A historic preservation committee decided Wednesday that it will not support a petition that would make the house at 601 N. Calvert Ave. a historic landmark.
The house lacks any architectural significance and does not currently sit in a historic preservation district, according to a committee of the Muncie Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission.
The Werner family, who owns the house, wanted the commission to preserve the home to keep Ball State from destroying it.
Ball State wants to build a parking garage where the house sits. The university has been in negotiation with the Werner family to buy the house, but the family has declined all offers.
Michael Werner, who is in charge of negotiations for the family, said he somewhat expected the committee's decision.
"I'm sad about it, but I'm not surprised," Werner said.
Werner said he knew the house did not meet all the requirements a property must meet to become a historic landmark.
To become a historical landmark, property must already sit in a historic district and the historic significance of the property must be based on people or events of 50 years ago or more.
David and Jackie Werner, who lived at 601 N. Calvert Ave. for more than 25 years, are considered outstanding members of the Ball State and Muncie community, said Gretchen Cheesman, Muncie's historic preservation officer.
"Their contributions to the community are not historic yet," Cheesman said.
The commission did not convince everyone that the house isn't a historic landmark.
Mary Spitz-Greene, a Community Development member, questioned why the commission couldn't deem the land around the house a historic district.
"Ball State is going through and absolutely ravaging that area," Greene said.
While some commission members agreed with Greene, they said the university held the responsibility to present a historic district plan to Muncie's City Council.
Thomas Kinghorn, vice president for business affairs at Ball State, said the state determines what is considered historic at public universities.
But Ball State has a minimal interest in anything with historic significance, said Jerry Thornburg, who identified himself as a taxpayer.
"I think that's evident by that phallic symbol they erected in the middle of McKinley (Avenue)," Thornburg said.
Thornburg and Spitz-Greene both argued that with the university's destruction of homes to expand the campus comes a destruction of Muncie's tax base.
"When we're deprived of that income, somebody else will have to pick it up," Thornburg said.
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