The southside of Muncie has underdeveloped and unused commercial districts, dilapidated buildings, sidewalks and streets and a glut of lost jobs.
But now, the university and the community are working together to do something about it.
After the completion and evaluation of a survey administered at a recent town hall meeting, the Muncie southside charrette began today. Included in the 3-day, intensive study are three separate public forums designed to promote commentary and discussion among citizens and planners.
According to The Star Press, the survey results reflected desires to refurbish recreational areas like parks and baseball facilities, create more affordable housing and more jobs and implement a "big-box business" to bolster the economic interest and traffic in the area.
Bruce Race, a Ball State alumnus, is leading the study, and together, with 14 undergraduate students from five different majors collaborating at the Muncie Urban Design Studio, will develop ideas for the southside revitalization effort.
The committee will meet off-campus to encourage communication with, and to create a
basis in, the community. The charrette study will help to create solutions and push the motivation to make these much-needed improvements.
Tony Costello, a Ball State architecture professor and a fellow at the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, said having a plan is a good start, but many of the recommendations will take years to implement.
Still, the foundation for revitalization has been laid. The rest of the process depends on the pending efforts of the university, the southside community and the population of Muncie.
In the next few years, our decisions will affect the economic and developmental future of the city.
Let's be exact.