Next Muncie

11/02/2021

"The City of Muncie is pleased to announce the ribbon cutting ceremony for the White River Lofts project on Thursday, November 4th at 4:00 p.m. at the White River Lofts. The event runs until 8:00 that night and will include opportunities to tour the apartments and to inquire about leasing options."

By Muncie Chamber of Commerce— MUNCIE, Ind.—The City of Muncie is pleased to announce the ribbon cutting ceremony for the White River Lofts project on Thursday, November 4th at 4:00 p.m. at the White River Lofts. The event runs until 8:00 that night and will include opportunities to tour the apa...

10/06/2021

Thank you to Next Muncie’s High Tech Project Management Team members, led by Chair Mitch Isaacs, who worked hard to spearhead the Xtern Program in Muncie! The PMT was instrumental in connecting TechPoint, Innovation Connector, and Ball State to bring and implement the program in Muncie. After spending the summer interning at local tech companies such as Accutech, First Merchants, and others, 100% of the students have rated a positive experience with their internship and 70% would be interested in returning to their employers for another internship or full-time employment.

The High Tech PMT looks forward to continue making connections and coordinating efforts that will recruit and retain young talent in our community.

Photos from Innovation Connector’s page.

09/22/2021

Want to learn more about Next Muncie? Check out the new video created by Chris Flook and the amazing students at Ball State University!

This is "Moving Forward: Next Muncie" by Ball State TCOM on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

06/14/2021

DON’T MISS IT!
TogetherDM is holding their first of three Open Houses tonight at 6:30pm to present findings and learn more about your thoughts and ideas!

PLACE: Fisher Building at Ivy Tech, 345 South High Street in Muncie
(enter from Charles Street)

Attend one of TogetherDM's three June open houses to participate in the process behind the creation of the new Delaware-Muncie Comprehensive Plan and Muncie Strategic Investment Plan.
TIMES
Monday, June 14th, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Tuesday, June 15th, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Tuesday, June 15th, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Attend one of TogetherDM's three June open houses to participate in the process behind the creation of the new Delaware-Muncie Comprehensive Plan and Muncie Strategic Investment Plan. Learn about key issues identified by the community so far, share your thoughts and ideas, and talk with members

05/18/2021

NEXTMUNCIE HELPS CONNECT XTERN PROGRAM TO BRING TOGETHER TOP HIGH-TECH TALENT AND JOBS IN MUNCIE

TechPoint’s new Xtern program—considered by many young tech workers to be “the ultimate high-tech intern experience” —has come to Muncie thanks to the hard work and passion of the Next Muncie High-Tech Project Management Team (PMT).

Previously operating only in Indianapolis, the TechPoint Xtern program is creating high-tech job opportunities farther afield. Casey Stanley, former Vice President at Ontario Systems and part of the Next Muncie High-Tech PMT, brought the program to Muncie as a key tool for attracting workforce and advancing Next Muncie goals of providing high quality employment opportunities.

The question was, would potential interns be interested in high-tech placement outside of Indianapolis? A survey of the applicant pool showed that they would. In fact, nearly 78 percent of the students were as happy to be placed in Muncie as Indianapolis.

The Muncie community stepped up to make it happen in Muncie by providing housing, leadership and recruiting companies. The result is that more than 2,000 students from 222 universities and 43 home states applied to be in the summer 2021 Xtern class—bringing an eager new group of Xterns to live and work in Muncie this summer—with many finding job placement here in the fall. The Xtern students will be housed in the Ball State University dorms.

Leaders at Ball State University, the Innovation Connector, the City of Muncie, NextMuncie, and the Ball Brothers Foundation, First Merchant’s Bank, LEAP Managed IT, Dannar, Accutech Systems, Deltec Solutions, Magna PowerTrain, Shafer Leadership Academy and the City of Muncie were involved in the initial collaboration and are pioneering partners in Xtern Muncie.

For seven years now, the TechPoint Xtern program has become increasingly popular with college students across the U.S. Applicants have far out-paced the number of positions available from Indianapolis tech companies each year, even as companies outside the capital city wanted and needed young talent...

05/07/2021

NEXT MUNCIE HELPS ADVANCE PUBLIC RIVER ACCESS AND THE WHITE RIVER LOFTS
Among the earliest successful projects the group assisted with was a vision to create a vibrant riverfront development overlooking the White River in downtown Muncie. For several years, Next Muncie championed and supported the City’s efforts to bring the project to fruition, helping to vet developers for the site and communicating with restaurant and retail establishments that would make the area a new downtown destination.

Plans for the mixed-use development include a public plaza and riverwalk, an art feature designed by local Muncie artist, and the White River Lofts -- 55-unit apartment building. The White River Lofts are scheduled to open in July 2021, with leases already being signed!

To learn more about the White River Lofts, visit: https://whiteriverlofts.com/

04/28/2021

GET TO KNOW NEXT MUNCIE!

How does Next Muncie work to make things happen?
Next Muncie exists as a connector of resources for community-positive projects. Each project involves relevant community groups, neighborhood associations, and other interested parties.

Who are the people behind Next Muncie?
Next Muncie itself is not incorporated, staffed, nor funded as an entity. They act as a resource to identify possible funding sources on a project by project basis and as a conduit for communication between community stakeholders.

How does the community get involved?
Next Muncie and the Project Management Teams are formed based on the area of focus for each project. The makeup and community member involvement is expanded based on interest in, location of, and expertise for each project. Next Muncie is available and meets as needed or requested to provide information, identify sources of funding, or provide whatever support they can.

04/15/2021

MEET THE NEXT MUNCIE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAMS – COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS
To make needed projects happen in our city requires community involvement with the grassroots groups and action-oriented people who have intimate understanding of the issues and neighborhoods. Beyond the Next Muncie Core Team members, over 30 individuals from across the community currently volunteer their time on “Project Management Teams” that focus on exploring ideas and advancing efforts to increase employment opportunities, revitalize downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, and build an even stronger quality of life.

04/12/2021

PAST COLLABORATIVE SUCCESSES
The Next Muncie model of collaboration is making good things happen! It's helped take a vision to success and reality including: breaking ground on the White River Lofts and public plaza… securing an Opportunity Zone designation for central areas of the City…making an important trail connection possible between the Morrison roundabout and the Ball State campus, by supporting the Next Level Trails Grant… and making the connections that led to Destiny Christian’s purchase of the former Kidz Korner childcare, helping it stay in the McKinley Live-Learn neighborhood.

04/08/2021

NEXT MUNCIE EFFORTS CENTERED AT THE CORE
Muncie’s “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. With the support of anchor organizations—IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and Ball State University—and enriched by cultural destinations like Minnetrista, the Downtown Historic District, and the White River Greenway, the efforts of Next Muncie are the building blocks needed for the next phase of growth. Attractive and vibrant destinations, healthy downtown living, connected walkable neighborhoods, new opportunities for education and career pathways—while these positive changes will radiate past the Central City and reach all of Muncie, it begins with the core.