City Moves to Preserve Brick Streets

A section of historic brick streets in Fort Wayne, Ind. will be preserved thanks to a measure recently approved by the city council.

Under a measure approved by city council, the city of Fort Wayne will pay to preserve existing brick streets – and some brick alleys in and around historic districts.

While the city will be compelled to preserve some brick alleys, the amendment made it clear the intent of the ordinance is mainly to preserve the “structural and aesthetic integrity” of the alleys. The city will not be obligated to preserve the alleys beyond the costs of normal maintenance, but repairs must be made with matching brick.

The streets to be preserved include parts of Butler Street, Canal Street, College Street, Davis Street, Fourth Street, Growth Avenue, Jones Street, Maiden Lane, Morrison Avenue, Swinney Avenue, Union Street, Wagner Street, Wall Street, Webster Street and Wilt Street.

It’s a new policy, but not a new issue. In 1917, the city had 31.6 miles of brick streets, according to a 2006 study on the subject. By the time of that study, 41 blocks of brick-paved streets remained. Preserving these old streets has been debated in recent years, because paving with brick is more expensive than using asphalt. Although brick costs more as a surfacing material for streets, it is expected to last longer than asphalt.