Fort Wayne Mayor: New Sports Complex Will Boost City’s Economy

Source: PHOTO: Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

FORT WAYNE, Ind.–A new sports complex will come to Fort Wayne. That announcement was made Friday by the Mayor of Fort Wayne Sharon Tucker.

It’s supposed to cost anywhere between $50 to $60 million.

The plan is for it to be called the North River Fieldhouse. The property once was used as a rail and scrap yard but has not been actively used since 2006. It’s 29 acres and is bound by Clinton, Harrison, and 4th streets. This project has been discussed since 2011.

Tucker said the facility will have “significant impact” on Fort Wayne’s future.

“There will be 900 jobs created by the development of this project,” said Tucker in a Friday news conference. She also believes that this would benefit the city’s annual economy by creating demand for a projected 54,000 hotel nights and $733,000 in tax revenue.

Both Tucker and other city leaders say the North River Fieldhouse would likely host at least 27 weekend tournaments every year, with the location being within a two-and-a-half-hour drive for about 10 million people. When not in use for tournaments, the facility could be used by local athletes, schools, club teams and residents for programming, league competitions and training.

It’s also supposed to home to several different sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, pickleball, baseball, flag football, and more.

“Future phases could also include a hotel, parking garage, restaurants, shopping, and living spaces,” said Tucker.

Tucker says this “state-of-the-art sports environment” would allow the city to compete with regional centers such as Indianapolis and Grand Rapids.

The ribbon cutting for the facility is set to happen in either the second or third quarter of 2026.