Ball State off-campus housing project remediating mold

MUNCIE, Ind. -

A multi-million dollar off-campus housing project in the Villages at Ball State is being threatened by mold and workers claim it's being covered up.

For nearly two weeks, construction crews have been fighting heavy rainfall and growing mold on the top two floors at the Village Promenade. They're trying to get the hot spot open by August 1 while taking extreme measures to keep students safe.

"Imagine the possibilities" reads the advertisement posted outside the Village Promenade Apartments in Muncie.

"I think it will all be really, really good for the village. There's not a whole lot there," said Jordan Clohessy, a senior majoring in Music Technology.

Developers of the $55 million high-rise apartment/restaurant project just south of the Ball State campus promise growth. But not the kind workers allege could make students sick.

In an email, a worker shows 13 Investigates photos of growing mold, saying the construction company in charge "sprayed foam insulation in all 4 floors ceilings before there was a roof. The rain soaked the foam."

"Before drywalling, they didn't do anything to address the moisture, mold started to grow and the cover-up started," the email continued.

On site Monday, a supervisor with Whittenberg Construction of Louisville looked at the pictures and confirmed recent heavy downpours created a problem, but insists it's been fixed.

In a phone interview, project co-owner Larry Gough defended the steps that have been taken to deal with the problem.

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Ball State off-campus housing project remediating mold