Meetings
Notes from Public Meeting, March 12, 2009:
Plans
Farr outlined three areas for development opportunities in downtown, illustrating multiple possibilities for each. After the presentation, those in attendance were invited to vote for the favorite option. Farr will continue to change and polish the ideas as they gather more information and start to develop the master plan together.
Washington and Prairie Intersection: Two options were presented, both including multi-use development on both sides of the street, east of National City and the adjoining park. In Option A, townhomes with half flight stoops on the north side of Washington. In Option B, another mixed use building. In both options, a mixed use, glass front four-floor building was suggested on the south side of the street. Both options would keep the existing park.
Main and Market: The west side of the block at Main and Market, currently two parking lots, the Chocolatier and Common Ground, would be filled in with multiple, small parcel buildings to the north and south.
Monroe Street parking garage: The parking garage is in a state of severe disrepair. In Option A, Farr would suggest a generic mixed-use glass front building with two levels of underground parking. In Option B, the YMCA would relocate to the area, which would fill the need for a large daytime anchor for the downtown. The facility would have expanded parking and possible retail options as well. The DBA and Farr have started talks with the YMCA’s board to investigate the viability of the move. The post office would be relocated or worked back into the building.Farr noted that several of the ideas they were working on could be extended discussion, such as working with the Illinois Department of Transportation to fix the Business 51 couplet. He did offer some suggestions that would be easier and quicker to implement, such as developing a marked, suggested street route from the Constitution Trail, which someone in the audience referred to as the Lincoln Loop, to bring people to and from the Trail. Main and Center streets could also be converted to two-way streets relatively easily and cheaply.
Meeting Notes From: 11/6/2008
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At this meeting, the public participated in a few activities regarding the role of Downtown Bloomington in McLean County. Below are the lists generated by this public feedback:
One Word Descriptions of Downtown
- Colors
- Sustainability
- Beautification
- Vibrant
- Community
- Collaboration
- Walkable
- Convenience
- Diversity
- Destination
- Lifestyle
- Commitment
- Cultural
- Hip
- Multi-purpose
- Safe
- Preservation
- Cleanliness
- Center
- 24/7
- Fun
- Green
- Energy
- Creative Hub
- Art
- Historic
- Vitality
- Neighborhood
- Genuine
- Personality
- Unique
- Welcoming
- Unintimidating
- Home
- Multi-faceted
- Tourism
- Romantic
- Convivial
- Hotel
- Accessible
- Occupied
- Cozy
What Does Downtown Want to Be?
Community
Alive
Everything
Creative
Artistic Destination
Entertainment Hub
Connected in Motion
Destination between Chicago and Indianapolis
Diversity Magnet
Everybody's Hometown
Place to Go
Alternative Lifestyle - hip and urban
Entertainment Place
Culture - Artists and Musticians
Cultural Destination
Source of Energy to Person Living with Intent
Current Strengths of Downtown Bloomington
- Lincoln history
- Architecture
- Artistic community
- Venues
- Arts center
- Farmers' Market
- Friendliness
- Cultural district
- Museum
- Numerous colleges
- Professional community
- Law and justice center
- County seat
- Surrounding neighborhoods
- Largest County in IL
- Highway access
- Residential
- Coliseum
- Strong retail base
- Amtrak
- Public transport
- Employment
- Entertainment – pubs
- State farm
- Churches
- Route 66
- CIRA
- Parks – Miller
- Library
- Constitution trail
- Local restaurants
- West side comm. garden
- Historic neighborhoods
- Autonomous neighborhoods assns.
- Home of Dan Brady
- DBA
- Radio stations
- Technology
- Social service providers
- Downtown bar assn.
