Talisha Coppock is the executive director of Downtown Bloomington Inc. The non-profit organization's goal is to revitalize downtown. Or rather, maintain its importance. They connect people, get them to partner on projects and give them a voice in downtown issues. Coppock has led the group for 30 years.
"We used to just hear like a coin drop in downtown in the afternoon. There would be nobody walking around, and that seems really odd to think about right now," says Coppock.
There were about 6,500 people working downtown, and 1,500 residents when Coppock started. Now she says the number of people working has doubled, and there are 8,000 residents in downtown.
But with an increased density, comes challenging decisions about the downtown's appearance. The city is working to tackle those decisions in its master plan. That's where the Plan Commission comes in.
"You have two ends of the scale, right? You have the very adamant preservationist that really wants things to stay the same regardless if they have historic or structural integrity, right?" says Christy Langley, the director of Planning and Transportation for the City of Bloomington. "This is part of the fabric of Bloomington, and then you have people who say 'Hey, I like moving and shaking. I want to transform this place and keep some of the old, but still put some new.' And neither one is right or wrong. They both are correct. It's hard for staff and plan commission to find that balance, and that's what we do on meeting night."
Just last week, the Plan Commission approved site plans for more housing downtown. A two-unit town home with a total of nine bedrooms could be going up downtown.
Multi-use apartment buildings with retail or restaurant space are popping up throughout downtown as well.
Coppock says the new residents and visitors downtown support businesses and amenities.
"And sometimes people feel like, oh maybe we're losing some charm and character but if you go back 30 years, half of downtown was vacant parking lots," says Coppock.
The charm and character are important to the city. There is a chapter in the draft of the master plan. That focuses on downtown. It says:
"It is important that Bloomington continues to support a diverse and robust downtown that is not purely student-centric businesses nor predominately multi-family student housing. Bloomington's downtown has a rich sense of place that is key to the continued success of the City and Indiana University alike."
Langley says one way to achieve this is to think about how people see buildings downtown when they walk by them. She says things like awnings and design details can make a big difference.
"It's the psychological element, and that is what I feel like is going to be that marriage between the old and the new. We just have to figure out how to capture it," says Langley.
And so, in 2040, what will Downtown look like?
Langley says she thinks Bloomington will be taller in 2040.
"I think you're going to say I remember this place but it's different than what I remember," Langley says. "Some people are excited about that, and some people are less excited about that."
