Maring-Hunt Community Garden Market Pavilion and Outdoor Kitchen (ongoing)

The Maring-Hunt Library Community Garden Master Plan, its improvement and expansion, and a series of Garden Pavilions and Nature Play Pockets were designed and developed as useful spaces to address food insecurity in a USDA-designated food desert, cultivate community interaction and social activity, and provide learning opportunities for the Southview Elementary School students, Maring-Hunt Library patrons, and neighborhood families. The Maring-Hunt Library Community Garden Master Plan includes a trio of pavilions developed around a large community garden overseen by the Library. 1. The Gateway to Growing Gardeners’ Pavilion, which provides shade, seating, tool storage, and accessible garden beds, and a sand and water Nature Play Pocket was designed and built by students in a spring and summer 2017 immersive learning studio. 2. A Market Pavilion to house a community market and an outdoor learning space for the Great Achievers is currently under construction by students in a fall semester 2017 community build studio. A small separate outdoor kitchen and food preparation demonstration area is also a part of this project. 3. A fenced-in Educational Pavilion and children’s garden will be developed and used by Southview Elementary students in the future. This expansive greenspace with its pavilions, gardens, paths, bio-swale, and nature play pockets is being developed as an anchor in the Thomas Park/ Avondale and South Central Neighborhoods, and will turn an eyesore, a dilapidated exercise track and athletic field alongside an active railway line, into an asset motivating children and families to get outdoors and learn and engage in healthy activity together.


Spring 2018 Semester

Faculty Mentor: Pam Harwood
Department: Architecture
Community Partners: Maring-Hunt Public Library, Community Gardeners, Southview Elementary School, Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood Association
Students: Zach Benge, Drew Fairchild, Rosie Hamilton, Adam Horkay, Tyler Kennedy, Daniel Klemen, Scott Manners, Austin Obermeyer, Zach Rooker, Riley Sandel, Benjamin Sass, Landon Underwood, Payne Wagner, Drew Weyer


Summer/Fall 2017 Semester

Faculty Mentor: Pam Harwood
Department: Architecture
Community Partners: Maring-Hunt Public Library, Community Gardeners, Southview Elementary School, Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood Association
Students: Max Bainbridge, Zach Benge, Brian Bracht, Tyler Bracht, Jacob Burris, Schyler Cerqueira, Myrisha Colston, Jamie Craine, Hunter Crews, Alex DeKemper, Jordan Duke, Drew Fairchild, Michaela Greene, Rosie Hamilton, Shelby Harris, Ali Hartweck, Adam Horkay, Joshua Markiewicz, Emma Ocken, Jennifer Pease, Zach Rooker, Riley Sandel, Payne Wagner, Drew Weyer


Spring 2017 Semester

Faculty Mentor: Pam Harwood
Department: Architecture
Community Partners: Maring-Hunt Public Library, Community Gardeners, Southview Elementary School, Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood Association
Students: Leslie Adriance, Lidia A-wan, Trevor Bauer, Courtney Castleman, Aliyah Clark, Christina Cope, Connor Crane, Seth Crussel, Nicholas Entrekin, Ellie Flaherty, Ryan Johnston, Bryan Kline, Emma Mappes, Linsey Stoy, Derek Tulowitzky

Story Maps from and for “South-of-the-River” Neighborhoods in Muncie

This project aimed to engage students from different disciplines in a community mapping initiative in two neighborhoods in the Southside of Muncie (Forest Park and Thomas Park). Students learned about critical and creative approaches to cartography and strategies for participatory mapping, with an emphasis on data collection, production of maps, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Story maps and a preliminary cultural neighborhood atlas were the two principal deliverables of this project.

Project Maps:
Old and New Funcies of the South Side of Muncie | The Best of Forest & Thomas Park/Avondale | Reminiscing Labor Life on the Muncie Southside


Faculty Mentor: Jörn Seemann
Department: Geography
Community Partner: Forest Park Neighborhood Association, Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood Association
Students: Kyle Amonette, Austin Berry, Elizabeth Carpenter, Alex Darland, Mitch Grime, Kyle Kedra, James Longwith, Kyle Marsh, Tim Martin, Tyler O’Riley, Justin Parsons, Caitlin Stankovich, Rebecca Stroud

Assessing Heat Leaks in the 8twelve Target District

Getting heat leaks information of a building is critical in revitalizing the 8twelve target area in Muncie. Traditionally this information is obtained inside the building by a trained thermographer using thermal cameras, which is time consuming and costly. In this project, students from Ball State University obtained thermal infrared (TIR) images from outside without disturbing homeowners during the winter season by using FLIR ONE units attached to students’ own smart phones. These TIR images were integrated with existing online GIS maps to provide both homeowners and the public the heat leaks information of buildings in the target neighborhood of 8twelve coalition.


