Dan Allen at Muncie Free Press - Delaware County Indiana | News and Information

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN. - Downtown Muncie's great landmarks, the Roberts Hotel and the Boyce Block, should get some notice from facelifts funded by local government's development effort.

Muncie Redevelopment Commission awarded  $1 million in grants on Thursday to spark a new renaissance that should bring more people and money to the heart of the community.

,Plan calls for more housing, two-way Walnut, green space

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - New York City planner Gianni Longo stood in the twilight, talking about how empty and dark downtown Muncie was along with a recovery plan to turn it green, fill in the empty spaces with housing, retail and a new hotel while also restoring two way traffic to Walnut Street and eventually others.

More money coming for building fronts in 2013

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - Hans Heintzelman calls it the hottest block in downtown Muncie where his workshop, Dan's Records and Refresh design shop is located on High Street.

 Mayor Dennis Tyler and Muncie's Redevelopment Commission agreed on Thursday, recognizing the door and floor guy besides muffler repair man Pat Quirk and mortuary owner Gordon Cox for some visible improvements and green space to some downtown corners.

 For Heintzelman, it was the second such notice given to his restoration of a group of buildings in the 100 block of South High Street that used to be a livery and buggy shop over a century ago.The craftsman got a city historic award for his work early this year.

  Some people might remember the old Miller's Tavern on that corner of High and Main streets which was demolished and where landscape has replaced it. The tavern moved where Refresh is located, but Heintzelman bought the property in 1999 and turned it into a workshop, later renting out storefronts to the unique record shop and the design shop. At the end of that block is the popular Savage's Ale House.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN -  Mutual Bank will underwrite a $1 million facelift of downtown Muncie that stands to get more people and business in 2013.

 That money tree known as the Muncie Redevelopment Commission will open competition for facade grants next month with work possible starting in the spring.

 "We could be ready to start construction at the first robin," said Dan Allen, president of the Muncie Redevelopment Commission.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN -  Muncie's Redevelopment Commission agreed to buy property Thursday that could be used for a new hotel and other development next to the downtown Horizon Convention Center.

 And Ball State University continues to move on property at University and McKinley avenues where a new $25 million hotel and conference center will be built as early as 2013.

 All the talk and property acquisition indicated  full service hotels will return to the Muncie market that now has 989 rooms mainly on the Bethel Avenue and McGalliard Road hospitality route that generally are occupied by visitors of Ball State,  I.U. Health Ball Memorial Hospital, and the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

 Mayor Dennis Tyler did not want to talk too much about the downtown hotel project as the MRC agreed to participate in the $75,000 purchase of the old Muncie Mission site across from the convention center and about at the High and Seymour streets crossing. The city negotiated the purchase after the mission torn down the old building and did extensive excavation of the site for old tanks or other environmental problems.

The cost was based on the average of a couple of appraisals and considered a deal by city officials since the mission spent money on demolition and cleanup.

 Tyler believed Muncie could support both hotel projects given the current occupancy and how a downtown hotel could impact the downtown.

Free Movies and More for Downtown Muncie this Summer

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - Look for Canan Commons to come alive Saturday with music, a film and some new equipment to make it the summer entertainment center for downtown Muncie.

 The first of three concerts feature Souled Out, one of the Doc Peterson spinoff bands, will play at 8 p.m. on the stage next to the Muncie YMCA. Then look for the movie Footloose 2012 on a new inflatable screen thanks to the Muncie Redevelopment Commission. The $2.2 million facility already has ben the scene of Friday Brown Bag music and some YMCA events. Even Occupy Muncie and some other entertainment groups have been hanging out there.

 Vicki Veach, downtown development director, gave the MRC a heads up on the facility this week, besides a request by Mayor Dennis Tyler to fund some much needed equipment to use the stage and park for entertainment. Canan Commons was dedicated last fall, stood silent for months, and recently came alive as artists, musicians and activists began using the park.

  Tyler put together a group with help from Muncie Downtown Development Partnership to find out what was needed to get the facility up and running. It was the same task that was needed to finish out work at Tuhey Pool after it opened at the end of last summer.

 The obvious need is to have a backdrop for the stage that is next to the downtown railroad and a screen for movies. There is also a need for safety rails on the stage, gating to secure the site for pay concerts and other crowd control and traffic barriers.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - Downtown Muncie will get a bit more planning before anyone sees more apartments, businesses or people.

 And Muncie Redevelopment Commission, that brought that New York City planning team to Muncie for another look at the downtown, decided to spend a bit more money this week on more planning to identify some of the prime spots for apartments and how many the downtown can sustain.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN -  Tom Logsdon bought his first property when he was 16 and then went through buying more with Delaware Properties and Muncie Properties, eventually selling those companies too.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN  - Federal money for the most in need, whether homeless, poverty stricken or those living in the inner city continues to decline at the hands of a Congress bent on balancing the federal budget. 

 And the politics of the federal deficit did not suit those who help Muncie's homeless and low income this week when they learned the continue drip, drip, drip of declining Community Development funds to the community.