Infill work doesn't usually come with a ceremony, but this one did. On Oct. 1, Bridge of Grace Ministries broke ground on 24 new affordable homes in the Mount Vernon Park and Pettit-Rudisill neighborhoods of southeast Fort Wayne, a $4.48 million construction investment.
The plan is eight two-story triplexes, three units apiece, on scattered lots the ministry already owns. Fort Wayne-based Royal Developments is the builder, and Three Squared Inc. is the architect, according to Fort Wayne Business Weekly.
"This project has been several years in the making, and we are excited to celebrate this important milestone with our community," said Marty Pastura, interim CEO of Bridge of Grace Ministries. "It has been made possible through the generosity of our funding partners and individual donors."
What's being built
Each triplex will have two two-bedroom, one-bath units and one three-bedroom, two-bath unit, for 56 bedrooms in all. Every building will include one accessible unit, and the triplexes are designed for energy efficiency to help keep tenants' utility bills down.
Builders will notice this part: the project takes the building systems shown off at Fort Wayne's 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase and applies them to multifamily housing.
"The 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase proved these building methods work here in Fort Wayne, and these triplexes are the multifamily version of that work," said J.T. King, founder and CEO of Royal Developments. "Bridge of Grace isn't just building 24 units. It's building a path for families to put down roots and, for many of them, to one day own where they live."
The eight buildings are spread across these addresses:
- 5114 Smith St.
- 4402 and 4528 Holton Ave.
- 4425 and 4612 Monroe St.
- 4425 Winter St.
- 4525 Oliver St.
- 4615 Gaywood Drive
Foundation work was expected to begin in mid-October, moving site by site across the eight lots. The first triplex is expected to be finished in June 2027, with residents moving in starting in July 2027.
Who it's for, and how it's paid for
Every unit will be income-restricted for at least 15 years. Three are reserved for households earning up to 30% of the area median income, 13 for households earning up to 50% and eight for households earning up to 80%. Under 2026 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development limits, that works out to household incomes of up to $27,320, $42,800 and $68,500 a year for a family of three. Rents will be set by each unit's income level, with utility costs factored in under affordable housing program rules.
The financing leans on a $1 million Affordable Housing Program grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, awarded through member institution 3Rivers Federal Credit Union. 3Rivers is also providing the construction financing. Gifts from Bridge of Grace's funding partners and individual donors fill out the rest.
The triplexes are part of a bigger push. Bridge of Grace rents affordable housing while helping residents prepare to buy, with homeownership and financial empowerment classes. Since 2016, the ministry has renovated more than 40 houses and built six new ones with Habitat for Humanity, and it forecasts more than 30 new single-family houses for homeownership in the same neighborhoods. According to Bridge of Grace, the share of Mount Vernon Park households that own instead of rent has grown over that time from about one in three to one in two.
"Together, we are investing in people, strengthening neighborhoods and creating opportunities throughout Southeast Fort Wayne," Pastura said.
Bridge of Grace will share application information as units near completion.
Why it matters for Contractors
This is the kind of job a lot of local builders and subs know well: small buildings on scattered infill lots, built one after another. Eight triplexes averaging about $560,000 apiece, spread over six streets, means foundation crews, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC installers and finish trades moving from lot to lot through 2027. It's also a real-world test of the systems from the 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase at multifamily scale, and if they hold up on cost and schedule, expect more nonprofits and small developers in Fort Wayne to try them. Royal Developments is the builder to know here, and with more than 30 more single-family homes forecast in the same neighborhoods, Bridge of Grace is a client worth following.