Developer converting former Indiana county jail into condos

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Work is underway on converting a former county jail and courts building in downtown Muncie into condominiums.

The overhaul comes after Delaware County officials moved jail and court operations into a closed middle school on the city's southwest side in February.

Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour told The Star Press that developer Dave Jennings submitted the best plan for use of the former jail building that opened in 1992.

Jennings said several of the planned 15 condos for the building have already been sold. The condos will range from 1,500 to 4,000 square feet in size, with some units having a two-floor design and the building will have indoor parking on lower levels.

The project's cost is estimated at $3.4 million. The city sold the former jail building to the developers for $100 and offered a $600,000 grant toward construction, Ridenour said.

Delaware County spent $45 million converting the former Wilson Middle School building into a courts-and-jail complex with space for about 500 inmates, more than double the capacity of the downtown jail. The Muncie Community Schools opened the Wilson building in 1995 but closed it in 2014 because of declining enrollment.