A community meeting for the development of low-income housing to be built in the Village was held Tuesday evening atthe Ball State Christian Campus House.
Brinshore Development L.L.C. is behind the progress of this initiative, and is hoping to integrate the Ball State community with the Muncie community.
The meeting consisted of members of the Muncie City Council, community members and property owners with land near Ball State's campus and the Village who will be affected by the complex.
The initial reaction of the residents and property owners was negative.
Joe Mumpower, a longtime Muncie resident and property owner, said the development will look unfinished because of a house on Dill Street that refused to give up their land to Brinshore.
The zoning of the development has been approved by the city of Muncie, but the building plans have yet to be approved.
A serious concern community members had was whether it will financially benefit Muncie laborers or go directly to the government.
-รก
Senior Vice President Peter Levavi said Brinshore recently finished a similar development in Lafayette, Indiana where all sub-contractors were local workers with the exception of minority workers.
The development will not lease to Ball State students, which raised another concern with community members.
"We are not allowed to lease to students, it is a federal law, which we would be happy to show to you," a Brinshore representative said. .
Muncie City Council members backed the project saying it would stabilize the Village area.
District 1 city council member, Doug Marshall, said this project would benefit the Village by integrating community members with students to create a more versatile living space.
"I think it would be nothing but better for the area," Marshall said. "We want Muncie to be known as a good community where you can raise your family; we're America's hometown."
Property owners brought up the issue of parking without a permit and the lack of parking currently in the Village.
A local property owner said he is required to provide parking to all of his tenants, yet there are still times that his tenants receive parking tickets because of the lack of space in the area.
The main concerns with community members and property owners were the conditions of the roads, parking and the sewage system within the area. Each property owner expressed their concern for these issues while the developers countered that it would not be a problem because they are working to improve the conditions.
Muncie City Council member at large, Nora Powell, said she approves of the development, but identifies the flaws involved with bringing in families so close to the student community.
"I want to make sure we build that bridge between single families and university students, however, I do think there will be a stabilizing factor that will be built in the neighborhood," Powell said.
State Representative, Mike White, is a longtime Muncie resident who lives on North Street, a popular area for college students to rent.
"I think that we continue to isolate this campus, but in the real world we are all in this thing together, we all live in the same community," White said. "It is this separation that creates animosity."
White said he hopes the proposed development will encourage the surrounding residents to improve their homes and reinforce the two communities to come together.
The Board of Zoning will be holding an appeals hearing Sept. 27 for those residents who oppose the project. Until then, the Muncie City Council and Muncie residents continue to debate on adding the development to the Village.
Read More
Over 3,000 Cardinals join the Ball State family of alumni following commencement
By Ella Howell / YesterdayThe Quad filled with approximately 3,000 graduating Cardinals and their loved ones the morning of May 4 in preparation for the 198th Ball State University Commencement.
Board of Trustees approves new Ball State Athletics Performance Center during May meeting
By Olivia Ground / 2 days agoThe Board of Trustees met May 3, revealing plans for an upcoming renovation of the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) building, plans for an upcoming sports performance training center, changes in the university core curriculum and many hiring and human resources developments being made in the upcoming months.
