Less than a week after a majority of members expressed serious doubts about the project, Allen County Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the extension of Maplecrest Road from Lake Avenue south to Adams Center Road

The 6-1 vote in favor of a $25 million construction bond should allow work on the 1.5-mile, $55 million project to begin next year, said County Commissioner Nelson Peters, acknowledging that “we worked hard to sell the project.”

By extending Maplecrest south over the Maumee River and often-congested railroad tracks, the project is expected to improve transportation and public safety and promote economic development, especially in southeast Allen County. But because the cost had doubled since 2002, some Council members had questioned whether the benefits were worth the expense.

But presentations Tuesday by a variety of county officials and other supports swayed Council members who previously said they were leaning against the project. In the end, only Darren Vogt voted “no,” expressing skepticism about the projected benefits. A similar project connecting Hillegas Road and Ardmore Avenue on Fort Wayne’s west side, he said, has produced few tangible economic benefits to date.

The federal government has pledged about $11 million for the project. Other funding will come from property taxes generated by new investment near Maplecrest. If those tax incremental financing (TIF) dollars are insufficient to repay the bond, money from the county fund used to maintain large bridges could also be tapped.

That fund has plenty of money to cover any shortfall in TIF income, Council was assured Tuesday – another reason for the vote, which was favored by most in attendance, including several representatives from New Haven.


For more on this story, see Wednesday’s News-Sentinel.