Trail Work, Square Details

Mayor hits path to improve trails
Vows $2 million for resurfacing, extension projects
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/16661411.htm

From the article:

"In what is becoming a trend – one the mayor says he welcomes – many of the residents attending the meeting came with questions about the proposed Harrison Square development.

The $125 million public-private proposal calls for a new downtown hotel, condominiums, retail and city-owned baseball stadium.

Several residents expressed concern for spending tax money on a new outdoor stadium given the fact that the weather in Fort Wayne is not always conducive to outdoor activities and because of the presence of Memorial Stadium on Coliseum Boulevard.

Richard said a new minor-league stadium in Dayton is being booked about 200 days a year for sporting events, corporate outings and even wedding receptions.

He said the luxury box suites in the stadium could serve as extra space for events using Grand Wayne Center.

A bonus the local project has over the Dayton stadium is stores and housing will be built at the same time as the stadium, not years later. He hoped the project would serve as a catalyst to spur even more development downtown.

“This is not the end-all, be-all; this is the beginning,” he said.

The city, Allen County and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne are examining ways to continue using Memorial Stadium if the Fort Wayne Wizards move to a new downtown field in 2009, Richard said."

Are trail improvements good for Fort Wayne and the region?
What activities or events can you envision at the downtown ballpark?