October 24, 2023 - Mayor Tom Henry joined by Fort Wayne Police Chief Steve Reed, City Controller Garry Morr, and community leaders today celebrated the opening of a new Radio Shop.
The new Radio Shop, which houses nine full-time employees is responsible for purchasing, installing, and maintaining all the technical and communications equipment for City of Fort Wayne departments and the 911 Communications Center, has moved to an expanded location at 811 Avenue of Autos from its previous location at 1103 E. Coliseum Blvd, which was a 1958 building that was over capacity and needed substantial repairs and upgrades.
The building, formerly owned by the Kelley Automotive Group, features increased office space, meeting and video conferencing rooms, and an expanded garage area, as well as additional storage capabilities for the Fort Wayne Police Department.
“Public safety communications are critical to not only assist first responders in saving lives, but also to help keep first responders safe and improve response times,” said Mayor Henry. “The new Radio Shop represents our community’s ongoing commitment to investing in public safety and providing excellent service to the public. We work each day to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. As a growing and thriving community, this effort will help move Fort Wayne forward with continued momentum”
Along with the Radio Shop, the City is relocating several public works departments along the Avenue of Autos, including the Fleet Department, Street Light Maintenance, Sign Shop, and Traffic Signals.
The City’s Avenue of Autos project is an investment of $14.88 million and is being paid for from existing City funds. The investment represents a significant cost savings to taxpayers as building new structures would have likely cost $34.7 million. The changes in locations are being made to maximize resources and efficiencies for the public works and public safety divisions.