MUNCIE, Ind. — The Mark III Taproom, the long running and famous gay bar in Muncie, had a new update last week on the construction of the new location, 1101 S. Walnut St. After a pipe burst in early 2024 forced the owners to close their last location, 306 Walnut St, new owners Tracy Letzler and Ryder Martz have been in the works for its reopening.

Not only is the Mark the oldest gay bar in the state of Indiana, but is in fact older than the Stonewall riots of 1969. The new owners have previously described the place as not just a bar. “It’s been a refuge, a family room, and a home for so many of us.” Ryder Martz said to a crowd last year. “We want this rebuilt by our community.” The owners last week said the Mark is “our community. It’s our history. It’s a place where people should be able to walk through the door and feel like they belong.”

The Mark III Taproom announced a new plan to handle structural issues with the new home of the Mark. Letzler said she is hoping for the reopening in a couple of months, though yesterday Sunday a volunteer call out was held at the location to help clean the building for construction.

The announcement about the reopening was first made last summer, when Tracy and Ryder Martz hosted two “Mark Meetups” at the Room 5 Piano Bar, 2150 W White River Blvd in early June and mid-July.

Daisy Dale is the editor and publisher of The Muncie Post-Democrat, a commissioner for the Muncie Human Rights Commission, and a board member of Muncie Queer Alliance.