MUNCIE, IN – It was a full house at the first ever Delaware County Housing Summit on Friday, April 5, at the Ivy Tech Fisher Building in downtown Muncie.

More than 100 people attended the event to learn more about the county’s current housing situation and best practices for housing development.

“I was excited to see so many different faces from across our community – developers, landlords, elected officials, and neighbors,” said Heather Williams, Associate Director in the Office of Community Engagement at Ball State University and Program Manager for Building Better Neighborhoods. “I count this as a success!”

The Housing Summit was presented by Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance, the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce, Ball State University’s Office of Community Engagement, and Muncie Land Bank. Breakfast and lunch for participants was provided by the Muncie Sanitary District, and Ivy Tech Community College served as the host sponsor.

The seeds for the summit were planted during the development of the 5-year Vision 2027 Economic Development Plan, created by the Muncie Delaware County Economic Development Alliance. The summit was cited as one of the ways to advance progress toward the local revitalization and enrichment goal.

“As representatives of the local business community, we recognize that quality housing options, affordability, and availability are integral components of Muncie-Delaware County’s economic competitiveness and growth potential,” said Elizabeth Rowray, President & CEO, Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce and Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance.

The summit, Rowray said, was designed to “start the conversation” and then, as Vision 2027 notes, put an action plan in place.

The conversation started with background information on housing, provided by morning keynote speaker Dagney Faulk, director of research at the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at Ball State University.

Faulk shared data that impacts housing – housing stock (“there is an excess supply of older housing stock in the county”); where people work (9,000 workers commute into Delaware County each day and 7,300 commute out of the county each day), population (a decrease of 5,000 since 2011); and much more.

Armed with all that information, it was time for participants to head to breakout sessions. Experts were brought in from around the county and state to focus on various housing topics applicable to Delaware County.

During a best practices session, representatives from Pathstone Indiana, EcoRehab, Urban Light Community Church, Intend Indiana, and Muncie Mission Ministries fielded questions about how non-profits play an important role in transforming communities. Another session spotlighted Cook Medical and its workforce housing initiative.

A panel to discuss local codes and state legislation as it relates to successful housing development featured Mark Shublak, a partner in Taft’s Public Affairs Strategies Group; Jim Pressel, Indiana State Representative, and Rick Wajda, CEO for the Indiana Builders Association, a trade association representing more than 2,600 member companies across the state.

A developer panel that discussed the “real costs” of housing included Rebekah Hanna, a realtor at RE/MAX in Muncie for 18 years; Scott Alexander, State Senator, and Ryan Kelley: Vice President of Tax Credit Development for TWG.

Keynote speakers included Nassif Kouton from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, who offered an update READI 2.0 funding, and Heather Presley Cowen, who shared what she’s learned during her more than 25 years of housing and economic development-related experience.

Presley Cowen worked for two decades with Fort Wayne as its senior executive responsible for directing, developing, and planning the overall housing and neighborhood development strategies, and is credited with inventing the Housing Optimization Market Empowerment (H.O.M.E.) Method, a proprietary housing delivery system designed to expedite and optimize workforce housing solutions.

Her analogy to better explain a common housing issue was a favorite of the day. “If you go to the grocery store to get ketchup, and that’s all they have, it would be fine for a while. But what happens when you want some hot sauce? Or chili sauce?

If you want something and it’s not there, you leave and go somewhere else,” Cowan said. She championed the benefits of looking at the potential of an area, not just more of the same.

“The data and insights shared at the Summit underscore the vital need for a comprehensive housing study and plan. A clear understanding of our current housing landscape is essential to develop informed policies and strategic investments that will benefit our community for years to come,” added Rowray.

As participants left the summit, it was clear that many saw more than the current housing issues in Delaware County. They were excited about the hot sauce in the future.

As a vital partner in the 9-month READI planning process, the Alliance worked with businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders across sectors to develop projects and bring together stakeholders to demonstrate Muncie-Delaware County’s potential for transformative development. Leveraging its expertise in economic development, strategic planning, and community engagement, the Alliance played a key role in developing a compelling vision for East Central Indiana’s future. Staff members Elizabeth Rowray and Traci Lutton represented Muncie-Delaware County on the ECI READI Steering Committee along with representatives from Grant, Henry, Blackford, Jay, Randolph, Wayne, and Fayette Counties.

“We are excited to have contributed to the effort to secure this READI grant, which represents a significant opportunity to catalyze economic growth and development in our region,” said Elizabeth Rowray, President & CEO of the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance and Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce. “This achievement is a testament to the power of collaboration and the collective commitment of our community and region to realizing our full potential. Our organization remains committed to working with the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership and groups across the region to maximize the impact of the grant funding and drive meaningful change,” added Rowray.

