Bloomington city council rejects sale of police station on 0–9 vote, but door seems ajar for future deal

Bloomington police station from 3rd Street. (Dec. 13, 2023)

Aerial image of Bloomington police station.

At their final scheduled meeting of their four-year terms, Bloomington’s city council voted unanimously against the sale of the city’s police station, which stands on 3rd Street, just north of The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park.

Some councilmembers expressed support for Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s overall plan, which includes consolidation of fire administration and police operations with other departments in the same building as city hall—even though they voted against the sale of the police station on Wednesday night.

Mayor-elect Kerry Thomson weighed in from the public mic, using the Zoom video conference platform. She called for a delay in the sale, in order to get answers to several questions that had been raised, but did not argue against any sale of the property ever in the future.

The specific purchase offer that was rejected by the council was from GMS-Pavillion for $4.4 million. That amount was the higher of two appraisals obtained by the city for the fair market value of the property. Continue reading “Bloomington city council rejects sale of police station on 0–9 vote, but door seems ajar for future deal” →

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” →

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” →