'Harry Baals' Controversy Ends, Indiana Won't Name Building After Former Mayor

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'Harry Baals' Controversy Ends, Indiana Won't Name Building After Former Mayor
Mar 15, 2011 – 7:52 AM

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- A new government building in Fort Wayne, Ind., may officially be called Citizens Square, but to some not-so-square citizens it will always be the Harry Baals (bawlz) Government Center.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry announced the new city and county government center's name Monday.

The most popular choice for the building in an online poll was the "Harry Baals Government Center." The second-place finisher was "Thunder Dome."

The former mayor pronounced his name "balls," although his descendants pronounce their name "bales" (baylz).

Fort Wayne officials previously said the city wouldn't name the building after Baals because they were worried the name would be ridiculed.

City spokesman Frank Suarez offered a different reason on Monday. He says the mayor didn't want to name the building after a person.