Acquiring land for new industrial development and a broader tax base while controlling growth through updated zoning regulations is Kendallville’s direction in 2003-2004.

In January, City Council annexed approximately 322 acres west of Kendallville that includes the new Parkview Noble Hospital campus expected to open in 2004, Nelson Estates, the Kendallville Mobile Home Park and the Orchard Place residential community.

City leaders hope the industrial, commercial and residential zoned land with city utilities, along with the new hospital campus, will spark growth west of Kendallville along the U.S. 6 corridor.

The Northeastern Center, a regional mental health center serving Noble, LaGrange, DeKalb, Steuben and Kosciusko counties, has proposed building a new inpatient hospital at the new Parkview campus to replace its Samara Center for short-term commitments at Parkview Noble Hospital.

Mayor Larry McGahen resurrected the long dormant Local Development Corporation to manage the city’s County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) revenue for industrial land acquisition. LDC members are currently investigating industrial park sites and other revenue sources.

Regarding retail growth, council approved the Kendallville Pizza Hut’s plan for expansion on its site to accommodate drive-through customers.

At the time of publication, council was mulling over Wal-Mart’s request to rezone from industrial to commercial 46 acres of land east of Kendallville for a 188,000-square-foot Supercenter. the largest single retail outlet in Kendallville’s history. The impact of Wal-Mart’s move from its 68,000-square-foot building in Fairview Center was a factor in council’s decision.

Fairview’s former Scott’s Foods grocery store remains vacant after Scott’s moved three years ago to a remodeled building in the Publix Village Square shopping center. Wal-Mart is Fairview’s only anchor store and draws customers to the plaza’s smaller retailers.

Because of the state’s economic downturn and budget deficit, causing delays in tax revenue to public entities, council stopped granting up to $50,000 in low-interest loans to businesses for building improvements for at least a year.

Tax abatement on new equipment and real estate is offered to new and existing industries to promote economic development and job growth.

Kendallville’s current administration continues sidewalk, streetlight and urban tree improvement programs begun nearly 11 years ago.

Kendallville’s leaders realized the city could only afford to complete these multi-million dollar projects over a 10- to 12-year period, starting with sidewalks near the schools and extending outward to the suburbs one area at a time.

Property owners can obtain low-interest loans from the city’s General Improvement Fund to pay for new sidewalk.

For streetlights, one circuit a year has been updated. This year a contractor will replace underground wiring in the 50-light East Diamond Street area circuit, one of the biggest circuits in the city.

Replicas of the historic streetlight poles, to replace broken and missing poles, are purchased with monies from the privately raised Pride of Light Streetlight fund.

Street department employees install the streetlight fixtures and concrete bases.

Council has approved a regulation prohibiting heavy vehicles on many city alleys to protect the alley surfaces from damage, and an ordinance prohibiting vehicle parking on city street terraces.

Council approved the purchase of a new $600,000 aerial fire truck for the city fire department. The truck was expected to arrive early this year.

Work is scheduled to begin this year on widening and leveling Allen Chapel Road and constructing a road bridge over the Allen Chapel Road railway crossing.

Ground was broken earlier this year on the $3 million Kendallville Outdoor Sports and Recreation complex, a baseball, softball and soccer field complex on 80 acres of city park land off of Allen Chapel Road.

St. John Lutheran Church announced plans to build a school on Allen Chapel Road north of the Shepherd of the Hill nursing home.

On the residential development scene, construction has begun on the sixth and final phase of Lash & Sons Inc. housing development along Kammerer Road on the city’s east side.

New homes continue going up in the Orchard Place, Cobblestone and Noble Hawk housing developments on the city’s outskirts.

Commercially, a new Save-A-Lot grocery store, Family Dollar store, fitness center and Chinese restaurant opened in 2002 in the Friendly Village Plaza shopping center off of U.S. 6 East.

Bruce Babbitt, owner of the Strand Theatre, completed renovating the historic two-screen theater complex in the downtown business district with new seating, a new sound system and screen.

Klinkenberg’s, one of the downtown’s oldest established businesses, was purchased, remodeled and renamed Felger’s, a coffee shop, soda fountain and youth sports retail outlet.

The Northeastern Center, a regional mental health center serving Noble, LaGrange, DeKalb, Steuben and Kosciusko counties, invested $500,000 to replace the facade on its three-story downtown administration building.

With limited space and increased patronage and book circulation, Kendallville Public Library trustees hired an architectural firm to conduct a feasibility study of the library’s need for expansion at its West Rush Street site or constructing a new library on a different site.

