FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The Swineford House was built in the 1870s on the corner of 9th and Main streets in downtown Auburn. After exchanging hands, the 36-room house was remodeled into the Auburn Hotel in the early 1900s, standing in the same place for more than 100 years as a vestige to the Auburn of yore. Until it was torn down in 2024. The hotel was deteriorating, and only the first floor was used by commercial tenants. To save its future while still paying homage to its past, the Auburn Development Group bought the lot, demolished the building and broke ground on a spiritual successor Tuesday dubbed, "The Auburn." “The Auburn seeks to revitalize the intersection of 9th Street and Main Street, in the city’s historic downtown, while paying homage to the iconic Auburn Hotel,” said Kevin Minard, president of the Auburn Development Group. “We want to take the time and care to do this in a way that honors the significance of the building in an era-appropriate manner." According to a press release, that means "replicating the building as closely as possible to its original design, including the use of limestone on the exterior of the building." The plan also includes keeping several significant artifacts from the building alive inside The Auburn. The podium at Tuesday's groundbreaking. It was something the development group heard loud and clear when they held a meeting for public feedback two years ago at the annual Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. "We had an open house and let the community come and express their frustrations, their desires, everything. And we learned a lot," said Nick Kappas, lead consultant on the project with Auburn Development Group. "We took a lot of care and pride when it came to trying to preserve Auburn's heritage and cultural, you know, significance within this project." Auburn Development Group won't go about the project alone, and the groundbreaking was emblematic of that, as several speakers took to the mic, talking about the project being a group effort. The partnership includes Northeast Indiana Initiative, private investors and the City of Auburn. The Auburn's four floors are expected to include commercial opportunities, with possible outdoor dining on the first floor, apartments on the second and third, with "the opportunity for privately owned and designed residences overlooking this square," according to a release. Construction is expected to wrap up in 2026. ...read more read less