The mayor of Bloomington thinks it's worth paying the redeveloper of the downtown State Farm building a bundle over the next two-plus decades to start the project, and get it completed.
The city is offering Urban Equity Partners a lot to get the company to spend $68 million to renovate the iconic 13-story building in downtown Bloomington, including 92% of the increase in property taxes over two decades. There are other payments and fee waivers as well.
Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe said after a lot of back and forth and proposals that didn't satisfy, the city landed on 92% because, despite studies showing a need for new housing, not much was happening in the housing sector.
"I think when you find yourself in that kind of a position then you have to be a little bit more flexible and negotiate with people to see if we can get some projects across the finish line,” Mwilambwe said on WGLT's Sound Ideas.
He said the G.J. Lofts project also will create a lot of economic activity downtown from residents of the 183 new apartments in the building.
“I'm hoping that we would have even something like new stores, a grocery store for example," said Mwilambwe.
Other taxing bodies like District 87 will have to wait more than two decades to catch up on the property taxes the building generates. Mwilambwe said the agreement hedges on that long wait.
"There is also a provision in there to also allow for some money to District 87 if there are more students as a result of those developments," he said.
Most of the new apartments will be one-bedroom. Mwilambwe said it's unclear how many students the project will add to District 87 enrollment.
Achievements during his tenure
As he prepares to leave office at the end of the month, the mayor said he's pleased for the community about the results of his four-year tenure that unlocked many opportunities for the city. Mwilambwe lost in a three-way race for mayor on April 1.
"We had a number of projects that would stall. The library is one of them. That's the one I have cited as the primary example. A lot of back and forth," said Mwilambwe.
Besides the library renovation and State Farm project, the O'Neil Park pool rebuild, resolution of the decaying Front N Center building problem, and phase one of the downtown streetscape effort also are on his list of major achievements.
Mwilambwe said when he leaves office he looks forward to a little peace and quiet.
Council dynamics
Mwilambwe said he’s also pleased with his record of encouraging an atmosphere of civility on the city council, a change from the dynamic present during some of his early years as a council member.
The mayor said it does not bother him that the council this week could not unite on a vote to name a new mayor pro tem. Though the position is largely ceremonial and traditionally goes to the most senior member of the council, the vote to confirm Mollie Ward split along the lines of previous divisions, showing philosophical differences among council members. Mwilambwe said he does not think the vote shows council members are unable to work together.
“In the past, people had differences of opinion on a specific subject. But yet you move on to the next vote," he said.
Often, past votes on a mayor pro tem have been unanimous, but Mwilambwe said that doesn't indicate council members won’t be able to work together on big issues.
"What it says is that people have different opinions about the particular council member that was nominated and ultimately voted in as mayor pro tem. And to me that's OK. It's OK if people feel that way," he said.
Mwilambwe said the council has been good at having civil working relationships and he thinks that will continue.
Dan Brady takes office as mayor in May.