“This grant fuels a turning point for our region, and we are grateful for the leadership and expertise that the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance has contributed,” added Trevor Friedeberg, President & CEO of the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership. “Together, we will build a more resilient and vibrant region for all.”

The READI grant will support a range of projects aimed at enhancing quality of life, quality of place, and quality of opportunity. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation awarded a total of $500 million across 15 regions. For more information on READI, visit indianareadi.com and forgeeci.com.

About The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance 

The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance was founded in 1984 and represents a consortium of economic development entities dedicated to the growth and prosperity of Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana. Our purpose is to allocate and leverage economic development resources to sustain and enhance the economic growth, vitality, and competitiveness of Muncie-Delaware County as a location of choice for businesses and residents. The Alliance’s administrative entities are Delaware Advancement Corporation and the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce.

The 1.2-mile-long trail and reconstruction of Riverside Avenue was born out of a 2019 Indiana DNR Next Level Trails grant awarded to the Delaware Advancement Corporation. Through public input and willing partners, the project was able to increase in scope to include storm water improvements, the reconstruction of Riverside Ave, and the planting of over 80 native trees that will help diversify and strengthen the city’s tree canopy.

“After careful planning, based primarily on the public input meetings in 2019, a broad community partnership formed to address stormwater issues, automobile travel speeds, and traffic back-ups — all concerns of the public — that further enhance the pedestrian trail being built along Riverside Avenue.” says Elizabeth Rowray, President of the Delaware Advancement Corporation. The trail addition connects the Morrison Road Trail to Tillotson Avenue/Ball State University and includes a new sidewalk connection to the Catalina Swim Club on Clarkdale Avenue.

The total investment in the pedestrian, vehicular, and stormwater improvements came in just shy of 4 million dollars, with 98% of the funding originating from federal, state, and local grants.

Delaware Advancement Corporation was awarded a Department of Natural Resources Next Level Trail Grant, an East Central Indiana Regional Development Authority trail grant out of its funding from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Regional Cities Initiative, and a Ball Brothers Foundation grant to plant native trees. The Muncie Sanitary District is funding the stormwater and road improvements through the American Recovery Plan.

“This is Muncie at its best. We are making quality of place improvements in an area of town where owner-occupied housing demand is high, an area lacking in safe pedestrian travel routes. We are closing gaps in Muncie’s incredible existing trail network. We are using limited local tax dollars to leverage state and federal financial resources. All of this is in response to public input gathered at the onset of the trail project,” explained Elizabeth Rowray.

While not directly tied to the trail project, the City of Muncie used an INDOT Community Crossings grant to cover road improvements at the Riverside and Jackson Street intersection, including a road diet at the Jackson – Riverside intersection that will help slow the travel speeds of vehicles along Jackson Street.

FlatLand Resources and IXOYE Engineering provided project management and design services for the projects, with 3D Company and E&B Paving being the primary contractors for the trail and road projects, respectively.

About Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana Economic Development Alliance

The Alliance (EDA) represents a consortium of economic development entities dedicated to the growth and prosperity of Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana. Their purpose is to allocate and leverage economic development resources to sustain and enhance the economic growth, vitality, and global competitiveness of Muncie-Delaware County as a superior business location. Services include site location assistance, retention and expansion of existing businesses, and customized research for business prospects considering Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana.

“After careful planning, based primarily on the public input meetings in 2019, a broad community partnership has formed to address stormwater issues, automobile travel speeds and traffic back-ups—all concerns of the public —that will further enhance the pedestrian trail being built along Riverside Avenue,” said Elizabeth Rowray, President of the Delaware Advancement Corporation.

The trail addition will connect Morrison Road to Tillotson Avenue/Ball State University, including a new sidewalk connection to the Catalina Swim Club on Clarkdale Avenue.

The aggregate construction cost for the three projects is $2.25M.

Funding for each of the projects varies. Delaware Advancement Corporation was awarded a Department of Natural Resources Next Level Trail Grant and an East Central Indiana Regional Development Authority trail grant out of its funding from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Regional Cities Initiative. The Muncie Sanitary District is funding the stormwater improvements through its stormwater utility program and the American Recovery Plan. Finally, the City of Muncie is using an INDOT Community Crossings grant to cover road improvements at the Riverside and Jackson Street intersection.

FlatLand Resources and IXOYE engineering have been providing project management and design services for the projects. There is a substantial completion date of fall 2022 for the three projects.