Faculty Mentor: Jason Yang
Department: Geography
Community Partner: Muncie 8twelve Coalition, ecoREHAB of Muncie, Inc.
Students: Austin Berry, Cody Blevins, Elizabeth Carpenter, Alex Darland, Drew Duncan, James Foster, Garrett Fuelling, Mitchell Grime, Olivia Jesse, Kyle Kedra, James Longwith, Kyle Marsh, Tim Martin, Clara Neurauter, Caitlin Stankovich

Spring 2017 Ball State Immersive Learning Projects

Ball State faculty, students, and community partners are working together this spring on a number of immersive learning projects in and around Muncie.

Abandoned Housing Policy Analysis
Community Partner:  Muncie Redevelopment Commission
Faculty Mentor: Chip Taylor, Department of Political Science

Advancing ecoREHAB Through Story and Strategy
Community Partner:  ecoREHAB of Muncie, Inc.
Faculty Mentors:  Kate Elliott, Department of Journalism; Paul Gestwicki; Department of Computer Science

Assessing Heat Leaks in the 8twelve Target District
Community Partner:  Muncie 8twelve Coalition
Faculty Mentor:  Jason Yang, Department of Geography

Engaging the Next Generation of Leaders:  Character and Leadership Development at the Boys & Girls Club of Muncie
Community Partner:  The Boys & Girls Club of Muncie
Faculty Mentor:  Peggy Fisher, Department of Communication Studies

Maring-Hunt Community Garden Pavilion
Community Partner:  Maring-Hunt Library, Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood Association
Faculty Mentor:  Pam Harwood, Department of Architecture

Minnetrista Neighborhood Action Plan
Community Partner:  Minnetrista Neighborhood Association
Faculty Mentor:  Lisa Dunaway, Department of Urban Planning

Rehabilitating Houses
Community Partner: Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick, Technology

Story Maps
from and for “South-of-the-River” Neighborhoods in Muncie
Community Partners:  Forest Park Neighborhood Association; Thomas/Avondale Neighborhood Association
Faculty Mentor:  Jörn Seemann, Department of Geography

Sustainable Food Production: Integrating Collaboration within the Community
Community Partner:  Muncie Food Hub
Faculty Mentor:  Gerry Waite, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies

8twelve Coalition

Vision: Revitalized, inclusive neighborhoods where people choose to live.
Mission: Through planning and action, the 8twelve Coalition advances the goals and aspirations of residents.

The 8twelve Coalition is comprised of residents, non-profits and businesses working to revitalize the 8twelve target area bordered by 8th Street, Memorial Street, Perkins Avenue, and Madison Street.

The 8twelve revitalization plan was developed as a result of several community meetings spearheaded by Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity and the Vectren Foundation. The plan focuses on improving housing, beautifying the neighborhood, and supporting local businesses.

IMPACT MAP (pdf)
8Twelve Coalition Builds Community Poster (pdf)

Read the report (pdf)

8-12reportscreenshot

8twelve Steering CommitteeSteering Committee Oct 2015

  • Josh Arthur, Avondale UMC, Resident
  • Lindsey Arthur, Muncie Habitat for Humanity, Urban Light CDC, Resident
  • Jena Ashby, Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
  • Frank Baldwin, Muncie Mission
  • Sarah Renee Beaver, Resident
  • Emilie Carpenter, Urban Light CDC, Resident
  • Andrew Draper, Urban Light Community Church, Urban Light CDC, Resident
  • Leslie Draper, Inspire Academy, Resident
  • Angelia Gordon, Urban Light CDC, Resident
  • Dori Granados, Urban Light CDC, Resident
  • Craig Graybeal, ecoREHAB
  • Mark and LeiAnne Lloyd, Residents
  • Lezlie McCrory, Resident, South Central Neighborhood Association President
  • Ray Montagno, Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
  • Tom Moore, Vectren Foundation
  • Annette Phillips, PathStone
  • Chris Reid, Indiana Academy, Resident
  • Wes and Sherry Russell, Residents
  • Heather Williams, Building Better Neighborhoods, Ball State University Office of Community Engagement

8twelve In the News

Muncie Habitat for Humanity and Partner Organizations Receive Lowe’s Grant
Lowe’s Volunteers Spruce Up the Boys & Girls Club of Muncie
Habitat unveils new neighborhood focus
How Habitat plans to change a neighborhood
Lowe’s Contributes $70,000 Grant to Muncie Habitat for Humanity
Muncie’s Habitat for Humanity Receives Grant from Vectren Foundation
CAP Students Design, Help Dig in to Enhance Community Garden

Video

To learn more about the work of coalition please watch this short video produced by the Vectren Foundation:

Gallery

IMG_3201 (1)    Community Meeting 1

Community Meeting 4   Staff Meeting NR

8twelve-map