Recreational options for Kendallville area residents were enhanced when the $5.3 million expansion of the Cole Center Family YMCA Garden Street facility opened in December 2002. The addition includes a second swimming pool, a second gymnasium, larger fitness center and locker rooms.

The YMCA offers year-round activities for youths and adults with a gymnasium, 75-yard swimming pool, racquetball courts, fitness center and competitive sports programs for all seasons.

The Wreck teen center on South Main Street offers area youths a venue for concerts and a two-story building with video games, computers and a social atmosphere.

Kendallville hosts the Northern Indiana Bluegrass Association spring and fall bluegrass festivals at the Noble County Fairgrounds on the city’s north side. Thousands of bluegrass music lovers from throughout the Midwest camp and socialize during the three-day festivals with live music in May on Memorial Day weekend and September on Labor Day weekend.
The annual Noble County Community Fair is held each July at the fairgrounds.

The first weekend in October has the Apple Festival of Kendallville taking over the fairgrounds and the downtown business district as the Main Street Village. Vendors, crafters, antiquers, re-enactors and entertainers dress in pioneer costume to show the thousands of visitors what life was like in Indiana in the 1800s.

HISTORY: In 1832 David Bindle built Kendallville’s first home, a round log cabin on Gold Street off of what is now South Main Street. He had followed an Indian trail north from Fort Wayne. Five years later, a widow with eight children, Mrs. Francis Dingman, tore down the cabin and built Kendallville’s first wood-frame house.

In 1840, Samuel Minor opened the first general store, and Sawyer’s mill was the first industry. At one time Kendallville had train depots for north-south and east-west rail lines and an electric interurban rail line linking the city with Fort Wayne, and U.S. 6 was the main traffic artery across America from Providence, R.I., to Los Angeles.

From these early beginnings has grown a community of over 9,000 people.

POPULATION: 9,085 based on 2000 census.

POLICE: Kendallville Police Department, City Hall, 234 S. Main St., 21 full-time officers, a chief of police, a detective, three shift sergeants, six radio dispatchers, a department clerk and a police reserve unit. 347-0654.

FIRE: Kendallville Fire Department, Station 1, 307 W. Drake Road, 347-1252; Station 2, 304 E. North St., 347-5010. Twelve full-time firefighters, reserve and volunteer firefighters, a fire chief, two deputy fire chiefs, a captain, HAZMAT-trained firefighters, five pumper trucks, a 100-foot aerial ladder truck, a rescue and incident command center vehicle, a grass fire truck, a 4,500-gallon tanker. Fire insurance rating 5.

MAYOR: City Hall, 234 S. Main St. Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., summer hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 347-0352.

CLERK-TREASURER: City Hall annex, 234 S. Main St., winter hours are Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., summer hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 347-1252.

PARKS AND RECREATION: The 420-acre Bixler Lake Park with 90 campsites on the east side of Bixler Lake and a 75-acre wetlands nature area is within the city limits.

Facilities for softball, basketball, archery, fishing, beach volleyball, boating, sailing, swimming, tennis, ice hockey, ice skating, ice fishing, hiking, biking and picnicking can be found within the park. Picnic pavilions, a landscaped gazebo and a Youth Center with full kitchen are available for rent. 347-1064. A six-member park board appointed by the mayor, City Council, the Kendallville Public Library and Noble County Commissioners oversees the park department operation.

• Sunset Park — On the city’s west side and maintained by the park department. Sunset features four softball diamonds, two basketball courts, soccer and football fields, playground area, rental garden plots, shuffleboard courts, a sheltered picnic area, restrooms and three parking lots.

• Youth Center, 211 Iddings St. — Features exercise, tumbling and gymnastics programs, youth roller skating, craft classes, preschool activities, teen dances, youth boxing program and adult and senior citizen events sponsored by the park department. Facility with kitchen, gymnasium and small stage available for rent. 347-1064.

• Cole Center Family YMCA, 700 S. Garden St. — A 48,000-square-foot facility with two 42-by-75-foot heated pools, two whirlpools, two-full size gymnasiums, two racquetball courts, a preschool and 5,000 square-foot fitness center with free weights, exercise machines and 1/10th of a mile jogging track. Youth activities offered throughout the year include: swim lessons, T-ball, soccer, flag football, basketball, preschool gym and swim, summer day camp and competitive swim team.
Adult activities include: fitness classes, swim lessons, lap swim, gym and adult leagues in walleyball, basketball and volleyball. Seniors can use the fitness center, walk in the gym, participate in fitness classes or water exercise classes. Family and individual memberships available. 347-4200.