A unique feature of this project is a road diet at the Jackson and Riverside intersection. One travel lane will be eliminated on Riverside that will help slow the travel speeds of vehicles at Jackson Street.

Given the scope of the project, residents in this area of town should plan for construction inconveniences for several months once the project begins.

“This is Muncie at its best,” said Rowray.  “We are making ‘quality of place’ improvements in an area of town where owner occupied housing demand is high—an area lacking in safe pedestrian travel routes. We are closing gaps in Muncie’s incredible existing trail network. We are using limited local tax dollars to leverage state and federal financial resources. All of this is in response to public input gathered at the onset of the trail project.”

Paving Trail Width Map

Riverside Improvements Map

MUNCIE, Ind.—On March 24, 2022 the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2021 population estimates for states and counties. Delaware County registered its first population increase in the yearly U.S. Census Bureau estimates since 2011.

Delaware County registered an increase of 202 people for the year 2021.  More good news—5 out of 9 counties in East Central Indiana showed increased populations. In addition to Delaware County which increased  +202 people, Henry County + 50, Fayette County +27, Randolph County +12, and Wayne County +1 also registered positive increases for the year 2021. Grant, Rush, Jay, and Blackford Counties showed population losses. When combined, the 9 counties of East Central Indiana had an overall decrease of -178 according to Census Bureau numbers.

Of the 20 largest counties in Indiana (80,000 population and above), Delaware County ranked 10^th highest in percentage growth. Percentage growth was ahead of Kokomo,Terre Haute, New Albany, Elkhart, and South Bend to name a few.

“I am pleased to see this increase for 2021,” Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour said.  “I would surmise that projects like the White River Lofts downtown which is rapidly filling up, issuing 36 Muncie single family building permits during 2021 and newly remodeled apartments at 424 Lofts, Labor Center Lofts, and 613 W. Charles also played into the census estimates.”  Muncie also saw many single-family homes remodeled and put back into our market area in 2021.

Muncie also welcomed 43 Afghan refugees (now up to 91 in 2022) to our community in 2021.

Muncie actively  recruited 5 remote workers to live in Muncie.  Most of the remote workers brought family or partners with them which also should have added to the Census estimates.

“All in all, the yearly U.S. Census estimates, although not a full census, do provide numbers that are used by companies and consultants as part of the evaluation process for future locations,” Ridenour said. “This first population increase from the U.S. Census in 10 years, even though not yet a trend, should provide hope that efforts are beginning to see results and gain momentum. Momentum should continue to build as The Make My Move effort to bring remote workers to Muncie is gaining steam. Muncie is now up to more than 100 applications for those looking to move here.”

“Muncie has multiple new housing options under construction in 2022 which is important and necessary to see growth as a community,” Mayor Ridenour added. “It’s important to note the efforts of Traci Lutton of the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance and others who have secured new manufacturing jobs for the Muncie area—CanPack (350+ jobs) and Living Green Farms (125+ jobs). The Delaware County team has been successful with INOX (110+ jobs), ClearLine Manufacturing (30+) and more.”

According to the mayor, Muncie Power Products is expanding, Accutech Systems is adding dozens of jobs annually and BrickRed Systems will soon be adding  50 new IT positions at the old Southway Plaza location. The mayor indicated that Muncie and Delaware County have some real “plus items” regarding employment as a city and county, although housing is still a concern.

Mayor Ridenour added, “Momentum is building and a growing population result from the U.S. Census Bureau, even if for just one year, should be welcome news to Muncie and Delaware County residents.”

MUNCIE, Ind.—The Muncie-Delaware County Visitors Bureau’s move to South Walnut Street joins an eminent recreational facility at Accutech, and Patterson Block Muncie, a new community learning center with untold potential that’s successfully breathing new life into a stately old downtown building.

Built in 1876 by Arthur Patterson, the Patterson building’s 21,000 square feet have been almost completely renovated and are now owned by Ball State graduate Kimberly Ferguson, a local real estate investor who is active in several area non-profit organizations. Ferguson, a wife and mother of two young children, is also owner of the Patterson building’s primary tenant, Pink Leaf: A Learning Company, whose mission is to “cultivate personal and community growth through experiential learning and enriching opportunities to forge new pathways to success.”

Patterson Block Muncie hosted a grand opening on Aug. 5, welcoming the public to tour the modern work, retail, and learning spaces inside. While Pink Leaf programs occupy some of the Patterson, another portion is reserved for a few tenants – women-owned businesses that include Debbie’s Handmade Soap, Sea Salt & Cinnamon, Bloom & Be: Therapy and Education Services, Runaround Soup, and Danielle’s Bistro. City Hope Fellowship and Adopt-a-Hive also call the Patterson home.

