Some of the details sound great.
A $100 million project expected to create 1,000 permanent, full-time jobs. Annual payroll of about $30 million. Tangential economic benefits for northeast Indiana totaling at least tens of millions of dollars, maybe more.
Problem is, those aren t all the details. And Project Mastodon – the murky moniker assigned to the project by developers and Fort Wayne officials – is looking for tax breaks worth more than $16 million to secure its place in the city.
“There s no bad news here,” Nancy Townsend, director of the city s community development department, told The Journal Gazette last week.
That s possible, and the few specifics released so far suggest a beneficial business with more pros than cons. But the public and decision-makers, including members of the Fort Wayne City Council, should have at hand more information to be assured – especially if the city is going to be footing some of the bill.
US 30 project site plan passes
City panel advances details, not occupant
DAVE GONG | The Journal Gazette
Project Mastodon took another step forward Monday – the result of a unanimous vote by the Fort Wayne Plan Commission.
Although the development s eventual occupant remains shrouded in secrecy, the Plan Commission approved the project s primary development plan and an amended written commitment that will outline acceptable uses for the site.
According to documents filed with the Department of Planning Services, Project Mastodon s primary development plan calls for construction of a 630,000-square-foot building on about 150 acres of land along U.S. 30 near Sweetwater Sound. Along with the development plan, the developers also requested an ordinance waiver for building height.
The average annual payroll for the company that could eventually occupy the Project Mastodon site along U.S. 30 is expected to be $30 million, accordi .
FW City Council to consider Project Mastodon tax abatement
DAVE GONG | The Journal Gazette
The average annual payroll for the company that could eventually occupy the Project Mastodon site along U.S. 30 is expected to be $30 million, according to a tax abatement request up for consideration by the Fort Wayne City Council.
What goes inside the proposed 634,000 square-foot structure is still unclear, as the developer s representatives and city officials are bound by a nondisclosure agreement.
A 10-year property tax abatement request filed with the city council indicates the company expects to create 1,000 full-time jobs with a total annual payroll of $30 million. Employees average salaries would be about $30,000, the document states. If approved, the company is expected to save about $16.1 million over 10 years.
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