A rendering of the new Performing Arts Center and Cantio Hotel at Ball State’s University in Muncie, Ind., which will enrich art and culture and stimulate the local economy. The rendering shows the building in the center of a street with lights and nature surrounding it.
A rendering of the new Performing Arts Center and Cantio Hotel at Ball State’s University in Muncie, Ind., which will enrich art and culture and stimulate the local economy. Photo credit: RATIO architects and Ball State University 
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Ball State University Builds New Performing Arts Center and Hotel

School News

By Fay Harvey

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State University (BSU) will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 14 to celebrate the new $60 million Performing Arts Center and Cantio Hotel projects, which will be catalysts for the University Village’s revitalization project and bring arts, culture, vibrancy and innovation to the campus.  

The 65,000-square-foot, two-story Performing Arts Center will be home to BSU’s theatre and dance students. The center will hold 425 seats, state-of-the-art production facilities and a blackbox studio that will allow 175 spectators. The center will also include dressing rooms, green rooms and a lobby connected to the adjacent Cantio Hotel. The theater is expected to draw 35,000 visitors a year to attend approximately 160 performances put on by the department.  

Funding for the performance center comes from philanthropic support, including a $35 million gift from Lilly Endowment Inc., through the state’s College and Community Collaboration Initiative. The grant is the largest gift in BSU’s history. 

“Our benefactors want to see our talented students…perform in a beautiful, modern venue,” said Geoffrey Mearns, Ball State president, in a statement to the University’s magazine. “Our students will certainly benefit from this new facility — and so will our community, because the Performing Arts Center will catalyze the revitalization of The Village.” 

The adjacent Cantio Hotel will feature 97 guest rooms, restaurants and cafes, meeting rooms, fitness areas and a convenient entrance to the Performing Art Center’s black box theater. The project is expected to boost Muncie’s local economy by generating 120 jobs and contributing an estimated $8 million in guest spending. The hotel is a collaborative project with Indiana-based RATIO Architects, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and Indianapolis-based Schahet Hotels LLC. 

“I am grateful to celebrate the construction of this transformative project,” added Mearns. “The Performing Arts Center and the Cantio Hotel represent our commitment to create a vibrant district that combines arts, education, and hospitality for students, faculty and staff, residents and visitors alike.” 

The hotel and performing arts center are set to be complete by fall 2026.  

Revitalization efforts in the campus village will extend through 2027, introducing new residential options such as apartments, for-sale townhomes, and expanded retail and dining venues. Additional spaces will be created for students and the surrounding community, including a Center for Innovation that will feature a prototyping lab, media production and design areas, and career development centers. This three-story building will be designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurship.