Ball State University’s plans to revitalize The Village next to its campus are moving forward.

On Thursday, the university is hosting a groundbreaking event for its new Performing Arts Center and The Cantio Hotel.

The 65,000-square-foot Performing Arts Center will serve as a dedicated space for Ball State’s theatre and dance students. It will have a 450-seat mainstage theatre, a black box studio and state-of-the-art production facilities. 

Ball State estimates the center will host 160 performances each year.

The Cantio Hotel will connect to the Center. The boutique hotel will have 97 guest rooms, a rooftop bar, upscale restaurant and cafe. Ball State’s on-campus hotel, located about a block away, has 24 rooms.

“The Cantio and its restaurants will transform not only Ball State’s campus but also become the heart of all entertainment in the Muncie community,” Greg Schahet, president and chief financial officer of Schahet Hotels, said in a news release.

The Cantio Hotel is projected to create more than 120 jobs and generate more than $8 million in local spending each year.

Construction on the Performing Arts Center comes just over a year after the Brown Family Ampitheater, which is also a performance space, opened.

Both the hotel and the Performing Arts Center are scheduled to open in 2026.

The hotel and arts theater are part of a broader plan to revitalize The Village, a commercial district next to the Ball State campus. The project includes phased developments through 2027, introducing residential options that include for-sale townhomes and apartments, as well as retail and restaurants.

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