Architect Deb Kunce of JS Held said the trees must come down by end of March.
“There is some early work that needs to happen and that is because there is an ordinance within the state of Indiana related to bats and trees,” she said.
Convention center outdoor patio expansion render (Schmidt Associates, Convergence Design)
The real estate of the current center and expansion site has been transferred to the CIB who now will transfer it to the city. The city will use it to secure bond proceeds for financing the project.
Weddle Bros. construction reported 16 companies and 30 individuals attended subcontractor networking events in preparation for utilities and site logistics bidding, including the demolition of the former NAPA building. Another networking event was scheduled for Thursday.
City director of economic development Jane Kupersmith said there’s no update on the status of Dora Hospitality as the hotel developer. She said it’s a complex deal and the city is continuing due diligence.
CIB President John Whikehart said it’s been five months since Dora’s referral and there’s a sense of urgency to begin construction of the host hotel, or the board needs to move to a plan B.
Mayor Kerry Thomson stated last week during “Ask The Mayor” that there’s a lot going on behind closed doors related to property issues.
“We will need to come to the table with some kind of incentive package to get the hotel that our city really needs,” she said.
The BEAD advisory group is in early discussions on how to narrow down public art. The group formed by the CIB has a $520,000 budget. Members of the group came up with 15 locations for art and are defining which areas will affect building construction and the process for selecting artists.
LEED silver update requirements from lighting to air quality to to acoustics were presented to the board for approval.
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Whikehart also said discussions are planned on finding space at the convention center for a co-location with Visit Bloomington.
“What better way to market to conventioneers what's happening in Bloomington than to have Visit Bloomington be co-located in the facility where our convention goers are,” he said.
Work on construction documents continues through June. Bidding is underway until August. Construction is scheduled to start in June and is scheduled to be completed by February of 2027.
