At the Jan. 15 meeting the Muncie Redevelopment Commission approved two administrative measures and received a report from the Muncie Land Bank.

Staff described the Indiana Stamping property history: the property had been held in a separate holding entity during environmental remediation, bonds paid through TIF revenues were resolved and the property was sold back to private hands, leaving a remaining TIF balance of roughly $17,500. Jeff requested that the commission transfer that balance to the city general fund to support public services. Commissioners discussed ownership and confirmed the TIF was not under the commission’s control; the commission moved, seconded and unanimously approved the transfer to the general fund.

Jeff also proposed transitioning the commission’s property-holding work from the Delaware Advancement Corporation (DAC) to the East Central Indiana Community Development Corporation to improve responsiveness to city needs. Staff said an agreement was drafted and that the new entity would assume the same role; the commission approved the transition by unanimous vote.

Zach Gollian of the Muncie Land Bank reported that the land bank will vote this month on the sale of two remaining publicly listed properties (closing out the land bank’s public inventory), noted ongoing rehabs and partnerships with Ball State University studios for neighborhood planning, and flagged House Bill 1411, which would shorten the redemption period for land-bank purchase of tax certificates from one year to six months (as described in the transcript).

Quote: "We met with the George and Francis Paul Foundation ... we have sought a quote to do some type of documentation of the old West End before the project gets off the ground this spring," Zach Gollian said, describing planned documentation and partnerships.

The commission closed with routine follow-up requests for additional documentation on the stamping transaction and next steps on facade grants and sidewalk funds.