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City of Fort Wayne proposes purchase of three buildings at Avenue of Autos

(Photo Supplied / City of Fort Wayne)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): City officials announced a plan Tuesday to purchase three existing buildings at the Avenue of Autos along Illinois Road to relocate some city services within the public works and public safety divisions.

Under the plan, the fleet department would move to 633 Avenue of Autos, the radio shop and the Fort Wayne Police Department’s storage operations would move to 811 Avenue of Autos and the street light maintenance, sign shop and traffic signals departments would move to 505 Avenue of Autos.

The cost would be $14.48 million and would be paid for from existing funds. Officials estimate that new buildings would likely cost $34.7 million.

City officials say the fleet department is currently in a building that was built in 1954 and has not been renovated since 1969. The radio shop sits in a facility built in 1958 that is over capacity and needs repairs and upgrades. The FPWD storage facility is leased at $50,000 per year and has limited space. Meanwhile, the street light maintenance team is in a building from 1940 that needs major repairs and upgrades, while the sign shop and traffic signals facilities are in spaces built in 1920.

Right of way landscaping and the city’s test lab would move to a remodeled space at 325 East Murray Street. Currently, the test lab is in a building on Lafayette Street that would be demolished and developed as a green space. The street department would repurpose the current fleet building for indoor equipment storage. The current radio shop would put up for sale.

A resolution was introduced at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Approval is also required from the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission. That will be considered on Feb. 14.

RELATED: Menards and Kelley Automotive announce expansions and partnership

The space is available after Kelley Automotive Group announced in 2018 that they will move several dealerships currently located in the 14/69 Auto Mall to Illinois Road, adjacent to Menards.

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