The Muncie City Council voted to approve a rezoning ordinance that will allow an 80-unit apartment complex to be built near the Village.
The 7-1 vote on Monday will give Brinshore Development a chance to market to Ball State and IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital employees with low- to moderate-income housing - something City Councilor Linda Gregory said the area has lacked for late-shift employees.
"There is a need for that level of housing," Gregory said. "Especially at the hospital there are work shifts that are not accommodated by public transportation, so having affordable housing in the area would make it possible for people to walk to work."
Brinshore Development will not be allowed to rent to students or any other possible tenants who do not qualify for low- to moderate-income housing for at least 30 years. Peter Levavi, senior vice president of the Illinois based development company, said the complex will be financed with a low-income housing tax credit program from the government.
Thomas Kinghorn, vice president for business affairs and Ball State treasurer, said the new housing project will help increase business in the Village.
"When the Village was at its best in the 1960s and '70s there was a mix of students of course and year-round residents [who would] likely would be represented in this property," Kinghorn said. "This project represents new investment in the Village, something that a lot of individuals have been calling for for a number of years."
Levavi said preliminary plans to start construction are slated for September 2013 and they have hopes for the housing complex to be finished by late 2014. The company is planning on working with community members on input regarding the new complex and they have plans to set up community meetings.
Although the council voted in favor of the project, not everyone agrees the complex will be beneficial to the area.
City Councilor Brad Polk said from his time growing up in the area that the sewage issues are a concern and the new plans could cause future problems.
Levavi said the developments will not have a negative impact on the sewer system, but will actually help limit usage.
"We'll be tying our storm sewer into the dedicated storm sewer and not the combined sanitary and storm sewer so there is actually going to be less water during a storm event going into the combined sewer," Levavi said.
Polk said he was mainly worried about the lack of parks and playground available in the area surrounding the family-friendly complex.
"We have and will continue to look into that. We have been in contact with Mayor Tyler," Levavi said, when asked about playgrounds and parks near the location. "We're working with the city to identify a site for a playground and we would like to make sure that that's incorporated. We think it's an excellent idea."
Safety concerns are not an issue because the company will be using barriers such as drug tests and work requirements for people wishing to live in the apartment complex, Levavi said.
Polk said the resulting apartment complex has the possibility to help the Village but the deciding factor for the council was the amount of money the city could make in tax dollars.
"That's what they went for in this situation," Polk said. "I don't think it's going to help out that area."
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