This local organization plans to revitalize the city by adding more housing and entertainment, a win for Ball State students and the community.
When considering Ball State University, some potential students think twice about the surrounding city. According to Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns, people might believe there’s not much to do in Muncie outside of class, but one organization wants to change that.
Over the next few years, Next Muncie hopes to transform downtown and nearby areas with more opportunities to experience art, music, and culture. Members also plan to establish more diverse housing and urban living options, along with a greater variety of dining and shopping locations.
“In addition to all the good things on campus,” Mearns says, “there will be more things to do off campus.”
Created in the spring of 2018, Next Muncie is made up of community leaders who want to improve the Muncie area, starting with downtown and the central city before moving their efforts to the rest of Muncie. The central city stretches as far as Ball Memorial Hospital, Ball State, and Minnetrista, Mearns says.
Mearns is a member of Next Muncie’s central city leadership team, which also includes Muncie Downtown Development Partnership Executive Director Vicki Veach and Mayor Dennis Tyler, among others. Next Muncie allows these members to share resources and connections in an effort to speed up economic development and neighborhood revitalization projects that have already begun.
The organization started when Jud Fisher, the president and chief operating officer of the Ball Brothers Foundation, reached out to Mearns and Jeff Bird, the president of the East Central Region for IU Health, to put together the leadership team. Ball State and Ball Memorial Hospital now co-chair Next Muncie.
Members chose the heart of the city as a starting point for its key opportunity locations, including cultural areas such as Minnetrista and the Downtown Historic District. The overall goal is to draw more people to the city by increasing quality housing, connecting neighborhoods, providing more job and educational opportunities, and expanding arts and entertainment options. Local business growth would also make Ball State students more likely to stay in Muncie after graduating.
Next Muncie aims to use existing resources, such as the White River Greenway and the Cardinal Greenway trails, for development. When Ball State does its East Mall Construction—which will involve improvements just east of Emens Auditorium—a pedestrian path will run through the heart of campus and connect to the White River Greenway trail.
The first phase of Next Muncie’s initiatives is expected to be completed this year. One of the projects currently underway is Ivy Tech’s plan to build a new location in downtown Muncie while also renovating the Fisher Building and the main campus location on Cowan Road.
Housing in the north and west sides of town has already been improved over the years, so Mearns says Next Muncie is focusing on four southside neighborhoods. With goals to create more affordable housing options, Next Muncie members want to keep young, working people and baby boomers in the city.
For example, the organization wants to increase quality housing between Minnetrista and downtown, providing walkable access that would allow more people to visit these areas. This project is called the “live learn neighborhood” because it is close to downtown, Minnetrista, and Muncie Central. Mearns believes it would be a great place for Muncie Community Schools employees to live.
Downtown, Next Muncie is working to implement more urban living spaces and create connections to the river and trails. Mearns says construction for the project should begin this year, and he hopes it will include nicer apartments and a riverfront restaurant.
Similar housing improvements are expected to be brought to the Riverside Normal neighborhood, which connects the Village to downtown. Mearns says the university will also encourage investments in the Village itself, starting in 2022. The neighborhood north of downtown, near Elm Street Brewery, will be the fourth project on Next Muncie’s agenda.
