Bloomington area leaders reflect on long path to groundbreaking of convention center expansion

The most dramatic evidence that work on the 60,000-square foot Bloomington Convention Center expansion has started will likely come a couple of weeks from now, on June 20. That's when the former NAPA Auto Parts building at 3rd and Walnut streets is tentatively scheduled for demolition.

Next week, some related work will probably already be visible. That's based on Tuesday night's action by the board of public works to approve the use of the public right-of-way to get utilities relocated. Included in the work are Smithville Fiber, Comcast Fiber, Centerpoint Gas, and Duke Energy.

But earlier in the day on Tuesday at the southeast corner of 3rd Street and College Avenue, a ceremonial groundbreaking took place, with remarks from a half dozen local leaders.

Eric Spoonmore, president of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, opened the groundbreaking ceremony by calling the convention center expansion a "transformative milestone." He said, "This project is so much more than just bricks and mortar. It's about creating new and welcoming spaces for our community, space for greater civic engagement, space for our nonprofits to grow and flourish, space for our local businesses to shine, and for regional and statewide visitors to discover all that Bloomington has to offer."

John Whikehart, president of Monroe County's capital improvement board (CIB) summarized some of the board's work: "For the past 23 months, the capital improvement board held 35 public meetings. We spent three days with input from various stakeholders and users to create initial design ideas. We held special meetings for the public and elected officials to get their reaction."

Whikehart listed off some of the project goals: expanded space for functionality and flexibility; create inspiring architecture; showcase the uniqueness of Bloomington; and enhance community connectivity to achieve sustainability. Whikehart alluded to the roughly $70 million budget by saying, "[The CIB's] ongoing commitment is to achieve all of this adhering strictly to a fixed design and construction budget, made possible by revenue bonds and food and beverage tax revenues."

One key step in the history of the project was the enactment of the 1% food and beverage tax by the Monroe County council in late 2017.

In attendance for Tuesday's groundbreaking were four former members of the county council that took the vote on the food and beverage tax—Geoff McKim (now a member of the CIB); Shelli Yoder (now a state senator); Lee Jones (now a county commissioner); and Eric Spoonmore (now president of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce). McKim and Yoder voted for the tax. Spoonmore and Jones voted against it. Rounding out the seven votes on the tax were Marty Hawk's vote against it, and the two votes in support from Ryan Cobine and Cheryl Munson.

In her remarks, current county council president Jennifer Crossley remembered Munson, who died in late 2024, saying that she "passionately advocated for this project and dreamed of witnessing its success." Crossley said, "Today, we honor her legacy with our progress, and I know she would be proud today."

Alluding to the split vote of the council that approved the food and beverage tax, as well as more recent wrangling between the county commissioners and former Bloomington mayor John Hamilton, Crossley described the significant "difference of opinions" and tensions that had been overcome.

In her remarks, current Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson alluded to the long road to the start of the project by saying, "Bloomington is a place of bold visions, and this has been one of them for far too long."

Thomson alluded to the friction between the county commissioners and former mayor John Hamilton about the governance structure for the project by saying, "It's amazing what can be accomplished when it doesn't matter who gets the credit." She added, "Seventeen years ago, we decided the work was worth it to get this convention center built, and we have finally turned over leadership to the CIB and gotten out of their way and let them do the hard work…"

Thomson added, "Our city is built with a DNA that believes in innovation, in cooperation and in doing great things, together with Indiana University and generations of thinkers, doers and makers calling our community home. We are, at a core, a place of intellect, curiosity and creativity. That's what the convention center is really all about."

Thomson spoke from more than one perspective—as a professional who had driven too many hours to meetings that Bloomington couldn't host, as a nonprofit executive who had run out of space for fundraising events, and as a mother who had traveled extensively for events that couldn't be held locally. She described the convention center as a "crossroads"—a place for people from around the corner and across the globe to come together, share knowledge, and spark innovation.

About the convention center expansion, Thomson said, "It's a place for people from around the corner and across the globe to come to our community, joining together, sharing knowledge, sparking innovation and generating ideas that ripple far beyond the walls that we're going to build."

Julie Thomas, president of the Monroe County board of commissioners, took the occasion to call for some progress on the development of a host hotel to support the convention center, which is one of two remaining essential elements for the success of the expansion, she said. The other key element is the provision of adequate parking, Thomas said. "We cannot ignore the reality that Indiana is car-centric, with poor intra-city public transit options…So, to ensure the success of this project, parking must be provided."

Bloomington city council president Hopi Stosberg noted that she had been serving on the council for just a year and a half, saying, "I got to help put the finishing touches on those final documents that everybody had agreed upon." She added, "And I mostly wanted to stand here and say thank you to all of those people who came before us to try to work out all of those agreements."

Attending the event were several representatives of the project architect, Schmidt Associates, the CIB's owner's representative, JS Held, and the construction manager, Weddle Brothers. Well over 200 people attended the event.