To sell or not to sell Bloomington’s police station building: Board tees up vote for city council

Board of public works member Kyla Cox Deckard (Dec. 8, 2023)

Board of public works member Elizabeth Karon (Dec. 8, 2023)

Real estate agent Tim Ballard (Dec. 8, 2023)

Bloomington corporation counsel Beth Cate (Dec. 8, 2023)

Bloomington resident David Sabbagh (Dec. 8, 2023)

Police union president Paul Post

Police union vice president Jeffrey Rodgers (Dec. 8, 2023)

Councilmember Matt Flaherty (left) and city council attorney Stephen Lucas (Dec. 8, 2023)

Council president Sue Sgambelluri (Dec. 8, 2023)

Cued up next Wednesday for Bloomington city councilmembers—as the final agenda item for the final scheduled meeting of their four-year terms—is the sale of the city’s police station, which stands on 3rd Street, just north of The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park.

That’s the outcome of Friday’s board of public works public hearing, to review three purchase offers.

The board did not recommend that the mayor and city council sell the property to any of the three potential buyers. The board also did not recommend against selling the property.

Instead, the three-member board, all mayoral appointees, voted 2–0 to give no recommendation. That non-recommendation will now go to the city council on Wednesday (Dec. 13) for a vote.

Outgoing mayor John Hamilton administration’s first choice of a buyer is GMS-Pavillion Properties, which after some back-and-forth, offered $4.4 million. Continue reading “To sell or not to sell Bloomington’s police station building: Board tees up vote for city council” →

Purchase offers for Bloomington police station: Board of public works to mull proposals on Friday

From left, Bloomington BPW members: Jane Kupersmith, Elizabeth Karon, and Kyla Cox Deckard. (Nov. 21, 2023)

Park gets new name By Christy Mullins 331-42661 cmullins@heraldt.com The small public park on Third Street behind the Bloomington Police Department now bears the name of three prominent Bloomington families who deeded the land decades ago. In a celebration Sunday, the park was rededicated as the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park. Members of each family attended, some from as far as New York, to thank the city for its recognition. But “the families didn’t seek this,” Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said. About a year ago, curious resident Evelyn Powers found the deed to Third Street Park on microfilm and brought it to Kruzan, the city’s parks director and the city’s legal department for some answers. The original deed stat- ed that the park would be named after the three famP lies who sold the land to the city in the early 1920s — for a lump sum of $5,400. Until Sunday, the land had been known as Third Street Park, although officials aren’t sure why. “Of course I thought she was wrong," Kruzan said. “There was no way. But she was right. "Some might say gov- ernment works slowly, but today we’re getting it right.” In the background, hun- dreds of people occupied the park, finishing a 5K walk through Bloomington for homelessness awareness. A smaller crowd gathered for the rededication cer- emony. Kruzan and others acknowledged that the park has remained free and open to the public, even during special events at its amphi- theater. “Call this park what you want,” said Nat U. Hill, rep- resenting the Hill family. "So long as you maintain the belief that it should remain a free, public park."

Aerial image of Bloomington police station.

At a 3 p.m. public hearing on Friday, Bloomington’s board of public works is set to consider three purchase offers that have been received for the city’s police station.

Under state law, the board’s role is not to approve one of the offers. It is Bloomington’s city council that has to approve the sale.

The board is just supposed to make a recommendation, then notify the mayor of that recommendation. The wording of the state law goes like this: “…the executive shall designate a board or commission of the municipality to give notice, conduct the hearing, and notify the executive of its recommendation.”

[Updated On Dec. 8, 2023 at 4:11 p.m. At the conclusion of the public hearing, at which just three people spoke, the three-member board voted 2–0 to forward no recommendation to the city council. Board member Jane Kupersmith recused herself from the vote, citing as the reason her pending appointment by mayor-elect Kerry Thomson as head of the city’s department of economic and sustainable development. The three purchase offers are available on BloomDocs.org]

Even if the board of public works were to recommend against selling the police station, the question could still get a vote by the city council.

Outgoing Bloomington mayor John Hamilton wants to put the question of a sale on the council’s meeting agenda for next Wednesday, Dec. 13. That is the city council’s final scheduled meeting of the year. Continue reading “Purchase offers for Bloomington police station: Board of public works to mull proposals on Friday” →

Bloomington mayor wants Dec. 13 vote by city council on police station sale

The police station is in the upper left corner of the aerial image.

Calendar of upcoming key dates in Showers West projectg.

At its Wednesday meeting in a little over a week from now, Bloomington’s city council will likely be asked by outgoing mayor John Hamilton to vote on the sale of the city’s police station.

