Muncie to get new hotel, but not on the east side as mayor championed

By Stephanie Wiechmann, IPR News | Published on in Business, Economy, Government, Local News
Muncie's dowtown buildings of brick and concrete under a sunny sky.
(Photo: Downtown Muncie on Facebook)

A new hotel will soon be built in Muncie.  But as IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, it won’t be located on the east side like Muncie’s mayor had hoped.

  • Audio Transcript

    According to the mayor’s office, the new 105-room hotel operated by Holiday Inn Express & Suites will be located off Nebo Road, near the Greg Hubler Hyundai dealership on the city’s northwest side.  In a statement, Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour said the project has been approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

    But the new hotel isn’t on the east side, which has been a priority for Ridenour since he was elected in 2020.  Last August, Ridenour told officials that a feasibility study his office commissioned recommended such a project.

    “Their recommendation is a 55-room, four-story hotel that did include a pool and a bar and lounge,” he said.

    In a statement, Ridenour’s office says construction on the near-Nebo Road hotel is expected to begin in August, with a 10-month timeline.  He says the project will bring about 50 new jobs to Muncie.

    Ball State University has also announced plans for a new hotel just off its campus in the Village neighborhood.  The university has not said how many rooms are planned.

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