New Bus Shelter Brings Safety and Community Spirit to the Harvester Neighborhood

Residents of the Harvester Neighborhood have access to a new bus shelter at the northeast corner of New Haven and Holly Avenues. The Harvester Neighborhood Association held a ribbon cutting for the shelter this afternoon, Wednesday, March 26th.

Designed by staff at Design Collaborative in collaboration with the Harvest Neighborhood Association, this new bus shelter provides a protected space that showcases design inspiration from their local neighborhood, while considering safety and accessibility for all who will use the space.

In 2023, Design Collaborative partnered its summer interns to lead a master plan study working with the Harvester Association and the City of Fort Wayne, looking to provide potential design solutions to improve their community. Work sessions with the community were held, and a final plan was presented to the Harvester Neighborhood, which proudly marked its 100th anniversary in 2023. This included a series of projects to visualize and contribute to the neighborhood’s bright future.

One of those specific projects from the masterplan was the need for a new bus shelter, replacing a current bench sitting outside of the Jesus Named Church on New Haven Ave. Design Collaborative was tasked to help design a new structure that was not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing. The group aimed to elevate safety, promote environmental sustainability through solar power, and foster community interaction.

The shelter’s design, which incorporates input from the community, features a steel structure adorned with custom panels incorporating a Harvester Neighborhood logo. These panels, a nod to the iconic arches of the Harvester International tower, were crafted by Custom Engineering and Fabrication, with contributions from Fort Wayne Community School’s Career Academy Welding Technology students.

The project came to life thanks to generous in-kind donations from community partners, including Weigand Construction, O’Neil’s Glass, Schust Construction, O’Neal Steel, and C Henry Steel. Representatives of the Southeast Area Partnership and Jesus Name Church were pivotal in transforming the shelter from a concept into a reality.