GE to demolish 1 of 13 vacant buildings on Fort Wayne campus

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) – General Electric plans to begin demolishing one of its 13 vacant buildings on its 32-acre campus in Fort Wayne in the next few weeks but hasn’t decided what to do with the other 12 buildings or the iconic lighted sign that sits atop one of them.

The building that will be demolished has five floors of offices and sits next to McCulloch Park. GE officials say it has been gutted because of extensive interior water and mold damage.

“In the process of cleaning out the non-load-bearing internal structures, the restraints on some exterior brickwork were temporarily compromised,” GE spokesman Matt Conkrite said.

GE recently ceased operations in the city, where the company had been a major employer since 1911 and once had 10,000 employees.

GE is discussing options with the city of Fort Wayne about the property, Conkrite said.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry said in a news release the city appreciates GE’s willingness to work with the city.

“I’m encouraged that we’re in position to work collaboratively with GE to develop a viable plan for the property,” he said.

Conkrite said no decision has been made on what will be done with a GE sign southwest of downtown. Some in Fort Wayne believe it should remain in the city, calling it a landmark.