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Bloomington City Council rejects landmark status for Holy Trinity Catholic Church

Brick church building with tall steeple and parking to its right
Eric Stock
/
WGLT
The Bloomington City Council has rejected local historic status for Holy Trinity Catholic Church in downtown Bloomington.

Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Bloomington won't receive local historic landmark status after the city council on Monday voted down a plan the church had opposed.

The church feared the landmark status and a proposed zoning overlay — which the city’s planning commission had approved — would impose unnecessary restrictions.

City council member Donna Boelen said it was best for the city not to intervene.

“In this country we have property rights, and I do think that property rights trump anything else,” Boelen said.

The council needed six votes to approve the designation. A super majority was required because the church opposed the designation.

It came up short, on a 5-to-3 vote, with council members Nick Becker and Sheila Montney joining Boelen in denying the landmark status.

“I don’t think we should force it on the property owner,” said Becker.

The city council postponed a vote last month in hope of having a full council available at the next meeting. Kent Lee was absent for both meetings.

The proposed Historic Preservation District Overlay, also known as S-4, would have made financial incentives available for repairs.

Monsignor Jason Gray has said the church was not interested in foregoing property rights to pursue grant funding that was minimal.

A architectural firm had previously determined the church and rectory would need $7 million in repairs and maintenance.

Holy Trinity was placed on the national registry of historic places in 1983. Parishioners had pushed for the local designation when the diocese began exploring closing the church. The diocese has since dropped those plans.

Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.