Munsyana Homes Redevelopment Proposal records and photographs

The plans for Munsyana Homes began in 1938 when the Federal Housing Authority issued money for a low income housing area. The area was originally developed as a city project with the responsibility of the area resting with city agencies. The buildings were designed locally by two affiliates of Ball State University, Carl Wave Gerrard and James T. Kelly. Landscape was also done locally by James H. Lowry and the contractor on the project was Henke Construction. The project originally cost over a million dollars and was widely protested, as members of the community saw the housing development as a threat. In the beginning, the housing project held a total of 278 families that were racially segregated on opposite sides of the street. In 2001, when the plan to redevelop the housing was initiated, only 109 of the 279 units were occupied. The buildings have become more distressed over the years making efficient revision of the current buildings difficult. It was decided by the Muncie Housing Authority that it would be more beneficial to demolish the original structures and build entirely new structures. The reconstruction plan called for community recreation centers and marketplaces, among other amenities for the inhabitants. Like the original plan for the housing development this project came under criticism from the community and city agencies. Problems arose from the need to relocate the current residents during construction of new buildings, making costs of the new housing affordable to the residents, and preserving the current buildings for historic reasons. Proposals to alleviate the concerns of historians included the conversion of one current building into a museum that will contain articles from local interest groups centered in the community such as the NAACP and the Social Status of Black Males group. Funding for the community to be called Millennium Place came from low income housing tax credits, as well as grants from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).