Folks traveling to downtown Belmont to purchase their spirits, will find themselves standing in the lobby of the proposed new Marriott Lobby. While standing at the Belmont counter you will have to envision what the Marriott lobby may look and feel like.
Belmont will shutting the doors of this downtown liquor store on March 31, 2007. Belmont will move it supplies to the office and warehouse located at 3309 North Anthony. The loyal customers can select from 17 other Belmont stores to do their shopping, The closest Belmont stores to the downtown area are at Fairfield, South Calhoun, and W. Jefferson Street.
Original it was reported that Belmont was to move where the current Greyhound Station, but for reason not disclosed the deal fail through for the city. Holiday Inn is located across from the Greyhound Station.
I am surmising here. I believe that the stadium movement to downtown impacted the fact that the hotel would be built at the Belmont location across from the Grand Wayne Center. Belmont was ousted from the land. The stadium choice nicked the plan to renovate Holiday Inn because location wise, the Holiday Inn is quite a distance away from the proposed location of the new downtown stadium.
Just analyzing the data that is available, I suspect that downtown development has also been nicked as well to pursuit support and development of the new stadium. The direction of the location of the stadium is away from downtown and toward Webster and Ewing across Jefferson cutting off downtown and the southside.
Of course to appease the local business men, Harrison Square is touted as land investment for these business owners who would like to relocate to the area to provide services that will be needed by the anticipated crowds from the baseball stadium and convention goers to the Grand Wayne Center and the Allen County Library.
Downtown will simply maintain a cosmetic staple of buildings serving as a historic landmark. Nothing will be added to attract folks to shop or play downtown beyond the the new stadium and library. This is simply utilizing funds that could improve the city toward investment in projects to attract dollars from out side source to compensate for the loss of jobs from businesses closing and leaving the city of Fort Wayne. And this is called economy development without creating jobs for the taxpayers?!!!
This from an intuitive perspective that lack all the necessary data in making my assessment.
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