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

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.

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.