The White River Lofts open in downtown Muncie, contributing to an ongoing revitalization project.
According to the U.S. Census, the average household income in Muncie in 2019 was just under $34,000 a year. With 31 percent of the population classifying as living in poverty, a luxury apartment building may seem slightly out of place.
The White River Lofts had its ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 4, 2021, officially introducing the establishment with rent topping $1,600 a month. The lofts include a club room in the lobby complete with flat screens and pool tables, and the roof-top terrace gives residents a look of downtown and the river the building is situated on.
The river and downtown area are both meccas for revitalization projects. The 8twelve Coalition is an arm from Muncie’s Habitat for Humanity that has a central focus on the southside and parts of the Thomas Park/Avendale neighborhoods. In the fall of 2019, the project received a $25,000 grant from General Motors to continue their work.
According to a graduate project completed by Ball State student Wei Huang in 2015, success in revitalization of downtown requires, “increased urban density with appropriate housing types, adequate living essentials, attractive activities, pedestrian-friendly transportation networks, strong connections to the urban context, and a unique community identity.”
The same study recognizes that Muncie’s densest populations are that of students and the elderly. When considering the White River Lofts, though, they were meant to attract a different group — out-of-town professionals.
Vicki Veach is the executive director of Muncie Downtown Development Partnership. In her seven years in that position, she played a key role in heading the Walnut Street revitalization project, and sees introducing the new housing of the White River Lofts to hopefully point the city in a positive direction.
“You start getting involved with other organizations in the community, and you realize that we’ve had a decline in population, and it seems to be continuing in that trend,” Veach says. “We need to attract new people, and [The White River Lofts] would be one way to do it.”
According to Veach, since the ribbon-cutting ceremony, over 40 percent of the units are now leased. Majority of these are leased out to professionals from out of town. With professionals tend to come their overall business, which could mean a spike in the Muncie downtown revenue. The Brookings Institute calls these rising areas “innovation districts”.
The institute stated, “Our most creative institutes, firms, and workers crave proximity, so that ideas and knowledge can be transferred more quickly and seamlessly.”
Daniel Blondet, a land planner for ESP Associates, agrees that attracting new populations to boost downtown life can be beneficial for the area.
“Diversity in people, income, and housing is important for cities. I believe that this development will help fill in a missing gap in the muncie housing market. Muncie has a plethora of affordable/ cheap housing. It lacks middle and luxury housing that can potentially attract others to the city,” Daniel says.
These phases of the lofts and overall revitalization downtown have been in the works for as long as Veach can remember.
“It’s like, ‘come on, are we ever going to get to it?’ And now we finally have, and it’s kind of exciting,” Veach says.
Riverfront development that was a starting conversation in 1983 has now come to fruition, meaning growth for the city. 2022 starts new phases of the project but also new life for Muncie.
Sources: U.S. Census, White River Lofts, White River Lofts, The Brookings Institute
Video: Shannon McCloskey
Featured Image: Screenshot by Shannon McCloskey