Pink Leaf is an interesting part of the Patterson building’s contents. Ferguson’s company is aimed at helping people become self- sufficient in a rapidly changing world, where resources are sometimes limited or nonexistent.

Jen Cavalcanti, Pink Leaf’s Director of Operations, said Patterson Block Muncie is really a cleverly disguised philanthropic organization that operates as a for-profit business. “We’ve been in business for 10 years doing experiential learning classes in Muncie,” she told Alliance. “Until we relocated to the Patterson building, we were operating out of a small cottage in central Muncie. We didn’t really have a public space, and so people didn’t know we were around.”

But, Pink Leaf was there, helping young people and adults become more self-sufficient by offering life skills classes like fundamental car maintenance, basic cooking, and home maintenance.

“We’re definitely on a social mission,” Cavalcanti said. “Kimberly is really passionate about giving back to community and she knows the value of her property tax dollars going back into the community when it was really needed.”

It’s that kind of civic-mindedness that identifies Pink Leaf as a true community partner.

A prime example of this community outreach effort is Pink Leaf’s brand new commercial kitchen, featuring all the modern amenities. Coupled with the kitchen, which can be rented by private individuals or used as culinary instruction space, is Pink Leaf’s roster of certification courses which are taught there. Among them is ServSafe, the restaurant and food service industry’s nationally recognized and accredited food safety training program. Together, The Commercial Kitchen by Pink Leaf and Pink Leaf’s own ServSafe certification program can help residents acquire jobs in the food service industry, or enhance the qualifications of entrepreneurs looking to start catering businesses, restaurants, or food trucks.

The Commercial Kitchen also serves as a culinary arts classroom for the general public. Classes aren’t free, but a variety of cooking classes are available, including “Soups & Stocks”, “Thanksgiving Sides”, “Thanksgiving Desserts”,and more. Knitting and sewing classes are also available, with no class costing more than $75.

Other certifications classes include CPR/AED and First Aid.

Pink Leaf is also active in the local foster care community, contracting with the Indiana Department of Child Services (IDCS) to administer the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) Youth Outcomes Survey and disburse incentives.

“These surveys are completed by cohorts of older youth in foster care at ages 17, 19, and 21, to gather data about how they are doing in regard to education, housing, finances, family, and employment,” the Pink Leaf website says. “The NYTD Crew at Pink Leaf comes alongside these young adults from ages 17-21, connecting them with support by way of resources, community, events and opportunities to share how their story interacts with previous data from the NYTD Youth Outcomes Surveys.”

Pink Leaf “Bootcamps”, services contracted through IDCS, are another educational tool the company uses to help people become more self-sufficient.

Bootcamps are two- to five-day hands-on learning classes where participants practice new skills, explore potential career paths, build confidence, and create lifelong networks of peers, experts and prominent community members. All Pink Leaf bootcamps have the ultimate goal of equipping young adults for successful and sustainable independent living and employment.

Taught by local experts in their respective fields, bootcamps, which serve as the trunk of Pink Leaf operations, range from culinary arts, building trades and car maintenance, to computer coding, life skills, kitchen basics, and of course, ServSafe.

Cavalcanti reflected on her job at Pink Leaf and chuckled. “It’s so refreshing to be part of a company that lives by its mission – taking care of people, helping people move upward to the next level of their life. I don’t think that’s very common in today’s work places, so it’s a real gem.

The Ball Brothers Foundation has granted $25,000 to cover the cost of planting 30-35 replacement trees of a substantial size along Riverside Avenue. The new plantings will be based on recommended species by the Urban Forestry Board to ensure they are appropriate for their use.

The Muncie Sanitary District has committed $100,000 to be used for storm water infrastructure improvements that will help provide relief of standing water along Riverside Avenue.

The East Central Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) has pledged an additional $140,000 from a grant the RDA received from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Regional Cities program. The RDA funds will be used for storm water improvements and the construction of a new sidewalk along Clarkdale Avenue that will provide a new trail connection and a safe pedestrian route from the Riverside Trail to Catalina Swim Club.

“I couldn’t be more pleased that the team working on the trail project has been able to secure additional funding that will enhance the safety of pedestrians living in the neighborhoods and those that will use the trail. The notion that youth and families can get to the Catalina Swim Club without being in the street is significant. Residents expressed concerns about standing water along Riverside Avenue. Securing additional funds to address the water issues is a direct outcome of the neighborhood input at the public meetings,” said Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour.

