The council voted to postpone a vote on the Fourth Street garage bond until Dec. 19th. (Alex Eady, WTIU/WFIU News)
The Bloomington City Council voted to approve $11 million in funding to construct a 300-space parking garage in the city’s downtown Trades District.
The council approved the proposal by an 8-1 vote during a hearing Wednesday night.
The city is requesting the council also approve the issuance of an $18.5 million revenue bond to fund the demolition and reconstruction of the Fourth Street parking garage.
The council voted to postpone a vote on the Fourth Street garage bond until Dec. 19.
If approved, the city would move forward with closing the Fourth Street garage on or about Dec. 31. The demolition process is slated for April 2019.
City officials say they’re pursuing the reconstruction option because the garage is deteriorating and there’s more demand for downtown parking.
Councilmember Isabel Piedmont Smith spoke in opposition to the proposal and requested the city administration consider repairing the garage instead.
"I understand that there might be some variables once you get started, but I’m confident this thing can be repaired and I urge my colleagues and the administration to do just that," says Piedmont Smith.
Public Works Director Adam Wason says the city has considered repairing the structure, but the cost and safety risk during the repair process must be factored in.
“We know what needs to be done in terms of repairs but we also don’t know what additional we will find as we start peeling back concrete, if there is further degradation underneath," says Wason.
Preliminary design plans outline a 7-story garage with levels that can be repurposed as apartments or retail space. The design also shows a garage that can hold 550 spaces with no specific height maximum.
Some members of the council also expressed concerns that if the bond is approved without any clear height limitations, developers may design a garage of a much larger scale later on.
Alex Crowley, the city’s Director of Economic Development ensured the council that the presented design is only preliminary and developers will remain mindful of the height sensitivity throughout the design phase.
Residents had the opportunity to weigh in on both garage projects. While some say the garages promote increased dependency on cars and contribute to global warming, others say downtown parking is still a growing need.
Bloomington resident Randy Lloyd says he understands the push for sustainability, but the need for downtown infrastructure is also a priority.
"We support parks and trails, but we also need you to support infrastructure we need to grow and sustain our businesses," says Lloyd.
The council will explore cost and funding options for the structure’s repair before voting on the bonds next week.
If approved the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission will certify the final issuance of the bonds.
