Mayor Tucker and City officials celebrate a new public works home off Illinois Road

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Almost three years ago exactly, the City of Fort Wayne announced a plan to purchase three existing buildings in the 14/69 Automall off Illinois Road to house its public works and public safety divisions.

The project cost just shy of $15 million but the City says it will save taxpayers over double that amount in the long-term.

The City released the following:

Mayor Sharon Tucker and several local government leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and provided tours to celebrate the completion of new facilities for the City of Fort Wayne’s radio shop, fleet management department, and traffic operations department along the Avenue of Autos.

The new radio shop located at 811 Avenue of Autos serves as the central location to nine full-time employees, and manages technical and communications equipment for City departments and the 911 Communications Center. The move from the outdated 1958 building at 1103 E. Coliseum Blvd. provides needed space and upgrades, including larger offices, meeting rooms, an expanded garage, and enhanced storage for the Fort Wayne Police Department.

The new fleet maintenance building at 633 Avenue of Autos, now doubles the size of its previous location at 1705 Lafayette St., houses 29 employees and services more than 2,200 city vehicles and public safety equipment. The 67,000-square-foot facility features expanded offices, meeting rooms, service bays, garage areas, and a dedicated fire apparatus service building.

The new traffic operations building at 505 Avenue of Autos accommodates 38 full-time employees and 15 seasonal workers. The facility features 12 offices, a large conference room, sign and decal shops, two warehouse areas, and two large bays for vehicle maintenance. The facility consolidates three previously separate locations—signs & markings, signal, and street lighting—into one centralized location.

“The Avenue of Autos development is a critical and innovative investment that enhances the workplace for our employees while setting a new standard for the services we provide,” said Mayor Tucker. “By raising the bar, this development ensures we’re providing the tools and environment needed to deliver exceptional results, ultimately improving the quality of life in our community.”

The City’s Avenue of Autos project is an investment of $14.88 million and was paid for from existing City funds without having to go through a bond process to borrow money. The investment represents a significant cost savings to taxpayers as building new structures would have likely cost $34.7 million. The changes in locations were made to maximize resources and efficiencies for the public works and public safety divisions.