Page 12 - New Allen Alliance Digital Book

Outcomes and Impacts continued . . .

East Allen County’s communities and be part of a diverse community product for to Port” highway between Fort Wayne and Toledo and US 30 with connectivity to
Fort Wayne and Allen County to promote in their attraction and retention of people. Chicago and Pittsburgh, the region is capitalizing on potential opportunities enabled
by existing transportation infrastructure assets with strong logistical appeal.
Through government’s first in strategy, additional private investment is anticipated.
This will likely be in the form of small, local shops located in rehabilitated downtown During the last five years, new industrial investment in the region has totaled $287
structures and through new and rehabilitated housing development. We are million, $80 million in new payroll, and an addition of 537 jobs with an average
preparing for revitalization of SR 930 with mixed-use investment and significant annual wage of $41,346 or $19.87 per hour. The largest investments have been
industrial investment along the US 24 Fort-to-Port Corridor. Local economic from North American Cold Storage in Woodburn ($56 million), Multimatic in New
development, business, and civic organizations will rise to provide supportive Haven ($39 million) and BF Goodrich in Allen County ($115 million) along US 24.
programming to activate these spaces and support the economic viability of the
small business and non-profit interests locating into these areas of investment. A 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT: Advanced educational attainment will
Regional branding strategy will be developed to tie together the relevance of the provide a local workforce with the appropriate skills to meet the needs of local
projects and serve as a tool to increase the visibility of the region beyond the state employers and the local economy. In complement to other capital improvements
of Indiana. throughout the region, East Allen County Schools is making an $85 million-dollar
investment into its school facilities over the next ten years.
In addition to these improvements, EACS will invest $2 million for a stand-alone
EACS Career and Vocational Center at the old Meadowbrook School in New
Haven. This site is located in the Meadowbrook Rural Revival Target Area. In this
supplemental educational setting, students in grades 11 and 12 will learn the
necessary skills to meet the challenges of college, career, and life. The newly hired
Executive Director of Career, Technical and Alternative Education is working with
the NewAllen Alliance and educators, industry, community stakeholders, and higher
education providers Ivy Tech and Vincennes to build programs that will be relevant
to our local economy and complementing what is being offered at Anthis Career
Center in Fort Wayne. Areas of focus include: Advanced Manufacturing, Computer
Science, Industrial Maintenance, Health Science, and Pharmacy Tech. Integration
of entrepreneurship education opportunities is also being explored.
At East Allen University (EAU), East Allen County Schools and Vincennes University
also provide students with the opportunity to achieve a minimum of a core 40
INDUSTRIAL SITE INVESTMENT: Within East Allen County, the top three industries diploma and the chance to earn an Associates degree while still in high school.
currently are Manufacturing (28%), Wholesale and Retail (14%), and Education and At EAU, students earn up to 60 transferable college credits and are exposed to
Health Services (12%). The manufacturing sector is considered footloose. While skills and careers of the 21st century at an early college academy. Within nearby
footloose jobs are not where growth is occurring, it is important to retain and attract Fort Wayne, a number of colleges and universities including Ivy Tech, Indiana Tech,
high quality industries to maintain high wages for the region. By strategically Purdue Fort Wayne, Indiana University Fort Wayne, and University of St. Francis
focusing investment in industrial land along the recently completed US 24 “Fort provide additional, affordable higher education opportunities for students.

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