The City continues to explore funding opportunities to pave Riverside Avenue and resolve traffic issues at the Jackson Street/Riverside Avenue intersection. The 60% trail design includes a “road diet,” which would provide a traffic calming measure by eliminating one lane of traffic on Riverside near the intersection.  Additionally, the 60% design includes a trail crossing from the south to the north side of Riverside Avenue at the entrance of Pineview subdivision, just east of the Jackson Street intersection. This crossing will provide additional connectivity for pedestrians living in the subdivision.

The Riverside trail project is being funded through a Next Level Trails grant received by Delaware Advancement Corporation from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The Riverside trail was identified in the Muncie-Delaware Metropolitan Plan Commission’s bike-pedestrian trail plan as a priority route for Muncie. Trail improvements were identified in the Vision 2021 Economic Development Plan and the Muncie Action Plan as a priority focus for the Muncie community. The Riverside trail connects to the existing MorrisonRoad trail network and Ball State University’s long-range vision to build a trail along Riverside Avenue east of Tillotson Avenue.

The Next-Muncie collaborative has provided resources to facilitate the positive outcomes of the Riverside Trail. Members of the Next Muncie group have expressed the need to make city-wide quality of place improvements to create lively places, foster healthy living, and generate new opportunities for learning and working.

“Quality of place is critical in retaining and attracting residents and employees for Muncie and the east central Indiana region. The Riverside trail brings pedestrian connectivity to and from the predominately single-family, owner-occupied neighborhoods immediately adjacent to Muncie’s two largest employers, Ball State University and IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital,” said Dr. Jeff Bird, Chairman of the Board of Delaware Advancement Corporation and Co-Chair of Next Muncie.

“The Muncie Sanitary District (MSD) appreciates the opportunity to join in the efforts to improve the quality of life in Muncie while correcting a chronic storm water problem in this area. When completing upgrades and improvements of our aging sewer system, the MSD also endeavors to leave each area better than it was before we started. This certainly fits in with that criteria,” said MSD Board President Bill Smith.

“I hope that the community recognizes that the Riverside trail is significant to the marketability of our community in much the same way as the downtown, the river, and our reinvention of the Muncie school system. We should consider ourselves fortunate that the Riverside trail is being funded with effectively no local tax dollars and the project continues to respond to the requests of those that spoke at the public meetings. I am very thankful that the Regional Development Authority, Muncie Sanitary District, and Ball Brothers Foundation have supplemented the Department of Natural Resources’ Next Level Trails grant to make the trail project even better,” added Ridenour.

Trail construction is anticipated to begin later this year. The project is being designed and managed by Muncie-based FlatLand Resources, LLC.

The project is the first phase of the White River Canal District, and will be located at 400 W Washington Street, adjacent to the riverfront, and walkable to shops, restaurants, and offices in Muncie’s central business district. In addition to the White River Lofts, this first phase will include a new riverfront plaza and riverwalk to provide an expansive new public space that invites walking, socializing, gathering, biking, and also connects to Muncie’s expansive trail network.

The $9 million development, located in a Federal Opportunity Zone, will promote continued investment in the Canal District and will provide an attractive housing option for Muncie’s workforce.  Major employers such as Ball State University, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie Power Products, and Accutech Systems have been vocal supporters of the project, advocating that quality housing options help them recruit and retain talent.

“White River Lofts will bring vigor to our downtown and offer housing in a convenient and beautiful location. Muncie is lucky to have four “opportunity zones” which help attract investors to our great City. These zones have helped bring in a large amount of investment, and will continue to give our City a competitive advantage. I appreciate everyone’s effort during this project, and look forward to the finished product.” —Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour

The White River Canal District is the result of collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships led by the community vision group, Next Muncie. The “Central City” has been chosen as the focus of Next Muncie as both the hub of activity and catalyst for meaningful city transformation. The Central City area includes Muncie’s highest concentration of place, economic, cultural and educational assets, including thriving institutions and key areas ripe with opportunity.

“We would like to thank the Mayor and Next Muncie in their continued confidence in WS Property Group and are excited to bring this project in the White River Canal District,” said Eric Stolberg, President/CEO, WS Property Group.

The opening date for the White River Lofts is planned for spring of 2021. Leasing inquiries are currently being accepted. For more information, visit whiteriverlofts.com.

About Next Muncie
Committed leaders from across our city have formed a strategic partnership to create transformational success throughout the Central City. With values rooted in collaboration, the leadership team aims to build lively places, foster healthy living, and create new opportunities for learning and working. Visit www.nextmuncie.com.

