Electric Works and we welcome them to the team that will deliver the promise of Electric Works to this community.”
“I’m so encouraged that The Model Group and Tim Ash are joining this partnership to help bring Electric Works to fruition,” said Mayor Henry. “Moving forward, our collective focus is for a successful redevelopment project that protects taxpayers and is viable now and in the future. It’s also vital to have Do it Best as the anchor tenant and corporate partner with good jobs in our community as part of the efforts to redevelop the former GE campus.”
