Tag: Bunger & Robertson law firm

Monroe Convention Center expansion notebook: Interviews for construction manager set for June 4

CIB president John Whikehart. (May 22, 2024)
From back to front: CIB members Jay Bayer, Adam Thies, Jim Silberstein, and Joyce Poling. (May 22, 2024)
From left: CIB members Eric Spoonmore, John Whikehart, and Doug Bruce.

On the morning of June 4, representatives from three construction firms will be interviewed by Monroe County’s capital improvement board (CIB) for the job of construction manager for the convention center expansion project.

Shortlisted from the original six that responded to an early 2024 RFQ (request for qualifications) are three firms: F.A. Wilhelm Construction; Shiel Sexton; and Weddle Bros. Building Group. All respondents to the RFQ were invited to respond to the subsequent RFP (request for proposals).

The short list was announced at a special meeting of the CIB held on Wednesday afternoon.

In other business, the CIB voted unanimously not to pursue the northward expansion option for the convention center. The existing facility stands on the southwest corner of College Avenue and 3rd Street.

That outcome was already anticipated as a result of the email message sent last week to the city of Bloomington by Jim Whitlatch, the CIB’s legal counsel, indicating that the CIB would not be negotiating with the city on a the price for the parcels to the north. Continue reading “Monroe Convention Center expansion notebook: Interviews for construction manager set for June 4” →

Convention center notebook: Bloomington releases past appraisal figures for north property

Responding to an informal request from the B Square, the city of Bloomington has released the dollar figures for the appraisals of real estate north of the Monroe Convention Center.

In 2019, two parts of the block forming the southwest corner of 4th Street and College Avenue had two separate owners.

The bigger parcel, which includes the office building, was owned by RBOWA, LLC, with connections to the Bunger & Robertson law firm, before it was purchased that year by Bloomington’s redevelopment commission (RDC) for $4,995,000.

Four years later, in 2023, Bloomington’s RDC purchased the other part of the block, a portion of the parking lot, from Thomas Sicks and Nancy Held, for $1.9 million.

Based on the figures released by the city of Bloomington on Friday, Bloomington’s RDC paid $255,000 less than the average of two appraisals for the bigger parcel, and $565,000 more than the average of two appraisals for the smaller parcel.

Here’s how the two appraisals stack up against the purchase prices:

Office building and portion of parking (Bunger & Robertson)
First Appraisal Mordoh & Associates Average Purchase Price
$5,500,000 $5,000,000 $5,250,000 $4,995,000
Corner of parking lot (Thomas Sicks and Nancy Held)
First Appraisal Mordoh & Associates Average Purchase Price
$1,270,000 $1,400,000 $1,335,000 $1,900,000

First Appraisal and Mordoh & Associates are firms that do real estate appraisals.

Continue reading “Convention center notebook: Bloomington releases past appraisal figures for north property” →

No north option for convention center expansion: CIB won’t negotiate with Bloomington for land

The Monroe County capital improvement board (CIB) will not be negotiating with the city of Bloomington on the acquisition of land north of the existing convention center for a planned expansion project.

That was the point of an email message sent on Monday (May 13, 2024) to Bloomington corporation council Margie Rice from Jim Whitlatch, who is the CIB’s legal counsel.

Here’s the key sentence from Monday’s email message: “This email is intended to let you know that the CIB is not entering into negotiations for the acquisition of the North property.”

The north property, at 4th Street and College Avenue, which is now owned by Bloomington’s redevelopment commission (RDC), is the former site of the Bunger & Robertson law firm.

A May 6, 2024 letter from Rice to Whitlatch had made clear the expectation that the city of Bloomington would seek reimbursement for the property, if the CIB wanted to use it for the expansion project. Continue reading “No north option for convention center expansion: CIB won’t negotiate with Bloomington for land” →

Friday: Final day of Bloomington annexation trial

Eric Reedy’s binder with the annexation fiscal plan. (May 1, 2024)
Map of annexation areas. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1_7o1q_H6CpeK-1gdEzDTxnPk84RZQ_E&usp=sharing

The trial on the merits of Bloomington’s plan to annex two territories on the west and southwest sides of the city has completed its fourth day. Friday is the final day left on the trial calendar.

It now looks like the trial will be over by the end of the day on Friday.

