The northwest area began development in the 1970s when Allen County, City of Fort Wayne, State of Indiana, and federal funds were combined to provide water, sanitary sewer, and road improvements to encourage industrial park development. The emphasis was on an area along Cook Road, on the north side of Fort Wayne, between Coldwater Road and Huguenard Road. Infrastructure improvements assisted primarily with the development of Summit Industrial Park which itself was financed by public funds. Other industrial parks were constructed by private developers. Summit and Liberty industrial parks are located in the target area.
Most tenants are smaller facilities on lots of only a few acres in size.
Larger facilities in the area include Fasson Division of Avery Dennison Company and Advance Mixer. While developed industrial parks are located in that area, they are essentially built-out. There remain large parcels of land in this target area that are ideal for industrial park development. However, additional water and sanitary sewer extensions are necessary. To provide a mechanism to fund the necessary infrastructure improvements, economic development areas have been designated in this area.