Efforts to demolish the former Knox Moose Lodge could have a role to play in the development of a new farmers market. Mayor Dennis Estok told the city council Tuesday that plans are in the works to set up a market on Main Street in front of the old Moose. “Kailey Hart will be the manager of that market,” Estok explained. “She will be a subcommittee from the Knox Main Street group.”
The city is in the process of applying for almost $138,000 in Blight Clearance Program funding through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to tear down the former Moose Lodge. Council members passed a resolution Tuesday officially designating the building at 115 North Main Street as a “structure in need of redevelopment.” They also authorized Estok to submit the grant application and committed $15,000 in local match money.
No final decision about what to do with the property will be made until the city learns whether it’s getting the grant. That announcement is expected in August. But Estok said the idea of using the site for the farmers market is something he’s including in the application. “That was a plus,” he told the council. “I said the right thing because OCRA, they love farmers markets.”
Other ideas for the lot proposed by Ball State’s downtown revitalization plan include a food co-op, dog park, restaurant, or thrift store. Residents still have a chance to weigh in on what they’d like to see, as well as whether or not they support the demolition in the first place, in a survey the city is conducting as part of the grant application process. The city’s chances of getting the grant are believed to be around 50 percent, but Estok said the city might be able to fund the demolition itself, if the application is denied.
