Headwaters Junction is a project I've been keeping an eye on for a while now. Thought it might be a good time to point it out to like-minded individuals.

Kelly Lynch and company continue to hone their proposal to build a multi-use facility, sort of a combination of Strasburg, Portland's new enginehouse, and Pittsburgh's Station Square on a spot along the North River.

This project's been quietly gathering momentum, being picked up by local civic leaders, and recently got the greenlight for a grant to be used for feasibility studies to determine the exact impact, cost, etc. that this project brings with it. While I'm guilty of rolling my eyes at the term "feasibility study" more often than not, it sounds like they're making some pretty significant progress.

That website's pretty nifty too.

http://www.headwatersjunction.com

Nice job all around to Kelly and the Ft. Wayne Railroad Historical Society. Hopefully they find the success they're working toward.

Now if only we still had the old P&LE shops here in the 'Burgh...

Disclaimer - I have no investment in this, just interested.

I hope that works out. They'll still need a stop between there and Age of Steam, won't they? Hmm, where would be the next good place to put a water and maintenance facility? From AOSR to the Burgh should be a division-sized chunk.

Tim,

Thanks for posting this Tim as it shows with a little elbow grease and not giving up on things it can still happen in our little world. I give Kelly a lot of credit for keeping after the City of Fort Wayne about this project and he has put a lot of hours in making people aware of it.

As far as water stops are concerned Becky if they came the Cleveland route I know at Midwest B&O Roundhouse we would be more then happy to get them back on there way. =)

Best Regards,

Steven M Harvey

Thanks for the mention, Tim.

HWJ, in terms of rail preservation, has been designed to serve two purposes:

- to create an attraction with the needs/desires/and audience of the 21st Century audience in mind

- to secure a meaningful high-profile home for NKP 765, thereby making the engine (and the collection of FWRHS) relevant to its own hometown (outside the obvious method of running excursions) and insulating it and FWRHS against the uncertain sentiments of modern railroads in the long term. The nightmare scenario sees this machine and its legacy and potential cooped up in a barn forever.

This mirrors much of the work of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, insomuch even if the engines never turn a wheel in mainline service ever again they are still in a place where they can be enjoyed and experienced by the public.

It's a Hail Mary play, but is getting some serious consideration. A proposal for the study has already been generated, and two years later its still getting a lot of positive buzz. There are still some in the area that don't yet grasp the power of trains and they are in positions of influence and power. This idea has been a way to make a 66-year old steam locomotive relevant to people who have yet to be moved by it.

If anyone is interested in supporting this project in its these crucial and early stages via a kind word or a letter, it'd be much appreciated.

This is a great concept; I've attempted to start something similar, but on a much smaller scale in another location. Many coastal cities have very successfully reworked their downtown/water front areas, often using historic pieces as primary attractions (see Baltimore as one of the first). I don't know why rail can't be one of the attractions. Note, though, the biggest, most successful, ones offer several attractions, be it museums (several), ships (several), and even stadiums. Weekends, these places attract families for a day long visit. Weekdays, they attract lunch crowds from nearby offices and an evening night scene.

Bob

Went to the website.

Why do these concept plans always have to be written with the same flowery, noncommittal and nonspecific language that leaves me at the end knowing just as little about the project as before I read it. This is politician speak at its best.

For example, under "How Will this be funded?" :
"A broad range of funding options are available for projects of this type given its scope covers economic development, historic preservation, brownfield renewal, railroad and trail development. As a project of Legacy Fort Wayne, Headwaters Junction would require matching funds or leveraging dollars, creating opportunities for private and corporate sponsorship."

Does it answer the question? No. So HOW will it be funded? City bond issue? Raise city taxes? State grants? Federal grants? Private investment? Tax abatements?

I learned more about what this project is about from Tim Botti's original post than I did from the website. OK, yes, combining the retail and recreational attractions of a place like Station Square with a roundhouse/backshop for the FWRHS' collection and perhaps throwing in some sort of public entertainment venue. OK that paints a better picture than " Headwaters Junction is a mixed use gateway and downtown attraction concept combining river, rail, and trail development on North River and the surrounding areas. It demonstrates how mixed-use development can be realized as an exceptional investment, creating an anchor for an attraction that weaves the city’s existing assets and identity together in an authentic, active, and compelling experience."

Sorry but I've read these type of redevelopment proposals many many times before, and I can't stand how meaningless they have become.

OK taking off my curmudgeon hat and going to bed!

Critique appreciated Brother Hot Metal, but the website and support documents are marketing -- they are not business plans.

Without the property in question or a physical building -- or the forthcoming feasibility study -- there are very few "tangibles" at first blush, especially for those who have yet to comprehend there is a tourist attraction in the shape of a train waiting in the wings just outside the city limits. It's geared towards decision makers who understand qualities inherent in economic development and to a greater degree, placemaking.
For the nitty gritty, you can download the entire conceptual plan and all of its nuts and bolts here: http://fortwaynerailroad.org/media/headwaters.pdf



It paints a better picture because you, as someone with familiarity to the railroad industry and attractions like Station Square, know what Station Square is to begin with.

If a page says "the offerings of Strasburg, class of Sacramento, and the urban design of the New York High Line!111" but the audience has no prior understanding and you've lost them because it's about as helpful using the word you're trying to define in the definition of the word itself.

Alternatively, I have no idea what color the kitchen tile is going to be, but the vision for the house starts somewhere.