Ball State students and faculty as well as Muncie residents gathered for the ceremonial rededication of Neely Avenue on Thursday.
Among the handful of the attendees included various city and school officials. The feature speaker was President Jo Ann Gora, who took the podium and said she was delighted by the successful construction effort.
The three month summer project began May 10 and finished Aug. 14.
Jim Lowe, Ball State's director of Engineering, Construction and Operations, was a notable figure of appreciation. Gora said Lowe was the "driving force" for getting the road completed on time.
As the avenue was in use, bustling with students and cars in the background of the speech, Gora was emphatic on thanking the cooperation of the city in aiding the "first class" project.
"Not only does our campus benefit from the completion of the road, the city of Muncie does as well," she said. "We'll be cutting a lot ribbons within the next couple weeks."
Two of those ribbons are the state-of-the-art Student Recreation and Wellness Center (Wednesday) and Kinghorn Hall (Sept. 10), both of which are located on the newly renovated Neely Avenue.
Construction staff for the road said there is one more addition to be made to Neely Avenue, which is the replacement of old street lights. These new lights are expected to be installed by Labor Day.
The Neely road project also tied in the university's geothermal project.
Muncie resident Mark Irvin, who grew up with a family that had lived alongside Neely since 1964, compared the new Neely Avenue to the old one.
"Back then, [Neely Avenue] was simply a two-lane road with only the Studebaker Complex and Health Center around it," he said. "The new Neely Avenue complements all of the newer structures so well and already greatly enhances the appearance of Ball State's campus."
The ceremony concluded with more than a half-dozen construction planners and personnel joining Gora to cut the ribbon. After a count to three, the group simultaneously cut the cardinal-colored ribbon.
Read More
Spring donation drive
By Amelia Winter / 12 hours agoBrand-new spring donation drive to help international students at Ball State University.
Late Nite preparing for annual carnival
By Evan Shotts / 12 hours agoNight of April 19th marks the annual carnival put on by Ball State’s Late Nite association.
Tranquil weather to round out the week before active pattern sets up
By Hope Kleitsch / 15 hours agoHigh pressure will replace the breezy and rainy conditions, but for how long? Chief Weather Forecaster Hope Kleitsch has the details.
