There will be a new entrance to Bloomington near Miller-Showers Park

Bloomington, Indiana – A gateway to the city will be built in Bloomington, following the project’s 2020 postponement due to COVID-19.

According to a news release from the City of Bloomington, the 40-foot-tall entryway to the city will feature LED lights shining “Bloomington” on it to welcome visitors.

According to the press release, before the gateway is installed, contractors will beautify Miller-Showers Park. Repaving the Gourley Pike crossing, enhancing the pedestrian refuge, modernizing curb ramps, and cutting down trees to make room for new ones are all part of the construction.

The project has been in the works since 2018, according to Tim Street, director of operations and development at Bloomington Parks and Recreation, because it was initially intended to commemorate Bloomington’s 200th anniversary as a city. He stated COVID-19 caused a delay in the project, which was resumed in the spring of 2022. Fall construction is scheduled, with completion anticipated by year’s end for the most part.

As soon as the city obtains a right-of-way permit from the Bloomington Board of Public Works, construction on the project can begin. Before beginning construction within the public right of way—which is the public’s right to cross privately owned land—a permit is necessary.

Street stated that the Indianapolis-based landscape architectural firm Rundell Ernstberger Associates created a conceptual design presentation in December 2019 that examined potential gateway locations. The news statement stated that the company was paid $133,925 for the study and design.

“Most of the work for the project will be done from the internal part of the park,” Street said. “There will be some disruptions and closures because some of the work involves repairing the pedestrian island, working on the curb ramps and resurfacing the area between the two roads.”

According to the press release, the project’s contractor, Reed and Sons, was given a contract worth $575,000 for the site upgrade work.

“The Bicentennial gateway will proudly welcome residents and visitors to Bloomington and also give them a final image before they leave,” Mayor John Hamilton said in the press release. “It represents both a nod to our past and a gift to the future.”