Bloomington reveals planned expenditures in public safety

Bloomington, Indiana – In order to finance the $34 million in new public safety initiatives, the City of Bloomington stated that it would issue $29.5 million in general revenue bonds. The Bloomington City Council is now working to hone and adjust the strategy.

The proposal was made by Mayor John Hamilton at the city council meeting on November 30. It calls for converting the 64,000-square-foot Cook Financial Cooperation Showers building into a new public safety headquarters while moving the police station and administrative offices for the fire department and police force.

Both East 4th Street’s Fire Station 1 and Woodlawn Avenue’s Fire Station 3 would undergo renovations. A training facility and storage facility for the fire department would also be built with the money.

In order to reconstruct Fire Station 1 for the estimated cost of $5.5 million, it will be necessary to remove the basement, avoid the difficulties of mold remediation, address known problems, update the building’s energy efficiency, and create inclusive space by removing group sleeping areas, showers, and restrooms.

Similar problems at Fire Station 1 would be resolved by a $2.5 million renovation of Fire Station 2.

The remaining $2.5 million would be used to erect a training and storage facility for the fire department on South Walnut Street.

The project enables the administration offices of the Bloomington Police Department and the Bloomington Fire Department to be housed jointly for the first time in the CFC Showers facility at 320 West 8th Street.

The $29.5 million general revenue bonds, money from the Community Revitalization Enhancement District, and proceeds from the sale of the property housing the current police station would all contribute to the $34 million project’s finance.

Councilmen Jim Sims and Matt Flaherty concurred with Hamilton’s suggestion and cast their votes in favor. Members Stephen Volan and Susan Sandberg abstained. Five members opted not to cast a ballot. No one from the public spoke during the meeting.

The idea was suggested to be changed in the Dec. 7 meeting, where the members reconvened. The ideas sought to eliminate the ordinance’s tenth and eleventh Whereas clauses as well as Section 2, which would remove the sentences in the plan that said there weren’t enough finances for the current budget.

At the meeting on December 12, members will examine the new plan.