That’s a key takeaway from a Monday noon work session of Bloomington’s city council.

Next week’s Dec. 13 council meeting is the city legislative body’s final regular meeting of the year.

But before the council is asked to approve the sale, Bloomington’s board of public works will hold a public hearing this Friday, Dec. 8. Even though the three-member board does not need to approve the sale, it is required under state law to make a recommendation to the city council and the mayor.

So on Friday, the administration is just looking for the board of public works to indicate its attitude about the sale—for, against, or no recommendation either way.

At Monday’s session, deputy mayor Larry Allen revealed that the city had so far received three offers for the purchase of the police station. The building is located on 3rd Street north of The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park.

One offer is right at the $3.2-million minimum offer specified in the city’s notice of sale, published on Oct. 11. The minimum offer is the same as the lower of two fair market value appraisals that were done by the city, Allen revealed.

A second fair market appraisal, Allen said at Monday’s session, put the value of the police station at $4.4 million. The city had also received an offer to purchase the real estate at that price, Allen said.

A third offer exceeded $4.4 million, Allen said.

Even though just five of nine councilmembers attended Monday’s work session, a measure of the topic’s importance was mayor-elect Kerry Thomson’s attendance. Continue reading “Bloomington mayor wants Dec. 13 vote by city council on police station sale” →

Sale of Bloomington police station: City officials look to smooth over objections based on century-old deed

Article from Herald Times Newspaper Third Street Park to be renamed By Christy Mullins 331-42661 cmullins@heraldt.com Third Street Park will soon be renamed after three prominent families who deed- ed the land 88 years ago. Members of the Waldron, Hill arid Bus- kirk families will speak at a rededication ceremony Sunday, when the small park behind the Bloomington Police Depart- ment changes its name to the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park. The celebration starts at 1:15 p.m. A clause in the park’s original deed — that the patch of land would take the name of all three families — went unac- knowledged when they sold the land to the city of Bloomington in1923. When the mayor, the city’s parks director and a curi- ous Bloomington resident who found the document on microfilm began studying the land’s history, they began working to rename the park. Sunday’s ceremony is open to the public. Some elected officials, including Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, also have been invited to attend.

The police station is in the upper left corner of the aerial image.

It is agreed by and between the parties hereto that the principal consideration for the deed is that the above and foregoing described real estate shall be used exclusively for a Free Public Park, for the use of the Citizens of Bloomington, Indiana; and that the same shall be named and maintained under the name of The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park. And it is further provided that should the Grantee herein, or any other body that shall hereafter assume their duties, fail to maintain said Park as above described and for the use and purpose mentioned, the said real estate herein described shall revert to the Grantors herein, their Administrators, Executors, heirs and assigns.

Some wheels that were set in motion by Bloomington’s city council just about a year ago foresaw the sale of the current police station at 3rd and Lincoln streets.

But there are some major political and legal wrinkles that will need to be ironed out to make that sale possible.

On the political side, it’s not clear if there will be a five-vote majority on the city council, which would still be needed to support the sale of the police station.

On the legal side of things, there’s a century-old clause in a deed that is connected to a land conveyance to the adjacent park that is now called The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park. Continue reading “Sale of Bloomington police station: City officials look to smooth over objections based on century-old deed” →

Map of racially restrictive covenants released by Monroe County recorder

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“None of the above tract of land is to be ever sold to colored people.”

That is the text of a covenant recorded on a deed dated Nov. 6, 1912 for some land located at the northwest corner of 17th Street and College Avenue in Bloomington, Indiana.

A point in time that lies over a century in the past might seem like ancient history.

But the same parcel is part of a plat that is dated just 77 years ago—June 16, 1946.

The covenant on the plat reads: “The ownership and occupancy of lots and buildings or parts thereof in this addition are forever restricted to members of the white race, except that domestic help, not of the white race may occupy a room in said dwelling during the period of employment.”

Information on racially restrictive covenants on deeds and plats in Monroe County is now within easy reach of anyone with an internet connection.

This past week, Monroe County recorder Amy Swain released a project that maps out racially restrictive covenants on deeds and plats, which the county recorder’s office has unearthed, scanned and made accessible on a web page.

The map is embedded in an explainer website, but can also be accessed through a direct link.

Swain is the newly elected recorder, sworn into office just about six weeks ago. Her statement announcing the release of the map gave credit to the office led by the previous recorder, Eric Schmitz: “[O]f course, the bulk of the work was done during former recorder Eric Schmitz’s administration.” Continue reading “Map of racially restrictive covenants released by Monroe County recorder” →