Muncie community members gathered together last week in a vacant, downtown lot where the old Holiday Cleaners building once stood.
There, on the corner of Madison and Main streets, community leader after community leader spoke of the opportunities the once-contaminated lot had to offer the downtown area.
After working with the Environmental Protection Agency to remove all underground sources of contamination and installing environmental monitoring wells, the City of Muncie is planning to turn the lot into Cornerstone Park.
Before officially breaking ground into the dry and dusty earth, the leaders who are helping spearhead this project spoke of what they envisioned the park to become by late fall.
"What a great opportunity for Muncie," said President of Community Enhancement Projects Greg Huffman. "Mayor [Dennis] Tyler had the vision that this could [become] a much different location."
In addition to sculptures and art created by local artists, ornamental trees and storm water planters, a performance stage with a viewing lot will be accessible for use.
The park sits catty-corner from the Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Their performers, as well as Muncie Civic Theatre performers, will use the space, said Huffman.
"It's not everyday for a nonprofit to have someone come to us and say, 'Here, use this however you want, as much as you want,'" said Jeff Robinson, director of community relations at Cornerstone. "The only thing we had to do was say, 'Yes, absolutely.'"
Jay Crew Landscaping has been hired as the contractor for this project.
"This makes me proud as a business owner to see this collaboration," owner of JCL Jason Brooks said.
Director of Muncie Community Development, Terry Bailey, is a former CEO and president of the Cornerstone Center and envisions wedding receptions and prom pictures taking place at the park, as well as performances.
"This is going to benefit not just one person, or one organization," Bailey said. "But the whole community."
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