The Shoppes at Southside

Cideco, Inc., a Georgia developer, has announced plans to bring new retail development in the very near future to Muncie's south side. The strip mall type development, identified as The Shoppes at Southside, expects to kick-off future development while bringing a new look to the area. Cideco has stated it expects the new development to include restaurants, clothing stores and specialty shops, along with new road access and green space beautifications to the property site.

Continuing the new growth in the south region of Muncie has been an added plus for the businesses and residents in the area who have been in quest of economic development and thriving businesses since Wal-Mart opened in the spring of 2006. The economic resurgence began on Muncie's south side with a boom when community leaders, area residents, and business owners joined forces after the closing of a Kmart store, and several other businesses, by establishing a group called Southside Redevelopment. Their efforts in working together with local and state government to initiate strong redevelopment in the area appears to a successful venture and follows on the heals of the initial South Gateway Project that started it all in 2004.

Muncie's southside in line for retail development

Restaurants, stores are planned for the shopping center near Wal-Mart.
By KEITH ROYSDON
kroysdon@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE -- A Georgia developer is bringing restaurants and clothing stores to Muncie's south side in a strip shopping center that will be built this spring near the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Cideco Inc. on Tuesday announced the first tenants for the Shoppes at Southside, along East 29th Street across Ind. 3 from Wal-Mart.

The initial tenants include a Penn Station sandwich shop, a Papa Murphy's take-and-bake pizza outlet, Cellular Connection and retailers identified so far only as a clothing store and a dollar store.

"I really saw the south side as an opportunity," said Barak Zukerman of Cideco. "I'm excited about the project."

Cideco -- which built the Walgreen's at McGalliard and Morrison roads and plans other development in the area -- has been collecting tenants for the Shoppes at Southside for months. A sign promoting the development was placed at the location more than a year ago.

Southside Muncie boosters were pleased.

"That's extremely good news for this end of town," said Mike King, the president of the South Muncie Community Development Corporation and a member-elect of Muncie City Council. "We knew that Wal-Mart would bring something. I figured it would take longer than this."

Wal-Mart opened along East 29th Street -- east of South Madison Street and near Southside High School -- in spring 2006. A gas station and bank were built in outlots for the Big Box store and there's been much speculation about what else might follow.

Zukerman and local real estate agent Mark Sturgis said the initial announcement -- for which ground will be broken in March -- is only the first phase of the project, which was conceived as two retail strips.

Sturgis said one strip will have tenants ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 square feet in size, while the other will have tenants ranging up to 40,000 square feet.

Sturgis said he couldn't yet specify the clothing store and dollar store.

The developer has been using the recent Buxton study -- funded by city and county government -- to attract retailers. That $70,000 study targeted three commercial areas and found that the area around East 29th Street -- with a customer base ranging all the way into Henry County -- had the greatest potential.

Zukerman said he hopes local tenants and entrepreneurs will be a part of the development.

King said he couldn't remember the last time a development of this size was planned on the city's south side.

"Any new growth is good growth," King said.

Contact business editor Keith Roysdon at 213-5828