About WS Property Group
A proven leader in commercial development, healthcare/senior living development and asset management with over 30 years of experience. Professional services include site selection, land development, zoning, full service asset management, and leasing. WS Property Group has the leadership, direction, and drive to provide their clients and investors with innovative professional Real Estate services. Visit www.wspropertygroup.com.

About Muncie, IN

Muncie is an incorporated city and the seat of Delaware County, Indiana. It is located in East Central Indiana, about 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis. The United States Census for 2010 reported the city’s population was 70,085. The community is grounded with recreational and cultural amenities and a diverse economic base that includes higher education, medical, advanced manufacturing, information technology, logistics, and life science firms. Top notch educational institutions include Ball State University and Ivy Tech Community College.

The idea for building a connection between the White River Greenway and Cardinal Greenway originated in 1995. The leader of the vision was Marjorie Zeigler, Founder of Community Enhancement Projects, Inc., and along with her husband Sherman, of the Sherman and Marjorie Zeigler Foundation.  At the time of the idea’s origination, Indiana Steel and Wire and Broderick Hammer were still in full operation.

As the project moved from idea to design and construction, Cardinal Greenway and Community Enhancement Projects assembled a broad-based partnership for the Kitselman Trailhead project that includes the City of Muncie and Muncie Sanitary District, with major funding to build the first and second phases of the project provided by INDOT, Ball Brothers Foundation, the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County’s Kitselman Fund.

Much has changed in the immediate area surrounding the Kitselman Trailhead since the idea of building a bridge to connect the two Muncie greenways came about. Today, virtually all of the industrial buildings in the Kitselman area are gone. Property that was once a steel and concretized heavy industrial factory is in a renewal period. Adjacent property on the former Indiana Steel and Wire site has been recently envisioned as an energy efficient example of light industry and “live-work” housing. The Kitselman Pure Energy Park (KPEP) is converting the former industrial site from brownfield to greenfield, already having filled the former wire mill site with approximately 5 feet of soil and having seeded the entire area with grass. In addition, Bunch Boulevard has been rerouted to better accommodate vehicle traffic and pedestrian/cycling routes in conjunction with the Kitselman Trailhead project, the KPEP project, and the INDOT SR 32 bridge replacement project.

“It has taken a great deal of coordination to build-out this three decades old idea,” explained Angie Pool, Cardinal Greenway CEO. “The project has required unprecedented cooperation with INDOT, the City of Muncie, the Muncie Sanitary District and the Army Corps of Engineers. The timing and relocation of Bunch Boulevard to synchronize with the INDOT Bridge reconstruction is just one example of the broad-based cooperation needed to bring the overall Kitselman gateway vision to life.”

The Kitselman Trailhead’s reuse of the former Albany Bridge is a steeped in historical significance. The Albany Bridge was designed and manufactured by Muncie’s own Indiana Bridge Company in 1899.  The original drawings for the Albany Bridge were found in the special collections at Ball State University and have been vital in the successful restoration of the bridge. The old Albany Bridge was donated to the Cardinal Greenway by the Delaware County Commissioners when the Albany Bridge was replaced about 5 years ago. The Albany Bridge will now be renamed the Kitselman Bridge.

For nearly a year, Camden Construction, a specialty contractor, has been restoring the old Albany Bridge in their shop in Warsaw, Indiana. Camden is working with Beaty Construction of Boggstown, Indiana to re-erect and place the bridge onto piers. Bridge installation is set for late May 2019. 3D Construction of Muncie will then begin work on the eastern trailhead area with an estimated start date of June 2019. The Kitselman Trailhead project design and management team includes FlatLand Resources, HWC Engineering, and Land Collective.

The former wire mill dam is also slated to be removed during the 2019 construction season. Removal of the dam has been a part of the Kitselman vision for many years. While removal of the dam will create more area next to the river for trail buildout, removal of the dam will also allow for significant ecological, recreational, and safety improvements. Dam removal will improve aquatic habitats, improve fishing opportunities, and will make access to the water safer for people wishing to kayak, tube, or fish in the vicinity. FlatLand Resources of Muncie will be managing the dam removal.

“This bridge and trailhead has been decades in the making,” said Marta Moody, Cardinal Greenway President. “So many great community leaders sat in meetings for years and years discussing how to create a meaningful entryway into Muncie coming from the east. The idea was to bridge the two greenways, celebrate the river, and build an eastern city gateway using art and recreation. While a number of these leaders are no longer living, the vision and plans they created to build a city gateway and a trail connector remain in their solid foundations.”

The third phase of the project—which will focus on improvements to the west side of the White River— is in the  design, engineering, and fundraising stage with ambitions to build parts of phase 3 in 2022.

The Kitselman Bridge is expected to be set in place in the next three weeks.

“People traveling along East Jackson Street have noticed the early beginnings of the reconstruction efforts with the installation of construction fencing around Indiana Steel and Wire”, says Mayor Dennis Tyler.  “Soon, INDOT will be installing temporary signals for the INDOT East Jackson Street Bridge reconstruction that is expected to take about 3 years to rebuild.  While INDOT is working on the Jackson Street Bridge, the City of Muncie will begin to construct the first phase of the Kitselman Trailhead with the reinstallation of the historic Albany Bridge.”

The Kitselman Trailhead, the INDOT East Jackson Street Bridge and KPEP are 3 separate projects.  Each project is financed and managed by separate organizations.  INDOT’s Jackson Street Bridge is funded by the Federal Highway Administration.  KPEP is funded by a private developer.  The Kitselman Trailhead has many funding sources both public and private: INDOT, Indiana DNR, The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc., Community Enhancement Projects, Inc., Ball Brothers Foundation, Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation, City of Muncie and Muncie Sanitary District.

The Kitselman Trailhead project is being implemented through a partnership with the Community Enhancement Projects, Inc., Cardinal Greenway and the City of Muncie.  HWC Engineering, DAVID RUBIN Land Collective and Flat Land Resources are engineering, landscape architectural design, and project management professionals coordinating the day-to-day efforts of the trailhead project.

David Rubin, a landscape architect and founder of DAVID RUBIN Land Collective based in Philadelphia, created the master plan for the Kitselman Trailhead.  He explained that, “The notion of transforming an empty, industrial, blighted brownfield area that once polluted and almost killed the White River into a pedestrian-friendly trail and river-centric greenfield landscape surrounded by green technology businesses is the collective consciousness of the entire Muncie community, redefining itself as Middletown USA for the next 100-years and beyond.  The Kitselman trailhead design is the renaissance, reinvention and transformation from Muncie’s industrial heritage to the alternative energy revolution by celebrating art, nature, history and recreation in the embrace of new technologies.  Quality of place is the future trademark of a vibrant and thriving city.”

The Land Collective plan for the Kitselman Trailhead embraces history by reusing historic Bridge 85. The trail design will lead visitors to the tranquility of the river, completely separated from automobile traffic.  People traveling through the site on State Road 32 during their daily commute to and from work will be touched by the grace of art in the old bridge, a new City gateway sign constructed from corten steel all couched against the backdrop of nature, enveloped by factories and railroads.

The Kitselman Trailhead project has been divided into three construction phases.  Phase 1 is the restoration and installation of the old Bridge 85 also known as the Albany Bridge and temporary trail connections to Cardinal Greenway.  Phase 2 is the construction on the eastern side of the river and the former Indiana Steel and Wire employee parking lot, including a White River Greenway trail connection from the Craddock Wetland at Gavin Street to the relocated Albany Bridge and a large lawn area being constructed on the old parking lot.  Phase 3 is the construction of the west side of the river which includes areas of the former King Forge property.  The final phase of the trailhead project will include large art sculptures that also act as gateways to the City.

“Each phase of the Kitselman Trailhead will be transformative.  With the Albany Bridge in the first phase,  the White River Greenway trail connection in the second,  and the new City of Muncie gateway art pieces in the final and third phase, it is hard to decide which phase will have the greatest impact to this blighted area of town,”  says Angie Pool, Cardinal Greenway CEO.  “I am so excited and waiting to see the Muncie gateway sign, in the third phase, which is designed to include Ball jar blue glass that will be backlighted at night.”

Mark Peters, developer of the Kitselman Pure Energy Park (KPEP), explains, “The Kitselman Trailhead is the main attraction to which KPEP is adjoined and the reason we are excited about the new Gateway to Muncie. We’ve completed the demolition work on the former Indiana Steel & Wire property and have moved into construction. We will be relocating Bunch Boulevard in synch with the INDOT’s East Jackson Street Bridge reconstruction. The relocation of Bunch Boulevard from its current location to a new location about 300 feet more to the east will better serve the KPEP entrance, the Kitselman Trailhead parking lot, and make that area safer for drivers, riders and pedestrians.”

KPEP has also planned trails and wide sidewalks throughout the mixed-use development so people working and living in the surrounding neighborhoods can safely get to the Kitselman Trailhead, the White River and Cardinal Greenways. The site will include a five-megawatt solar power plant, community center with educational classrooms, headquarters building for DD Dannar and mid-sized hotel. There will also be electric charging stations, among other elements.

