FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — As WBOI — northeast Indiana’s NPR station — wrestles with budget cuts coming from the state and federal levels, the organization recently sold a downtown property that had been bought nearly a decade ago.
The building is at 210 E. Jefferson Blvd., and property and business records show St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, which borders the property, bought it June 27 for an undisclosed amount.
WBOI President and General Manager Travis Pope told WANE 15 that COVID-19 played a big factor into his decision, as the costs to renovate the building had risen significantly in recent years.
“The company wanted to move downtown and be closer to the action,” said Pope, who took over as WBOI’s president in February 2024. “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and when we reassessed whether that was still feasible after the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t, and so we made the decision to sell it.”…