Continuing His Ball State Connection
Student from the R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning working on an Urban Planning project.
CAP alum has offered industry opportunities to other CAP graduates, hopes to do the same for current students
Ball State University graduate Jeff Kingsbury’s connection to his alma mater didn’t end with his graduation. In fact, Mr. Kingsbury—a 1991 graduate from the R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (CAP)—has taken that tie to another level. He is creating industry-related opportunities for CAP graduates and finding ways to do the same for current students.
Jeff Kingsbury (Photo courtesy of Workshop Media)
One of Mr. Kingsbury’s latest efforts has come with Electric Works, a multi-million dollar development in Fort Wayne, Indiana, led by Ancora Partners, of which Mr. Kingsbury is a principal. As a public-private partnership, Electric Works involves planning, development, and construction of a site with mixed uses, including retail, office, education, innovation, entertainment, and residential.
More than 100 Ball State alumni have been involved with the planning, design, development, and construction of Electric Works. As of Spring 2022, the project’s first and second phases were under construction—repre-senting an investment of about $415 million.
“This year, we plan to work with the programs of Ball State’s CAP—Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Ur-ban Planning, Urban Design, Construction Management, Interior Design, Historic Preservation—to create im-mersive learning opportunities,” Mr. Kingsbury said.
“My hope is that we can expand the partnership and give Ball State University faculty and students in every college an opportunity to work across disciplines on a real, high-profile project,” he added. “A project like Elec-tric Works is career-defining. But to hopefully make a difference in your home state and your hometown makes it very special.”
Mr. Kingsbury earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Design and a Bachelor of Urban Plan-ning and Development. As a student, he served on the University’s Board of Trustees from 1989 to 1991. Re-cently, he has served on the University’s Alumni Council.
His connection to Ball State began a long time ago. Mr. Kingsbury’s mother was a first-generation college grad-uate from Ball State Teachers College. And his great-grandfather was a carpenter who worked on the Univer-sity’s Elliott Hall.
Given how Mr. Kingsbury has connected many CAP graduates with Electric Works, with intentions of offering similar opportunities for current and future students, it’s clear his Ball State connection will remain strong and impactful.
