HAND (housing and neighborhood development)

Bloomington RDC members from left: John West, Deb Hutton, Deborah Myerson, Randy Cassady, and Sue Sgambelluri (March 4, 2024).

714 S. Rogers St. looking south from 1st Street (March 4, 2024)

607 W. 1st Street has been mostly demolished. (March 4, 2024)

Buildings shaded in green are authorized for demolition. The building shaded orange is 615 1st Street and would need to be reviewed by the historic preservation commission before demolition. The building shaded red is 714 S. Rogers St.

Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson (March 4, 2024).

Economic and sustainable development director, Jane Kupersmith (March 4, 2024)

Bloomington resident Dave Huber addresses the RDC as Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson looks on (March 4, 2024)

Pre-demolition aerial view of the Kohr administration building from Monroe County’s online property lookup system.

On Monday, contracts for work on two specific buildings in the Hopewell neighborhood, the site of the former IU Health hospital, were approved by Bloomington’s five-member redevelopment commission.

The former Bloomington Convalescent Center at 714 S. Rogers was subject of a $39,816 contract with VET Environmental Engineering, to mediate water damage inside the building.

The former Kohr administration building—which was one of two buildings not demolished by IU Health under the terms of the $6.5-million real estate deal between Bloomington and the health care provider—was subject of a $7,450 contract with B&L Sheet Metal and Roofing, to reinstall downspouts on the building.

The other building left standing on the property was the 390-space parking garage.

But on Monday, RDC members also got an update on the way the 24-acre redevelopment project is getting evaluated by new Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson’s administration.

She has formed an advisory team, which has, for the time being at least, put the the role of a non-profit called City of Bloomington Capital Improvements, Inc. (CBCI) in limbo. Continue reading “Hopewell action on the ground moves ahead, as overall project assessment continues” →

Looking northwest from the intersection of Morton and 1st streets. (Feb. 19, 2024)

Bloomington RDC members from left: Deb Hutton, Deborah Myerson, Sue Sgambelluri, and Randy Cassady. (Feb. 19, 2024)

615 W. 1st Street with a sign outside giving notice of a historic preservation commission (HPC) hearing. (Feb. 19, 2024)

607 W. 1st Street has been mostly demolished. (Feb. 19, 2024)

714 S. Rogers St. looking south from the intersection of Rogers and 1st. (Feb. 19, 2024)

714 S. Rogers St. with Marshall Security car parked in the lot. The view is to the south from 1st Street. (Feb. 19, 2024)

In the second week of February, the demolition of several buildings along the south side of Bloomington’s West 1st Street got started.

By Monday (Feb. 19) the building at 607 W. 1st Street had been mostly reduced to a pile of rubble.

The point of the demolition is to create a clean slate for developers who want to respond to a public offering of the property as part of the planned new Hopewell neighborhood. It’s part of the area where IU Health’s hospital previously stood.

In about 16 weeks, which works out to roughly the end of May, the work to raze the buildings is expected to be complete.

But the timing for the project completion could depend in part on whether two of the buildings on the south side of 1st Street are actually demolished.

Already known was the possibility that the California-style bungalow at 615 W. 1st Street could escape demolition—either through historic protection, or through a move to a different location. Bloomington’s historic preservation commission (HPC) is supposed to get an update on the status of the building at its Thursday (Feb. 22) meeting.

At its Jan. 25 meeting, the HPC voted to recommend that Anna Killion-Hanson, who is interim director of the HAND (housing and neighborhood development) department, extend by 30 days the demolition delay under which the property had been put. Killion-Hanson did extend the demolition delay by 30 days, which bought the house a little more time.

A different building—which was initially considered for demolition, but did not make the final list—might eventually be demolished.

Based on conversation between city of Bloomington staff and redevelopment commission (RDC) members at Monday’s RDC meeting, the building at 714 Rogers—the southwest corner of Rogers and 1st streets—could wind up getting razed. But that’s not certain.

Continue reading “Bloomington keeps tabs on building at 1st and Rogers for possible Hopewell demolition” →