The Local Government Efficiency Study Committee is pressuring the city and county to try again on a joing police facility, but nobody is having any of it:
Ft. Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and the three Allen County Commissioners said at the end of September that sharing space for police functions in the City-County Building would be too costly to taxpayers.
I really don't get this. There are plenty of vacant buildings in this city, many of them not requiring major renovation. After looking at all the options, the only one city and county can come up with is one in which housing two similar operations in one building instead of two costs more? Man, that's some hard work involved there.
In the meantime, a task force has been formed to decide what to do about Taylor University's 14 buildings and 30 acres now that Taylor is ending its Fort Wayne undergraduate program.
“It would make an interesting location for a police department,” said Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York. “Right now, all of our options are open with a search for a new home.”
Interesting? OK, I guess. But that location is not close to downtown, not in a major crime area (thank goodness!), not near any of the other organizations the police have to deal with. Besides, I'd like to see a shopping complex there with all the stores the south side doesn't have now. Then we can tear it all down in five years and move the baseball stadium there.
