The Muncie Board of Public Works and Safety on July 2 approved a temporary closure of a block of Madison Street to allow MadJax to power-wash and paint its courtyard as part of a Ball Brothers Foundation-funded renovation.

The closure affects the block at Jackson and Madison that faces Fireman’s Park and the downtown fire station, and board members said MadJax staff will coordinate with the city’s street department on signage and access.

Carly, executive director of MadJax, told the board the organization received a grant from the Ball Brothers Foundation to update its courtyard based on feedback from members and tenants. She said the work will include power washing and painting the aluminum siding that wraps two walls bordering the courtyard and extends halfway down the Madison-facing portion of the building. “We received a grant from Ball Brothers Foundation to do some updates to our courtyard,” Carly said.

MadJax said it contracted Abrams Painting to perform the work; Carly said the contractor will be available the week of the work and that MadJax staff would place and remove signage each day. Carly also told the board the group planned power-washing on July 7 and July 9 to prepare the surfaces, and requested time on Madison so workers could access the Madison-facing façade.

A board member moved to approve the street closures for July 10, and another member seconded the motion; all present voted in favor and the motion carried. The board president said staff would sign the closure documents after the meeting and provide a copy to MadJax.

The board praised MadJax’s application and staff work to coordinate the request; Sandra Landford, business operations manager for MadJax, attended for the organization. City staff and MadJax agreed MadJax would work with the street department on placing roadway signage each morning and removing it at the end of the day.

No ordinances or statutes were cited during the discussion, and the board did not place additional conditions on the closure beyond standard coordination and signage requirements. The board adjourned after the item was signed.