Bloomington leaders gathered Monday to dig into $90 million of proposed capital projects for the upcoming year.
All the plans are tentative, listed as part of a proposed fiscal 2025 budget which the Bloomington City Council votes on April 8. That entire plan encompasses more than $330 million.
Nearly half of the capital projects suggested are centered on streets and sidewalks, with another $34 million targeting water infrastructure, Bloomington Finance Director Scott Rathbun told the council during Monday's non-voting meeting.
The idea is to "put the funds to use — to have the most direct impact on our residents' lives," said Rathbun.
Besides roads and water infrastructure, money would be spread across city needs including the Bloomington Police Department, Bloomington Fire Department current and future stations, Miller Park Zoo, city parks and the Bloomington Center for Performing Arts.
Rathbun told the council he’ll share budget presentations Feb. 26 and March 11. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for March 25.
Streets and sidewalks
Proposed spending for roads in the upcoming year includes the major projects on Fox Creek Road and Hamilton Road.
Of the $43 million covering road projects, $10 million comes from the city’s asphalt and concrete fund, Rathbun told the council. That’s the same amount as the current budget sets aside for that fund.
Some other tentative road/sidewalks plans:
- About $650,000 toward the Constitution Trail extension from Lafayette Street to Hamilton Road.
- More than $625,000 for intersection improvement at Wylie Drive and Maple Hill Road.
- $500,000 for Hershey and Hamilton roads trail, and Ireland Grove sidewalks.
- $700,000 to design and construct traffic signal improvements at the corner of Airport Road and Cornelius Drive.
Water, sewer, and storm water projects
About $11.5 million of the proposed budget would tackle systemwide drinking water improvements. Last fall, the city approved drastically increasing its water fees over the next three years to cover this.
The Fiscal Year 2025 budget calls for more than $9 million going to the high-priority Locust Colton combined sewer overflow [CSO] project.
Following the June 2021 floods that wreaked havoc on the city, Bloomington leaders responded to resident calls to move up the timeline on the Locust Colton CSO – which addresses the aging system that was blamed for many homes in that area facing flooded basements and sewer backups.
Another $4 million would go toward the first phase of constructing the East Street Basin, and another $300,000 for hydraulic modeling.
Bloomington Fire Department plans 5th station
About $3 million is set aside in the proposed FY25 budget for Bloomington Fire Department to buy land and design a fifth fire station, as well as invest in existing facilities.
Bloomington Fire Chief Cory Matheny told the council most of the $3 million sought would help the city move forward with what's being called Central Station, or Central East Station. About $500,000 would go toward replacing the department headquarters roof, and to design an expansion for Station #4 on South Morris Avenue.
The city would build the new station somewhere between the downtown headquarters and its Station #3, which is on the city’s east side, at the corner of Hershey Road and Empire Street.
“If we are going to build a station, the primary focus is where we get the most bang for our buck,” said Matheny. The goal is to take some of the weight of those two other stations. Headquarters handles more than 40% of the city’s fire calls —almost double what any of the other stations do.
Further out, the fire department plans to add a station on the northeast and west sides of Bloomington, meeting city growth, said Matheny.
Some other capital projects proposed for FY25
- About $1.5 million for Miller Park Zoo work, an improvement study, and master plan.
- Nearly $1 million for work at BCPA including replacing the roof, ventilation system, and an aging staircase and awning near the loading dock.
- More than $500,000 to replace the ventilation system at the Bloomington Police Department.
- More than $500,000 in tech upgrades at the downtown parking garages — adding security cameras, as well as electric vehicle charging stations.
- $275,000 for North Pointe, and White Oak North playgrounds
- The city’s first dog park, planned for Ewing Park III.
2023 road work reviewed
Besides discussing next year’s proposed budget, the council also took time Monday evening to watch a public works department video presentation summarizing road work projects from 2023.
A written report also is available, highlighting the various work that included sealing, pressure paving, reclamite repairs, and resurfacing.
