ScoutMuncie Survey Shows Property Conditions Online

Photo provided.Photo provided.

Muncie, INThe City of Muncie Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission and Delaware County Historical Society recently completed an exhaustive survey of all 30,000 properties in Muncie. ScoutMuncie surveyed every building and lot in Muncie city limits in order to gather current information that will help the community make informed decisions about planning, preservation, and blight elimination. Besides Gary, Muncie is the only city in Indiana to complete a citywide parcel level survey.

“To maximize our limited revitalization dollars up-to-date information to make strategic decisions is required” says Briana Grosicki, of the Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission. “The results prove Muncie has some blight that affects all areas of the city but the extent of vacancy is not as overwhelming as previously thought. The information also illustrates the need for different reinvestment strategies for different neighborhoods based on their context.”

The results were unveiled on Saturday at the 2nd I.D.E.A. Conference to Muncie’s neighborhood leaders. Some of the results include:

  • 80% of all properties in Muncie include a structure (compared to Gary’s 58%)
  • 6 % vacant buildings (over 1,300 parcels with a vacant structure were found)
  • 8% vacant lots (nearly 2,400 parcels identified as vacant land were found)
  • 62% of all properties in Muncie are within 300 feet of a vacant building

The survey was completed with volunteer-and-paid surveyors using the ArcGIS: Collector app provided by the Delaware County GIS Department. The survey results are available at a property level online at www.scoutmuncie.wordpress.com and a results booklet aggregated data using the 8 zones identified by the Muncie Action Plan. The Commission is using the data to inform potential historic designations, while city officials will utilize it for revitalization plans and demolition decisions, neighborhood associations can use it to execute neighborhood action plans and further the Muncie Action Plan initiatives.

Nicole Rudnicki of the Old West End Neighborhood Association said “ScoutMuncie is tremendously helpful to us to identify vacant lots that we might improve, clean up, houses to board up, and find new uses for. We look forward to this information furthering our neighborhood plans for revitalization.”

ScoutMuncie received grant support by Ball Brothers Foundation and the Muncie Redevelopment Commission.

Click to review report

Click to review the report. PDF format.