Screenshot of a potential future site for the Bloomington Police Headquarters
(Courtesy, CATS-TV)
The city of Bloomington is recommending a building located at 714 South Rogers Street as a possible new home for the city’s police department.
At a public meeting Monday night, the city said the building is ideal because it has room for expansion, it’s located along public transit and has the support of police staff and union members.
Mayor Kerry Thomson said it’s also located in a central area and has the right material for a sturdy, secure headquarters.
“This is the building that is location, location, location and happens to have all of the substantive concrete that we need to make it happen,” said Mayor Thomson.
During its presentation, the city discussed the downsides of previous proposals to either move Bloomington Police Department headquarters to Showers West or expand the current headquarters.
The city said the Showers West plan was a short-term solution, would have provided poor access to public transit, and provided limited room for expansion. The Showers West plan was also not supported by police and would not have been covered by the original budget.
When it comes to expanding the current police headquarters, the city said that plan would have required the purchase of additional land. Also, the plan would have required moving the entire police department to a temporary location while renovations took place. The city said the current building was also damaged by a flood and continues to have issues with water infiltration.
The Rogers Street plan has its own obstacles. The interior will need to be demolished and brought to current city building standards. A new design plan would also need to be developed.
Mayor Kerry Thomson said the basis for the future public safety bond, which would pay for the project, has yet to be addressed.
“When we know it’s a go, we will start investing the next step of research into the project,” she said.
If the city moves forward with the Rogers Street location, Mayor Thomson estimates the project would take at least 18-months to complete.
