~ The City of Bloomington is making significant strides in improving its downtown and near-downtown areas with a series of infrastructure, maintenance, and public space investments. These efforts, which include street paving, sidewalk repair, alley improvements, planter maintenance, public space cleaning, parking lot repairs, and support for downtown activation, are expected to enhance the safety and accessibility of these areas.

According to city officials, the planned work will be carried out on Kirkwood Avenue, Rogers Street, Grimes Lane, and Patterson Drive. The project will involve street paving, crosswalks, accessible curb ramps, traffic signal improvements, curb changes, stormwater infrastructure updates, median islands installation and bumpouts. These updates are aimed at improving safety and ease of movement for pedestrians and motorists. The total cost for these improvements is estimated to be around $4.7 million.

Funding for this project will come from various sources including City Public Works and Engineering funds, pedestrian safety funding, utility funds and bond proceeds. Additionally, the state's Community Crossings Matching Grant program has contributed $1 million towards this project.

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In addition to these major improvements in the downtown area, the city has also allocated over $800 000 for paving on streets adjacent to downtown such as 6th Street , 7th Street , 9th Street , 10th Street , Madison Street , 3rd Street , Kirkwood Avenue , Walnut Street , Dodds Street , College Avenue , and Henderson Street. This work is scheduled to take place during the week of June 8th.

Furthermore,the city plans to carry out pavement maintenance and repairs on surface parking lots 1 ,3,and 5 using revenue generated from parking meters. This work is also scheduled for the week of June 8th.

To ensure safety during festival setups,the city will install alley bollards funded by $107555 in parking meter revenue.

In mid-May,the city will begin a $491,600 sidewalk maintenance project on East Kirkwood Avenue from North Indiana Avenue to North Walnut Street. This project will be carried out by E&B Paving, LLC and will involve block-by-block road closures. The 500 block will be closed from May 11th to May 31st, followed by the 400 block from June 1st to June 14th, the 300 block from June 15th to June 21st, the 200 block from June 22nd to July 1st and finally the 100 block from July 2nd to July 11th.

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The city is also partnering with its Parks & Recreation Department for a $311,575 alley renovation project between College Avenue and Walnut Street. This project is funded in part by the remaining Bicentennial Bond that authorized downtown alley enhancements and rebuilding.

In addition to these infrastructure improvements,the city is also committed to maintaining public spaces in downtown Bloomington. This includes planter maintenance and enhancements around Courthouse Square and Kirkwood Avenue, tree and shrub replacement, powerwashing, and continued public space care through the Brighten Bloomington program. The program is funded at $381,000 and is a partnership between Public Works and Centerstone. Planter care and powerwashing are supported by parking meter revenue which is reinvested into downtown improvements.

The city's Public Works department is also evaluating long-term facility needs for equipment storage,maintenance,and daily operations. With equipment such as sanitation trucks,snowplows,fire engines,police vehicles,and electric fleet vehicles costing over $100,000 per unit,it is crucial for the city to have proper facilities in place to protect these assets.

These efforts come at a time when traditional local funding sources are becoming increasingly limited. The city is closely monitoring changes in state-level funding such as Senate Enrolled Act 1,and prioritizing investments that maintain existing infrastructure,extend the life of public assets,and support essential services. With these investments,the City of Bloomington is taking proactive steps to ensure the continued growth and development of its downtown and near-downtown areas for the benefit of its residents and visitors.

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