NE Ind. landowner trying to stop college dorm

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A northeastern Indiana man who owns a small plot of land Indiana Tech officials want to buy for a new dormitory is trying to halt the $4.3 million project.

The Journal Gazette reports Richard Kriz II has rejected Indiana Tech’s $25,000 offer for his Fort Wayne property. School officials say their offer is generous and that his land is worth just $300.

Indiana Tech is seeking a residential rezoning to build the three-story dorm to address the school’s growing enrollment and demand for campus housing.

But Kriz’s attorney says the project would violate state building standards by not paying “considerable regard” to his property’s location.

Indiana Tech finance official Judy Roy says the legal maneuvering is a ploy to get more money from the university.