Residents, business owners and community leaders of the city's southeast side are taking their future into their own hands. The Southtown Area Advisory Committee, formed in November by Mayor Tom Henry, held a public forum last night at the Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana to discuss the actions it's taking to improve the area, including bringing in a hotel, restaurants and stores.
About 200 people attended the meeting that included an update on the committee's work, recent crime statistics presented by Nancy Chamberlin, the police department's southeast-side deputy chief, and a question-and-answer session.
Mike Landram, committee member and president of the Chamber of Commerce, presented some of the committee's work so far. Some actions include identifying demographics of the area, making presentations to the southeast side's church ministers, looking at models for developing urban markets and meeting with some of the city's major businesses like Pizza Hut and Casa Restaurant.
Chamberlin discussed how crime has decreased in the area, despite many people's perceptions. She said in her presentation that 1,000 fewer crimes were committed in the area last year than in 2001. “Most people incorrectly assume that the southeast side is where most crimes occur,” she said.
Chamberlin said many of the crimes against businesses happen on the northwest side of the city, but admitted there are more businesses located on that side of town. She said in 2009 the police department confiscated about 280 firearms from streets in the area, but didn't mention homicides. More than half of the county's homicides this year have occurred on the southeast side.
Audience members had many questions for the committee and the mayor, who also attended the meeting, and gave feedback and suggestions for businesses they would like to see come to the area. Sheila Campbell, youth advisor for Students Against Violence Everywhere and member of the South Side Optimist Club said she had hoped there would be more time for questions and wondered why this type of meeting took so long to happen.
“Why has it taken so long for the city to be here? These were the intentions when (the Public Safety Academy) was built here. I don't know why it's taking so long,” she said.
Landram said one of the biggest challenges the committee is facing is the economy. Many businesses aren't opening anywhere, let alone in that area of the city. The mayor discussed some options for business owners looking for aid from the government.
“Business incentives are fine, but what we need to do is convince restaurants and stores that southeast Fort Wayne is a good place to do business,” Mayor Henry said. “We need to sell this part of town.”
Co-chairman of the committee John Dortsch believes his group is doing just that, commenting on the number of people lingering after the end of the forum and the audience's diversity. Landram agreed saying, “Tonight's turnout was impressive and a strong indicator of interest in what's going on on the southeast side.”