“Working collaboratively, the Kitselman Trailhead design has been carefully integrated into the KPEP development and INDOT’s Jackson Street Bridge project.  The trail layout completely separates the automobiles from the trail users.  Once the projects are completed, a person on the Cardinal Greenway will be able to get to the White River Greenway by crossing under the East Jackson Street Bridge on both sides of the river.   People riding on the Cardinal Greenway will no longer have to cross Jackson Street making it safer for all”, explains Marta Moody of the Delaware-Muncie Plan Commission.

The East Jackson Street Bridge is one of the top five most highly travelled streets in and out of Muncie.  Thousands of cars traveling to and from the Winchester, Farmland, Parker City, and Selma areas for  work at Muncie downtown businesses, Ball State University and the IU Ball Memorial Hospital use Jackson Street-State Road 32, on their daily commute.

“The East Jackson Street-State Road 32 Bridge will be operating as a single lane signalized road for up to 3 years beginning this summer,” Nathan Riggs, INDOT East Central District Information Director said. “INDOT has been working closely with the Kitselman project for several years to create common design elements and coordinate project timing.”

The INDOT project is divided into 3 phases.   Phase 1 is the complete removal and reconstruction of the south side of the bridge.  Phase 2 is the relocation of major phone and fiber optic lines from the north side of the bridge to the south side of the bridge.  Phase 3 is the demolition and removal of the north side of the bridge and the relocation of Bunch Boulevard.

“As the project progresses, people will notice that the new East Jackson Street and Kitselman Pedestrian Bridges are being built higher than the existing East Jackson Street Bridge.  The levees in this area of town do not meet the current levee standards.  KPEP, INDOT and the City have worked closely to make sure each individual project works in unison to help upgrade the levees around the Kitselman area,” says Jacob Isenburg, PE, HWC Engineering, the bridge engineer for the Kitsleman Pedestrian Bridge.

Major construction of the trailhead area will begin this summer and continue for several years.  A small part of the project is the planned removal of the abandoned Indiana Steel and Wire dam.  First and foremost, removal of the dam is for safety.

“As Muncie continues to expand its love and celebration of the White River as our community’s   greatest natural resource with our river parks, river overlooks, and bike trails, plus increased wildlife, the numbers of people fishing, paddling and tubing the river continues to increase.  Removal of any of Muncie dams will prevent drownings in the dangerous toe waters of the dams.   Beyond the safety benefits of removing the dam hazard, the removal of the dams will increase the fisheries, especially increase in small mouth bass population and fresh water mussels (clams) that are a necessary part of the river ecosystem.   To see more people safely floating or fishing the river in town along the greenway is worth celebrating as a local economic success story.  We should be proud of the recovery from the 1970’s when the river was so polluted that it was virtually a dead, open sewer.  The entire Kitselman Trailhead project is the antithesis of industrialized and population growth that caused river pollution,” says John M. Craddock, Founder and Director Emeritus, Muncie Bureau of Water Quality.

Multi-year, multi-agency projects can be challenging but so rewarding when they succeed.

According to Mayor Dennis Tyler, “Early during my first term as Mayor, I was approached and told about the White River and Cardinal Greenway’s vision at the old wire mill.  Being from Muncie all my life, and a fire fighter that made many runs to those huge factory buildings around that area, I thought at first that this was a close to impossible dream but, as I listened to the idea and learned that people like Marj Ziegler, John Craddock, Marta Moody, David Sursa, Dr. Pruis, Frank Ball, Doug Bakken, various County Commissioners and the Ball Foundations have worked or have been working judiciously on this project for almost 20 years, I listened more.

“I learned that the White River vision had been planned as five phases in 1995.  I learned that the last phase was to connect the White River Greenway to the Cardinal Greenway via a bridge over the river between the two trails.  I learned that this vision was created when the factories in the area were still operating on some level.  I learned that most of the trailhead funds to build the project would be a combination of INDOT federal highways funds and privately raised matching dollars.  I learned that the Albany Bridge, being relocated to the trailhead, was manufactured in Muncie at the Indiana Bridge Company, one of the longest continuous businesses in the County, possibly 3rd to Meeks Mortuary and Kirks Bike Shop.

“I learned, and think that this is one of the coolest parts of the project, that the idea for the trailhead was created and refined over several design charrettes by Ball State Landscape Architecture students and professors.  The more I listened and learned, the more I realized that this is an “imagine the possibilities if we can work together project.”  I look forward, as so many long time dedicated people do, to being the first group to cross the old Albany Bridge.  I look forward to seeing the first ever eastern city gateway.  I look forward to riding my bike safely without crossing the Jackson Street Bridge.  Muncie will be proud of this legacy project for many years.”