Fort Wayne Breaks Ground on Victory Gardens

The $24 million project will bring 74 affordable homes to the city's southeast side.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Residential

Photograph of a cleared residential lot with rows of wooden survey stakes, framing studs, and a concrete foundation slab under an overcast sky. — Fort Wayne city leaders broke ground Nov. 10 on Victory Gardens, a $24 million project bringing 74 affordable homes to the city's southeast side. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Fort Wayne city leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 10, 2026, for Victory Gardens, a housing development on Elmdale Drive. The project will bring 74 new affordable homes to the Tillman-Hessen Cassel Corridor.

Why it matters

The development expands affordable homeownership in Fort Wayne, where the median home sale price was $262,083 in September 2026, according to Zillow. Homes in the development will cost between $186,000 and $325,000.

The $24 million project is financed by nearly $1.1 million in READI funding and $1 million from the city's Legacy Fund. Homes will range from $186,000 to $325,000, below the $262,083 median Fort Wayne sale price in September 2026 according to Zillow, while the timeline for completion has not been announced.

The players

LegacyOne, Inc.

LegacyOne, Inc. is the developer of Victory Gardens and is partnering with RANI on a homeownership preparedness program.

The details

Victory Gardens will include single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and zero-lot-line units. LegacyOne, Inc., the developer, is partnering with RANI to offer a homeownership preparedness program for prospective buyers.

September 2026: Zillow records the Fort Wayne median home sale price of $262,083.
November 10, 2026: City leaders hold the Victory Gardens groundbreaking ceremony.

Market Dynamics

Victory Gardens uses $1 million from the city's Legacy Fund alongside READI funding to finance affordable homeownership on Elmdale Drive. The project places new affordable supply against a median Fort Wayne sale price of $262,083 recorded by Zillow in September 2026.

Prospective buyers in the Fort Wayne area may find homes priced between $186,000 and $325,000 once the development opens. The homeownership preparedness program offered with RANI may help first-time buyers get ready for purchase.

The takeaway

Affordable homeownership projects that combine municipal funds with state economic development money can add supply in neighborhoods where median prices are rising. Buyers considering this development should ask about the homeownership preparedness program before applying.