Daily News 06-10-13

Page 1

DN MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013

THE DAILY NEWS

BSUDAILY.COM

ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC L

DN PHOTO KRYSTAL BYERS

« There’s been a lot of love and

thought put into all of the stuff people selling here tonight. I think it’s very important for the community to have venues like this and for people to support them as opposed to going to buy all your stuff at Wal-Mart.»

Muncie community gathers at Quad for art sale, orchestra

DN PHOTO JORDAN HUFFER

MICHAEL BOEHNLEIN DESIGN EDITOR | maboehnlein@bsu.edu

awn chairs and picnic baskets filled the quad Saturday night as families and friends gathered to enjoy the Muncie Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Festival on the Green.” The event, hosted by the Muncie Arts and Culture Council, offered local artists from Muncie and surrounding areas the opportunity to showcase their work. Artists sold everything from stuffed animals to handbags. Mary-Ellen Bertram, who runs a photo studio in Farmland, was selling greeting and note cards featuring her photos. “I’ve gotten into this whole line of fine art as opposed to portrait work, and I needed a venue to show it off,” Bertram said. “You take a photograph and you fall in love with it and you think, ‘maybe someone else will too.’”

See FESTIVAL, page 6

DN PHOTO KRYSTAL BYERS

TOP: Among the crowd of people a girl twirls in her picnic dress at the Festival on the Green. The annual event draws hundreds of people to the campus. MIDDLE: A young girl enjoys a snack while she waits for the Muncie Symphony Orchestra to perform on Saturday. Many of the attendees listened to the free concert. BOTTOM: The Muncie Symphony Orchestra flute section plays during the Festival on the Green Saturday. The Orchestra hosted two contests, an “Around the World” picnic and a Super Conductor Contest.

BSU defers eminent domain Officials end case aiming to claim local business’ property RACHEL PODNAR STAFF REPORTER | rmpodnar@bsu.edu

Ball State called off plans to use eminent domain to claim the property of a local business, a decision that took the business owner by surprise. In an email to the Daily News on Thursday, associate vice president of marketing and communications Tony Proudfoot said the plan to move forward with McKinley Commons by taking Hiatt Printing through eminent domain had been deferred.

“The Ball State trustees and administration believe strongly that the project would be of great benefit to our students and the university community,” Proudfoot said. “We will step back and consider our options for best achieving the goals of the project in a different location or turn to other strategic priorities.” Hiatt Printing owner Chris Hiatt was not expecting the announcement. “I don’t know whether [my litigation appeal] effort made Ball State nervous, I have no idea. Somewhere down the line they decided this wasn’t the path they wanted to see Ball State follow,” Hiatt said.

See HIATT, page 4

TIMELINE April 25, 2012

Ball State announced its plan for a new $25 million facility, McKinley Commons. The building was to be located on the northeast corner of University and McKinley avenues and include a fourstory residence hall, hotel, conference center and two restaurants.

May 23, 2013

Three court-appointed appraisers estimated Chris Hiatt’s property value to be $375,000. In a prepared statement, Proudfoot said Hiatt demanded $1.3 million. Hiatt released a proposed purchase agreement, dated in 2011, asking for $949,900.

2012

May 14, 2012

2013

In an email the Daily News obtained through public records requests, Hiatt acknowledges the $400,000 offer the Board of Trustees made in April for the Hiatt Printing building. The university had already acquired all the other property McKinley Commons would require.

Sept. 5, 2012

Thursday, June 6

Ball State filed an eminent domain lawsuit against David, Jane and Chris Hiatt after they rejected their offer. Eminent domain is the power to take private property for public use by a state.

Ball State officials deferred from moving forward with the eminent domain case.

DN GRAPHIC SOURCE: Ball State Daily News and The Star Press

TRUSTEES INCREASE TUITION, SALARIES Raise of 2 percent is Ball State’s lowest in more than 35 years

STEVEN WILLIAMS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | editor@bsudailynews.com

Ball State’s funding situation is slowly improving, and students and faculty will start receiving the benefits in the Fall Semester. The Board of Trustees approved a 2 percent increase in tuition and fees for each of the

next two years, the lowest since 1976, and a 3 percent increase in salaries and wages for faculty during its meeting. The increase will be $90 per semester in 2013-14 and $92 per semester in 2014-15 for in-state, full-time students. The increase is still larger than Indiana University-Bloomington’s 1.75 increase and Purdue’s choice to freeze tuition, but the state handed Ball State major cuts in the 200911 and 2011-13 biennia. The state gave Ball State a modest increase overall in the 2013-15 biennium.

Randy Howard, vice president for business affairs and treasurer, said the small increase is a result of a few factors including a growth in enrollment. “[We] did at least get some increase from the state, so that helped rather than a cut,” Howard said. “And then we implemented a lot of efficiencies over the last few years and that has helped us. “I would say the state funding situation is starting to get a little better. I think we still have challenges with the funding formula.” In the 2013-14 approved budget,

Swim, bike, run through Muncie This year brings record turnout for Muncie Triathlon, helps participants stay healthy SEE PAGE 6

MARY-ELLEN BERTRAM, local artist

faculty and professional staff will receive a 3 percent increase in salaries and wages, with 70 percent of it being merit-based. Ball State staff will receive a 2.5 percent increase in salaries and wages. The $339.3 million budget will also include $400,000 allocated toward faculty promotions and high-merit increases. Trustee Frank Hancock, from Indianapolis, said he hopes the funding formula improves to allow even smaller tuition increases in the future.

See TUITION, page 2

HEAT WIN AT HOME, EVEN SERIES AT 1 Miami wins pivotal Game 2 behind dominant second half performance. SEE PAGE 3

New building to offer retail, apartments Demolition set to begin July 19 on University Square block in Village SAM HOYT CHIEF REPORTER | sthoyt@bsu.edu More than $50 million will be invested in a parking garage, retail area and apartment space in the University Square block of the Village, but the money may be paying for something much more valuable. Mayor Dennis Tyler said the plans, which have been in the works for over a year, could respark the Village atmosphere and lead to grow both in and outside of the Village. “Redeveloping that university Village is as BUILDING PLAN important to me as reWHAT developing our downA more than $50 million town and our outlying plan to redevelop part of neighborhoods to spur the Village with new retail and living space as well as a growth and economic parking garage development,” he said. WHERE Tyler was excited The block containing when Investment University Square building Property Advisors apWHEN proached him with Plans have already been the idea to demolish approved. The deal will the University Square close on June 14 and block and develop plans for demolition will begin on June 17. the 19,000 to 24,000 WHY square feet of space. Redeveloping that part of “For a number of the Village could revitalize reasons, we’ve seen the area and Muncie in the university Village general area in a lot of a decline over the last few years,” he said. “I honestly believe that with the right investors and the right type of development, this could spur a lot of growth out in that area again and that would lead all the way into the surrounding neighborhoods. The company that we’ve worked with on this project has been very successful.” Todd Donati, director of the Muncie Redevelopment Board, said everything regarding the plans has been approved. “They will close on their deal on June 14th,” he said. “By the 17th, they’ll start plans for demolition for that block and a half. They’ll probably start leasing space by January of next year and preparing to lease space for the school year of 2014. It should be fully functional and ready to go by August 1st of 2014.” Whittenberg Construction from Louisville and Garmong Construction from Terre Haute have been chosen as the developers and permits are being requested in Indianapolis, but not everyone supports the plan.

See VILLAGE, page 2

THE BALL STATE DAILY NEWS

MUNCIE, INDIANA

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