think about the Fort Wayne area, they had a vision and they had leadership that was getting the necessary funding, and it’s really always a private public partnership where the state was offering some incentives and the private industry was coming in.” Fort Wayne exemplifies this collaborative approach with several major investments. “They’ve got an international airport that’s undergoing about a 122 million investment. They’ve got their Arts United Centre, which is being renovated and modernized,” Bedel notes.The city has also developed impressive public spaces: “Promenade Park is a residential benefit in downtown Fort Wayne that runs along the river and it’s got all these amenities and public spaces and just a great way for people to be outside.” West Lafayette has similarly invested in public recreational spaces.“They put in a new park. It’s a 30acre park that they hadn’t had before,” Bedel explains. “They’ve got a lot of nature-based playscape areas as well as a big recreational pond where people can kayak and do things like that.” Southern Indiana boasts historic resorts that blend heritage with modern amenities.“French Lick Resort 120 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03
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