Local Government

Bloomington’s RDC approved site access for geotechnical soil borings at up to 10 locations in the Trades District, clearing the way for early planning tied to a $16M Lilly Endowment CCC grant. The work will inform future public art and other district improvements, with no cost to the RDC.

Bloomington’s 2026 civic calendar is packed: contested elections, major construction, housing developments, stalled jail plans, annexation lawsuits, and budget politics. Many storylines are easy to foresee—even if outcomes are unpredictable

Bloomington Transit is moving toward buying the former ABB/Westinghouse property at Curry Pike and Profile Parkway for a new operations center. The board has OK'd a 180-day purchase option, to replace the space-constrained Grimes Lane facility as BT expands its fleet and electrification plans.

With no land deal in hand, the Monroe County CIB has given Dora Hospitality a bit longer to produce a viable host-hotel proposal. Talks over the College Square site remain stalled by a major funding gap; without progress, the CIB will issue a new RFP at its Jan. 21, 2026 meeting.

At the midpoint of Bloomington city council’s four-year term, enough roll call votes exist to analyze voting patterns. Using a purely statistical method applied to 67 split votes, The B Square finds some clear two-member blocs.

With holiday downtime to fill, here’s a low-stakes suggestion: take Bloom Magazine’s revamped food and restaurant survey. It’s short, flexible, and lets you explain why a place matters to you—how it tastes, how it feels, maybe even why it tastes like love.