Ball State University is buying the Northwest YMCA of Muncie building to use as an indoor tennis facility.  As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, the Ball State tennis teams have already been using the space for decades.

Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell says building a brand new indoor tennis center would have cost the university more than $6 million.  To buy the existing YMCA building, Ball State will spend $1.45 million.

“We will be able to construct two additional courts by owning the facility, which will increase the number of courts from six to eight,” Mitchell says.  “Six is the minimum required to conduct an NCAA match.”

Ball State officials say the facility – really a collection of three buildings – are in “decent shape,” with newer roofs.  Mitchell says lighting over the courts needs to be updated.

The men’s and women’s tennis teams have used the building since 1974, even in its previous life as the Muncie Tennis Club.

The YMCA is building a new building on the campus of Muncie Central High School and will soon move all its operations there.  Ball State will close on the Northwest YMCA in a few weeks, then lease the building back to the organization for $4,000 a month.  The monthly price increases if the lease needs to be longer than six months.

Read More: Muncie Schools and YMCA approve agreement for new downtown facility

The former main YMCA building on Mulberry Street was bought by the city of Muncie and is now being transferred to a developer.  Current plans include dozens of apartments, a small grocery store, and a rooftop restaurant.

Ball State has also purchased buildings in the community before to reuse.

In 2017, before being given responsibility for Muncie Community Schools by the state legislature, Ball State bought Northside Middle School for $1.27 million.  The agreement leased it back to the school district for $1 per year.

And in 2019, Ball State purchased two former elementary schools for the combined price of $435,000.  The former Mitchell Elementary School has been turned into an early childhood daycare and learning center.  The university uses Sutton Elementary School as a storage facility.

Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host.  Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.