April 2, 2026: Hopewell South put off again, city loses 2 lawsuits, forum for county clerk candidates

Civic Solver

Civic Solver turns Bloomington’s everyday civic life into a puzzle. This week’s puzzle is a word search for 10 schools. What do these schools have in common? If you have read every precious word of The B Square Bulletin for the last week, you might be able to answer even without completing the word search. If you can, please brag about that to your friends! If you can’t, try the word search for 10 schools.

Weather Talk

Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here’s some advice.

Thursday: Hang on to your hat and have rain gear ready towards evening. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. But the high of near 80F° means you won’t need to worry about staying warm. Expect rain starting as soon as 5 p.m. Chances for rain increase from there.

Friday: Keep an umbrella or rain gear handy, because showers are likely through the day with possibly a thunderstorm after 11 a.m. The high will be near 79F°. Wind gusts will be as high as 20 mph.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• Bloomington RDC loses two Showers West lease disputes in Monroe circuit court.  A Monroe County judge ruled that Bloomington’s redevelopment commission cannot force two Showers West tenants to vacate their spaces, granting summary judgment to both and rejecting the city’s “inverse condemnation” argument because required eminent-domain procedures were never followed.
• Thomson uses State of the City to push Hopewell South as Bloomington councilmembers call for revisions.  Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson used her State of the City address to urge progress on the Hopewell redevelopment as the city council prepares another vote on the Hopewell South PUD. Six councilmembers are calling for revisions, especially stronger permanent affordability requirements.
• Land handover to CIB now partly OK'd to support host hotel near Bloomington convention center.  Monroe County commissioners have OK'd transferring downtown parcels to the capital improvement board, a step toward a convention center host hotel. The county council has not yet approved the transfer. Tenants must leave by early July unless leases are extended.
• 3 Dems vying for Monroe County clerk nomination make contrasting cases at LWV forum.  At a League of Women Voters forum Monday night, the three Democratic Party candidates for Monroe County clerk—Tanner Branham, Tree Martin Lucas and Joe Davis—provided contrasts in experience and approach.

Quick notes

Hopewell South PUD: Postponed again. At its Wednesday (April 1) meeting, Bloomington’s city council postponed for a third time the Hopewell South PUD rezone. The postponement came after around four hours of deliberation without a break. The night was framed in part by an advice memo from the outside counsel hired by the city council. The council will next take up the Hopewell South PUD on April 22. For B Square background, see: Hopewell South PUD vote postponed by Bloomington city council until April 1.

Eat on Kirkwood. You know what’s more fun than arguing about whether Kirkwood Avenue should be open or closed to car traffic? Actually heading over to Kirkwood and eating at one of the restaurants participating in Bloomington Bites Bingo, from March 29 to April 7. That’s this week!

Recorder warns of schemes. Monroe County recorder Amy Swain has alerted residents to various schemes that offer to provide services to residents for hundreds of dollars, which her office provides at no cost. Swain’s news release describes how one company is asking for $285 for a property alert monitoring system. From the release: Such an alert system is available free from your Monroe County Recorder’s Office.”

Another company is offering to send you a copy of your deed at a cost of more than $100, according to the release. From the release: “Copies of your deed are available in the Recorder’s Office for $1.00 per page. Most deeds are 1-3 pages.”

Eco Heroes art contest! This year’s theme of the city of Bloomington’s Eco Heroes art contest is: Our Nature at Night. From the city’s website: “Entries based on the theme are encouraged in a wide range of formats, including written, visual, or performance art. We welcome posters and illustrations, sculptures and 3D art, textiles, essays and poems, photography, music, or whatever best connects you to the theme Our Nature at Night.”

The deadline for submitting entries is April 7. That’s still plenty of time!

On the calendar

Maintenance at justice center. On the 10 a.m. Thursday (April 2) meeting agenda for the Monroe County commissioners are at least three different items related to maintenance of the HVAC systems at the justice center.

Lotus Blossoms: April 4. From the organizers: “Saturday, April 4, 2026, Fairview Elementary School will transform into a bustling global marketplace of ideas and creativity for the Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar. Running from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., this free, family-friendly event features over 25 interactive stations.” The description on the Lotus website continues: “With 25+ hands-on activities, kids and families can learn to play instruments, write their names in different languages, explore global traditions, and uncover the rhythm of the world.”

Nerd Nite: April 9. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bishop Bar, the next edition of Nerd Nite features presentations on “Aphrodisiacs: A History, A Science, A Folktale,” “Tracking the ‘Misinformation Beat’ In the Press,” and “What’s in a Month?”

Trashion Refashion: April 12. Trashion Refashion has announced the release of ticket sales for this year’s event, which is set for April 12, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Organizers describe the event like this: “This beloved event blends high fashion with sustainability, showcasing over 50 original, upcycled designs modeled by a diverse cast of community members. A highlight of Bloomington’s arts scene since 2010, the show promotes environmental sustainability and artistic creativity while challenging conventional notions about beauty and consumerism.” It’s a fundraiser for the Center for Sustainable Living. There’s more information in the link to the news release, but here’s a direct link to purchase tickets.

Ms. Lake Lemon: May 16. Start your training regimen now. This amazing contest of skill is to be held at Riddle Point Park this year. Monitor the Ms. Lake Lemon Facebook page for details, as they become available. The B Square covered last year’s inaugural event.

Meet Blooper!

This very, very good boy is a German shepherd. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Blooper:

I'm a big, loveable guy who loves pets and walks. Super cuddly and full of energy. I am heartworm positive and the shelter has started my treatment.

Photo Finish: 9th Street & Morton Street

The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great weekend!

Dave Askins
734-645-2633
dave@bsquarebulletin.com

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