The proceeding is a judicial review, which was forced by remonstrators, when they achieved the threshold of at least 51 percent of landowner signatures in Area 1A and Area 1B, but fell short of the 65 percent that would have stopped Bloomington’s annexation outright.

By the end of the day on Tuesday, when the pace of testimony from the city’s witnesses appeared to be slower than expected, judge Nathan Nikirk raised the specter of a Saturday session. Continue reading “Friday: Final day of Bloomington annexation trial” →

Bloomington annexation trial a slog in first 2 days, judge warns he could require Saturday session

Map of annexation areas. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1_7o1q_H6CpeK-1gdEzDTxnPk84RZQ_E&usp=sharing

The trial on the merits of Bloomington’s plan to annex two areas on the west and southwest sides of the city has now completed two days worth of testimony.

Every day this week is scheduled for the trial. The pace so far looks like it’s slower than expected. It  could be a challenge to complete the trial by the end of the week.

About the prospect that not all the witnesses on both sides might get their turn by the end of the day on Friday, judge Nathan Nikirk on Tuesday afternoon made clear that he is not keen to “bifurcate” the proceedings. He told the legal teams for both sides to be ready to come into court on Saturday to finish things off, if that’s what it takes.

On Monday, opening arguments were given on both sides, with Andrew McNeil of the Bose McKinney & Evans law firm making the presentation for the city of Bloomington, and William Beggs of Bunger & Robertson representing the remonstrators.

The proceeding is a judicial review, which was forced by remonstrators, when they achieved the threshold of at least 51 percent of landowner signatures in Area 1A and Area 1B, but fell short of the 65 percent that would have stopped Bloomington’s annexation outright. Continue reading “Bloomington annexation trial a slog in first 2 days, judge warns he could require Saturday session” →

Judge denies Bloomington’s motion, CRAA remains as plaintiff in annexation litigation

County Residents Against Annexation (CRAA) will remain as a plaintiff in the litigation pending in the courts on the merits of Bloomington’s effort to annex two geographic areas into the city.

The areas in question are Area 1A and Area 1B, located to the west and southwest of the city.

In a ruling signed on April 9, 2024,  judge Nathan Nikirk denied the city of Bloomington’s motion to have CRAA removed as one of several plaintiffs in the case.

The order from Nikirk came about a week after oral arguments were heard, on April 1. Continue reading “Judge denies Bloomington’s motion, CRAA remains as plaintiff in annexation litigation” →

Monroe Convention Center planning maintains pace, CIB to consider OK for construction manager RFQ, politicos still mulling interlocal agreement

Capital improvement board members, from left: Adam Thies and Doug Bruce. (Jan. 5, 2024)
From left: CIB legal counsel Jim Whitlatch and capital improvement board member Mick Renneisen (Jan. 5, 2024)
Conceptual rendering by Schmidt Associates from 2019 looking south along College Avenue.

The issuance of an RFQ (request for qualifications) for a “construction manager as contractor” for the convention center expansion project will be one of the first actions considered in the new year by Monroe County’s capital improvement board of managers (CIB).

The issuance of such an RFQ, with a three-week turnaround allowed for responses, is the recommendation of a three-member committee of the CIB, which met on Friday morning.

Meeting at the offices of the Bunger & Robertson law firm, which is kitty corner across from the existing Monroe Convention Center at 3rd Street and College Avenue, were: Adam Thies, Mick Renneisen and Doug Bruce. They were joined by Jim Whitlatch, a Bunger & Robertson attorney, who has been brought on as legal counsel for the CIB.

The consideration of the committee’s recommendation, about issuing an RFQ, is intended for the CIB’s Jan. 17 meeting.

Members of the CIB are leaving to elected officials a question that is still for the politicos to decide—the ratification of a four-way interlocal agreement that provides the framework for project contributions by the city and county governments.

The interlocal agreement includes the Bloomington city council and the mayor, which have already signed off on it.

But the county’s side is taking a minute to review the interlocal agreement.

At the county council’s first meeting of the year on Jan. 9, it should start to become clear if the delay by councilors and county commissioners will prove to be just a hiccup, or if county officials will insist on amendments that would require re-approval by the city council and the mayor.

Continue reading “Monroe Convention Center planning maintains pace, CIB to consider OK for construction manager RFQ, politicos still mulling interlocal agreement” →