It looks like a news story, it reads like a news story, but in reality, it's not.
It's a carefully crafted trial balloon designed to gauge public support/resistance to moving the Allen County Jail out of the trendy Arts and Entertainment sector of downtown. After all, a correctional facility within the eyesight of family-friendly Promenade Park, trendy bars, and $60.00 steaks might sour some visitors/residents' stomachs.
So, being the good supporters of the new downtown Fort Wayne and the political powers that support it, WANE 15 will do their civic duty and methodically analyze support, resistance and opinions of taxpayers/citizens and loyally report the data to their TV audience AND to the political and business leaders that are transforming downtown. Those civic boosters and politicians will then use the data to fine-tune and revise their project and message to better resound with the voters/taxpayers and build support. Sometimes it may take two or three tries.
If all goes well, the heavy-lifting done by WANE 15 will eventually result in the Allen County Jail being torn down, and a $110 million dollar replacement being built somewhere out of sight from those who would be offended by its existence, and the redevelopment folks will have additional valuable downtown real estate ready for even more new, multi-use facilities with ground-level retail and dining, middle-level parking, and luxury loft-type apartments on the upper floors.
Sound familiar?
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