Ball State plans for outdoor gathering green space in Village redevelopment project
Ball State University is continuing to make plans to redevelop sites in the nearby Village commercial neighborhood. As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, a former bank building and parking lot will soon become an outdoor “gathering space.”
The lot along University Avenue, across from Roots Burger Bar, will offer a nearly half-acre green space, hook-ups for food trucks, tables for eating and gathering, and activities – possibilities being discussed include outdoor game tables, a fireplace, or even a large television to watch movies or sports.
Chris Palladino is Ball State’s Director of Real Estate Services. He says the new Village green needs to be seen as more than just a Ball State space.
“It’s not a space that’s part of campus, it’s more of a community space. And I think the way we would activate that space is through special events, through programming, through things that the Village merchants could also be involved with.”
A nearby block of Martin Street from the green to the campus’s East Mall will also be reconstructed to be curbless. Officials say it will be easier for pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars to share the road, and to close it for events.
The green space is part of a plan to revitalize the Village, including two Ball State buildings, a new hotel, and planned new homes. Addressing Ball State’s Board of Trustees, university president Geoffrey Mearns explains,“So the idea, Henry [Hall, trustee], there, is to continue to buy property in the Village. That is the continuous connection between the campus and the more commercial.”
Read More: Small businesses in Muncie’s Village live and rock through construction
Trustees approved a budget of $5.4 million for the green and Martin Street changes. Part of that money will come from the Lilly Endowment and part from university “funding reserves.” Officials say construction can begin this fall and will be completed by next summer.
Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host. Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.