- Compassion center
- Safe harbor
- Clare house
- Density
- Ability for space to be created
- Ability to preserve history yet expand
Current Weaknesses of Downtown
- Parking
- Green spaces
- Couplet
- Residents proximity to entertainment, noise level
- One way streets
- Poorly lit
- Dirty
- Homeless
- Perception that it’s only taverns
- Poor marketing
- Retail hours
- Surrounding neighborhoods
- Increasing crime
- Too many broken single family homes
- Current on-street parking regulations
- Not knowing past
- Missing ingredient
- Failure to embrace college students
- Alcohol abuse
- Inconsistent bike and pedestrian walk ways
- Visually “Dead” blocks
- Waste management problems
- Lack of water
- Unhelpful city management for new business
- Lack of downtown manager
- Lack of attention to environmental issues
- Ghost town on Sundays
- Infrastructure for Downtown residents- missing services
- Public transportation
- Recycling
- Sewer maintenance
- Work for folks who do live here- not just those “desired"
- Vandalism- both night and day issues
- Inconsistent street level presence
- Eye candy
- Lack of aesthetic
- Navigation and visibility (esp. at night)
- More exercise clubs
- Social opportunity
- Perception of failure (by locating Downtown)
- Lack of way finding, good signage
- Lack of pride from community at large
- Employee Parking
- No McDonald's or other "bacon and eggs" restaurant
- facades
- steel beams
- Lack of customer friendly parking
- Lack of employee parking logistics
- Cosmetics/aesthetics
- Lack of Hotel
Potential Opportunities for Downtown
- Help college/residents coexist
- Better promotion of Downtown Bloomington
- Underutilized properties/space leads to: 1)More comprehensive development 2)Serve middle strata
- Space for retail
- Add nighttime security presence
- Early morning cleanup
- Unifying classes
- Practicality
- Bike link to constitutional trail
- Cable car on square
- Tourism- Route 66
- Trolley downtown all evening
- Trolley uptown/shuttle
- Convention and Visitor's Bureau moveto Downtown
- Green roofs
- Bike racks
- Events- bike event
- Reintegrate with neighborhoods
- Pedestrian friendly features – crosswalks, signals
- Awareness of (eastsiders)
- Stoplights to blink yellow after 10
- Wi-Fi
- Entertainment venues self supporting – coliseum and BCPA
- Breakfast restaurant
- Kid friendly destinations Downtown
- Increased holiday atmosphere
- Theatre – movie, foreign films
- Hotel
- Resident resources
- Conventions
- Catch the 1000’s everyday that come downtown
- Signs on veterans pkwy
- Link to constitutional trail
- Center st. sign
- Local artists for signage
- Murals
- Outdoor concerts
- Jefferson as link
Threats to the Strategy's Ultimate Success
- Sprawl-urban-building out
- Cooperation and cohesion and support in the city gov’t
- Community apathy
- Regulations for codes – grease traps, anti competitive
- Current economic situation
- Youthappearingthreatening
- Failure to provide funding
- Tendency for strip malls
- Perception
- Physical size – get all downtown
- Lack of iDot flexibility
- Deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods
- Opposition by majority who have no concept of what Downtown Blooington is
- Law enforcements accountability
- Lack of accountability
- Family breakdown
- Resistance to change
- Lack of interestfrom local banks
- Aspect of free parking
- City management understanding of Downtown
- Uptown Normal
- Non diversity and racism
- City gov’t willingness to make this a priority, city will fail to act
- Lack of retail competition
- City’s help for small business
- Verizon’s land use
Towns that are good examples:
- Omaha, NE
- Ft. Collins, CO
- Madison, WI
- Iowa City, IA
- Burlington, VT
- Decatur, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Santa Cruz, CA
- Utica, IL
- Galena, IL
- Great Barrington, MA
- Urbana, IL
- Columbia, MO
- Portland, Maine
- Ithaca, NY
- Naperville, IL
- Lincoln Road, South Beach
- Santa Monica's Promenade
** To add a town and it's images to this list, please click on the "Your Inspiration" tab above. We'd love to post pictures and storiesof what youlike bestabout other Downtowns!