Priority Wins
As we approach the year 2020, the time has come to recast Vision 2020 and set the vision for how Northeast Indiana and Fort Wayne will continue to build our region over the next decade and beyond.
Now, as Vision 2020 evolves to become Vision 2030, we are committed continuing to build a competitive regional product.
Here are highlights of Vision 2020 priority wins over the years:
- We formed the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) to support the Road to One Million plan and improve the quality of life in the region.
- We added two new flights at Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) to support our air-service priority.
- We helped establish Elevate Ventures by raising $760,000 to support our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- We helped complete the U.S. 30 Study Phase 1 to improve interstate access.
- We provided $30 million in funding for the extension of Lafayette Center Road to improve interstate access.
- We welcomed nearly 5,000 visitors to the rivers in downtown Fort Wayne to support downtown riverfront development, which is now sustained by our community partners at the City of Fort Wayne’s Riverfront Fort Wayne program.
When Northeast Indiana Wins, We All Win
When the Regional Opportunities Council (ROC) feels the region has achieved the vision of the established priority, the priority is then retired so we can work on the next one.
Here’s a snapshot of our retired priorities:
Downtown Riverfront Development
We know that a bustling, vibrant urban core is a key component to building a strong and economically viable region. It makes a positive impact on your business, too, because investments in quality of life are critical for business and talent attraction. Developing the riverfront in downtown Fort Wayne will create a dynamic metro center for the region and serve as a catalyst for future development throughout Northeast Indiana. By pursuing a quality-of-life initiative that is tied to the region’s history and natural resources, we’re bringing our past with us into the future and capitalizing on our existing natural wonders. In 2014, we passed the downtown riverfront-development torch to our community partners at the City of Fort Wayne’s Riverfront Fort Wayne program. The Downtown Riverfront Development (DRD) Task Force made the recommendation to the ROC based on belief that Riverfront Fort Wayne has the momentum, community support, and funding to maintain the efforts that we started with downtown riverfront development.
Elevate Ventures
Today, Elevate Ventures serves as a statewide organization that provides startup funding for small, high-growth companies, and helps second-stage companies succeed. Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in Northeast Indiana’s economic success. That’s why entrepreneurship is one of the five pillars of Vision 2020. To strengthen the resources available for entrepreneurs in Northeast Indiana, the Regional Opportunities Council (ROC) made establishment of Elevate Ventures in the region a priority under Vision 2020 in 2011 and helped raise $760,000 to get it started. The impact of Elevate Venture’s presence in Northeast Indiana has not gone unnoticed. For every dollar invested in Elevate Ventures, the region has received a $47 return. Elevate Ventures has helped fill the previous gap that existed in providing much-needed resources for high-growth companies in Northeast Indiana.