Muncie redevelopment commission reviews housing projects, land‑bank updates; approves claims including $170,000 payment

The Muncie Redevelopment Commission on April 17 received progress reports on downtown development, affordable‑housing plans and the city land bank, and approved routine business including a $170,000 claim for construction work billed to the Muncie Sanitary District.

Commission members agreed to add the commission’s annual report to the May agenda and instructed staff to continue negotiation of several active development agreements, including the High Street Square economic development agreement and affordable‑housing proposals that would use tax‑credit financing and tax‑deed properties.

Redevelopment staff member Jeff Harper briefed commissioners on several active projects. He said attempts to convert existing downtown buildings into a hotel have stalled because demolition and reconstruction costs make those sites unattractive to developers, and the commission is again “probably back to trying to find a ground up construction site.” Harper described progress on a separate High Street Square development and said the team expects an economic‑development agreement once an environmental assessment and other developer punch list items are complete.

Harper also described a planned development with about 54 market‑rate apartments and roughly…