Downtown Bloomington

Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said the downtown business community largely drove the city decision to scale back on First Friday promotional events. The city will now pick its spots to promote First Fridays, tied to happenings such as the Route 66 Festival, Tour du Chocolat, or holiday programs.

The City of Bloomington is making adjustments to regulations governing sidewalks and storefront doorways in portions of the downtown area, potentially allowing some businesses to expand their entry areas.

The monthly initiative aimed at drawing foot traffic to businesses and art galleries downtown has seen waning participation, driving city staff to rethink their involvement. In addition to city-sponsored First Fridays in Feb., July and Dec., business owners are committed to leading the initiative the rest of the year.

Specs Around Town will soon be under new ownership. Julie Kubsch is retiring and has sold the boutique eyewear store to Jenna Bixby-Nehl, who will take over Jan. 6.

Winter weather complicates an already scarce parking situation in Downtown Bloomington. The Market Street parking deck has closed. And the Front and Center block has yet to finish demolition and become surface parking. That’s likely to become available sometime next spring.

The Downtown Bloomington post office has abruptly closed three weeks ahead of schedule, leaving downtown merchants and residents without access to its facility ahead of the postal service’s busiest week of the year.

“We are less looking for … a community hub. We are more sticking to the knitting and providing top-notch transportation services at that nice location right in the buckle,” said Connect Transit board chair Julie Hile.

Connect Transit had already secured $18 million in state and federal funding for the center, but its costs have risen over time, leaving transit officials to pursue additional revenue or consider scaling back the project.

It has been many decades since Downtown Bloomington was the premier destination for shoppers in the community. There was a time, though, when there were four large department stores downtown.

A developer working to bring the former State Farm building back to life in Downtown Bloomington has plans to revive another nearby historic property, too.