Plans for Village revitalization OK’d

The Ball State University Board of Trustees on Friday approved various contracts to move forward with the university’s Village Revitalization Plan.

The board authorized the university to enter into a contract with Fairmount Properties to design and construct the new Performing Arts Center and the Center for Innovation. It also OK’d a 75-year lease with Schahet Hotels to build and operate a Tapestry by Hilton Hotel connected to the Performing Arts Center.

Also approved were purchase agreements to allow the university to acquire seven properties on two sites in the Village, with plans to include retail, restaurants and apartments.

“We are excited to take these significant steps forward in our Village Revitalization Plan,” said BSU board chair Rick Hall in a press release. “We know how much The Village means to the community and to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I look forward to this revitalized district again becoming a hub for arts and culture, restaurants, retail, and other social activity.”

Dates set

Jay County Chamber of Commerce has set its schedule for 2024.

The chamber will host Munch and Mingle chamber luncheons on April 30, July 30 and Oct. 29. Lift Jay events are set for Feb. 27, May 28, Aug. 27 and Nov. 26.

Workshops scheduled

East Central Indiana Regional Planning District’s series of workshops concludes this week.

The free workshops at John Jay Center for Learning ends with “How to Create a Positive Customer Experience” on Jan. 31. Ted Baker, CEO/executive director of Innovation Center in Delaware County, will lead the workshop, which will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit ecirpd.org/jay-county-best-workshops.

Solar moving forward

Ardagh Glass Packaging – North America announced Thursday it is moving forward with a 10-megawatt solar energy project to provide about 25% of the electricity needed to run its glass manufacturing facility in Madera, California.

Ardagh, which owns and operates glass manufacturing facilities in Dunkirk and Winchester, will utilize the energy from the project to be constructed and operated by VALTA Energy. It is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

“As an environmental leader in the packaging industry, Ardagh continuously pursues opportunities to increase our use of renewable energy,” said Alex Winters, chief sustainability officer at Ardagh, in a press release. “Not only does this project advance Ardagh closer to our sustainability targets, but it also stands to aid our wine customers in their sustainability endeavors. By curbing the carbon footprint of bottles sourced from our Madera facility, this initiative aligns with our shared goal of fostering a more environmentally conscious future."

Contract settled

The Indianapolis News Guild and Gannett recently agreed to a two-year collective bargaining agreement. (Gannett owns the Indianapolis Star, as well as eight other newspapers in the state including The Star Press of Muncie and the Palladium-Item of Richmond.)

According to a press release from the news guild, the agreement includes $200,000 for raises for its 39 members. It sets up a seniority-based wage scale, a higher reimbursement rate for mileage, an additional holiday and an amended cell phone reimbursement policy.

News guild members had been working without a contract for more than three years.

Leaders named

Indiana Manufacturers Association last week named Angie Holt as its chair for 2024.

Holt is president of Rathbun Tool & Manufacturing of Auburn. She is also treasurer of the Community Foundation DeKalb County.

Also named to the association’s executive committee were Bill Champion of FRATCO, Jody Fledderman of Batesville Tool & Die, Bill Gartland of Atlas Foundry Company, Tim Hollander of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana and Gary Larson of Ford Meter Box. Robert Kersey of ALM/Great States Corporation of Muncie serves as a member of the board of directors.

Conference set

Purdue University’s Dauch Center for the Management of Manufacturing Enterprises will hold its digital Transformation in Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference from Feb. 16.

The event from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Purdue Memorial Union will feature Cindy Farrar, who has worked for General Motors and Delphi Automotive Systems, and Brandon Moore of Con-Air Industries.

Those interested in attending should register at bit.ly/GPPurdueConf. The deadline is Feb. 7

Hosting events

The Central Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce will host the 2024 Indiana Safety and Health Conference Feb. 26, through 28.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and current NFL analyst Terry Bradshaw will be the featured speaker for the conference. The event will also include the Indiana Forklift Rodeo, speakers, a 10-hour course for general industry, an innovation showcase and the governor’s workplace safety awards luncheon.

For more information, or to register, call (800) 824-6885 or email [email protected].