Loss of FEMA grants in stadium dispute ripples across state
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) – Federal officials’ decision to suspend nearly $6 million in funding for Indiana because of a dispute over a planned baseball stadium in Kokomo is having a ripple effect in Fort Wayne.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced last week that it had suspended the hazard mitigation grants for Indiana because parts of the ballpark are being built in a flood-prone area that is supposed to remain green space.
The Journal Gazette reports the grants include $1.1 million to buy and remove 18 houses in a flood-prone area of Fort Wayne.
Maumee River Basin Commission executive director Rodney Renkenberger says it’s frustrating to see one project put the rest of the state in a “precarious position.”
The 4,000-seat stadium will be home to a team in the Prospect League.