Council Approves Berry St. Deal
By: Nadia Bashir
Updated: August 25, 2009
Fort Wayne City Council approved the purchase of 200 E. Berry Street in a 6-3 vote. The vote came after a public hearing where about 30 citizens spoke.
Councilman Mitch Harper, Councilman John Shoaff and Council President Tom Smith all voted against the deal. All other council members voted for it.
Most of the residents who spoke at the meeting expressed support for the deal. Some did express concern over financing and working with the county to ensure everyone moves forward in a cost-effective way.
Council members in support of the purchase expressed their concern over the current police headquarters on Creighton Street which suffers from lack of space and fire hazards. Many Council members believe Berry Street is the cheapest and best solution.
Tonights approval came days short of the August 31st deadline the seller had given the City for purchasing the property.