• Elks Country Club, 120 S. Weston Ave. — Nine-hole golf course with bar, restaurant and banquet facility for members and guests on the city’s west side. 347-3440 for golf course or 347-0760 for the lodge. Open to the public. Seasonal memberships available.

• Noble Hawk Golf Links, 2829 S. Lima Road — 18-hole championship golf course with practice green, driving range, pro shop, grill, locker room and picnic pavilion. 888-465-3321 or 349-0900. Open to the public. Seasonal memberships available.

• Cobblestone Golf Club, 2702 Cobblestone Lane, West Drake Road. — 18-hole championship golf course with practice greens, driving range, pro shop and banquet facility. Scheduled to open May 21. 349-1550. Open to the public. Seasonal memberships available.

• Kendallville Public Library, 126 W. Rush St. Over 50,000 volumes and 10,190 members within the libraries district of Wayne, Allen and Orange townships. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. during the winter. 347-2768.

• Bogeys to Birdies Driving Range, 2004 W. North St. Golf driving range. 349-1005.

• Mid America Windmill Museum, 30-acre tourist development east of Bixler Lake Park off of Allen Chapel Road. Antique windmill display and workshop. Last year museum supporters opened a new building for special functions and gatherings paid for with a state grant. 347-2334.

• Skating Dimensions, an indoor roller skating facility on Commerce Drive off of U.S. 6 West. Skating parties and group rentals available. Roller hockey leagues offered. 349-1880.

• Shadow Bowl, Town Center shopping plaza, 12-lane computerized scoring bowling center open seven days a week. Men’s, women’s, kids and mixed leagues available. 347-4918.

EDUCATION: East Noble School Corp. — Administrative office, corner of Dowling Street and Park Avenue (347-2502), five elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school serving over 3,800 students including North Side Elementary (347-1354), 302 E. Harding St., South Side Elementary (349-2200), 1350 S. Sherman St., Kendallville Middle School (347-0100), 401 E. Diamond St., East Noble High School (347-2032), 901 S. Garden St., and East Noble Alternative School (349-0814), 522 Krueger St., in Kendallville.

St. John Lutheran School, 301 S. Oak St., a parochial school with preschool and kindergarten through eighth grade affiliated with St. John Lutheran Church. 347-2444.

Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative, 112 S. Orchard St., serving the needs of students in Noble, LaGrange, DeKalb and Steuben counties. 347-5236.

AIRPORT: Kendallville Municipal Airport, about one mile north on Airport Road; 4,400-foot runway serving local and area industries and businesses; aircraft rental and storage; ground school pilot license classes; sight seeing flights. Kendallville Flying Services 347-9964.

A four-member commission appointed by the mayor and council oversees the airport’s operation.

ECONOMY: City tax rate for 2002 — 82 cents ($2.46 under old system) per $100 of assessed valuation. City assessed value for 2002 was $322,055,095. Tax rate and assessed value for 2003 were not available at time of publication.

• General economy — Mix of manufacturing principally tied to automotive, printing and durable goods. Tax abatement and economic improvement loans (suspended for one year) available. Downtown business district declared a Tax Increment Financing District and Economic Improvement District. 347-0352.

• Region III-A Development District Inc., 119 W. Mitchell St., a regional planning and development agency. 347-4714.

• Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce, 122 S. Main St., full-time executive director and staff providing local and area business information. 347-1554.

UTILITIES: Utility fee pays for water and sewer service. City water pollution control facility, 501 W. Wayne St., 2.68 million gallons per day capacity.

• City water plant, 917 E. Diamond St., 3.5 million gallons per day capacity with satellite plant on Drake Road. 347-1362.

• Electricity — American Electric Power, call toll-free 1-800-552-2377.

• Natural gas — Northern Indiana Fuel & Light Co., 422-9196.

POST OFFICE: 659 N. Fair St., lobby service Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. 347-1152.

BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES: Publix Village Square shopping center, Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 347-2998.

MEDIA: A newspaper and radio station serve the community.

• WAWK-AM 1140 radio station, 931 N. East Ave., 347-2400, broadcasting Mondays through Sundays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• The News-Sun newspaper, 102 N. Main St., 347-0400, published Mondays through Sundays, 8,500 circulation.