FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The City says that efforts to increase housing options continue in Southeast Fort Wayne.
On Tuesday, Mayor Sharon Tucker joined LegacyOne, Inc. to break ground on Victory Gardens, a planned community of 74 market-rate, owner-occupied homes in the Tillman–Hessen Cassel Corridor.
The following was released:
LegacyOne Incorporated today broke ground on Victory Gardens, a planned 74-home, owner-occupied community in southeast Fort Wayne’s Tillman–Hessen Cassel Corridor, 2700 Elmdale Dr. The development is designed to expand access to quality homeownership while encouraging neighborhood reinvestment, local economic activity and lasting community pride.
With approximately $24.1 million in projected combined gross sales over three years, Victory Gardens aims to demonstrate the potential of targeted housing investment to strengthen families and help transform the surrounding neighborhood.
“Victory Gardens is about more than building houses. It is about creating opportunities for families to establish roots, build wealth and take pride in the future of southeast Fort Wayne,” said Linda Golden, President & CEO of LegacyOne Incorporated.
“Opportunities for housing are critical to the current and future success of Fort Wayne,” said Mayor Sharon Tucker. “Victory Gardens is a project that demonstrates the need and demand for housing in southeast Fort Wayne. Congratulations to Linda and her team and all of the community partners who have come together on this development to make a positive difference.”
The $24 million development will include a mix of 74 single‑family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and zero‑lot‑line units priced between $186,000 and $325,000, which aligns with needs and priorities documented in the Southeast Fort Wayne Housing Market Needs Assessment and the Southeast Strategy Update.
“Fort Wayne Redevelopment is excited to see this project become reality,” said Jonathan Leist, Fort Wayne Community Development Director and acting Redevelopment Director. “Increasing housing options, especially for first-time homebuyers, is an important part of our commitment to investing in Fort Wayne’s southeast quadrant.”
Support for Victory Gardens infrastructure improvements comes from a $1 million Legacy Fort Wayne grant, a $1.089 million READI grant through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and an approximately $1.2 million loan to be repaid through lot sales and tax increment financing (TIF) approved by the Redevelopment Commission.
Project partners include Habitat for Humanity, Realtist Association of Northeast Indiana (RANI), Covenant Concepts, and Legacy Community Development Corporation.
LegacyOne, in partnership with RANI, will offer a HomeQuest six-month homeownership preparedness program for prospective buyers in Victory Gardens. The program will include topics such as credit repair and readiness, mortgage and financing options, homeowners insurance and more.
Victory Gardens’ projected ripple effect will create 322 local construction jobs, generate $5.24 million in state and local tax revenue, and result in approximately $25 million in new residential mortgages.
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