I was in the room last week when the Bloomington City Council voted to delay — again — on the Hopewell South Planned Unit Development. And honestly? I left frustrated. Not because I think the project is perfect. It isn’t. But because this community keeps asking the wrong question.

We’re not refining anymore. We’re stalling. And there’s a cost to that.

The real question sitting in front of Bloomington right now is simple: Do we want this project — and the housing and economic activity it brings — or don’t we? My father used to say, "No, is a perfectly good answer". 

The Risk Is Real: We Could Lose This Project
Every delay, every new round of requirements, every additional condition stacked onto this petition pushes the project closer to a breaking point. At some stage, the Administration and the Redevelopment Commission may conclude it’s no longer viable. The petition gets withdrawn. The site sits.

Meanwhile, the private market doesn’t wait. It keeps delivering large-scale, by-right multifamily developments — with less public input, less intentional design, and fewer community benefits. So we’d be trading a thoughtful, mixed-use, community-oriented project for more of the same. Not because the market forced our hand, but because we couldn’t align on a path forward.
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Hopewell has been underutilized since 2018. At what point is delay no longer a strategy — it’s just an answer?

The city of Bloomington is launching its Rogers St./Madison St./Kinser Pk (RMK) corridor study in an attempt to create a safer, more accessible, and well-connected multimodal street that will support the neighborhood. This corridor study area includes the 4.1-mile segment that starts at Country Club Dr to the SR 45/46 Bypass. This study will lead to a street that advances Bloomington’s values and guides future growth toward pedestrian-centered places. 

The Transportation Commission's Steering Committee oversees the project, starting from its vision and goals development, from its design, until its final study.  

The city’s study goals to improve the corridor include: 

• Eliminate deadly crashes and minimize damage. 
• Support multimodal travel for all ages and abilities so all can reach their destinations.  
• Ensure corridor design supports current land use patterns and current or future planning development by improving connectivity. 
• Engage residents, businesses, and other stakeholders throughout the study to address concerns while reflecting community desires.  
• Support economic vitality and community development. 

The corridor design must reflect community input based on lived experiences and reinforce neighborhood character. This is a transparent and responsive process that is contingent on local engagement for the best results. Another big aspect of the design is safety for vehicles through proven street design, as well as safety for pedestrians or other forms of multimodal transportation. The corridor must have a well-connected design with ADA and PROWAG compliance to be inclusive of all traversing, which will also support economic development and vitality. Development is encouraged when more people feel comfortable using that corridor. The design will connect key destinations, support the citywide network, and will even reinforce safe travel for students going to and from school. 

Opportunities for engagement: 

• RMK Business survey here. 
• RMK Resident survey here. 
• Stroll & Discuss Event Sign-Up Form here.  
  • These are 1-1.5 hour walks along the corridor to provide on-site feedback to staff. 
• Residents can receive updates by signing up here.  

Execution, Discipline, and Getting the Basics Right
Over the past eight years at the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, I’ve worked alongside businesses, community leaders, and elected officials through periods of both momentum and uncertainty.

As the Mayor prepares to deliver the State of the City address on March 31st, Bloomington faces a series of decisions that will shape its trajectory for decades.

The question is no longer whether we understand the challenges—it is whether we are prepared to act on them with the urgency and discipline they require.

When I first stepped into this role, Bloomington was moving forward—investment was steady, confidence was high, and while challenges existed, the trajectory pointed upward.
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Today, that trajectory feels less certain.

This is not a statement of decline. It is a recognition that we are at an inflection point—and how we respond in the next 12 to 24 months will shape Bloomington’s economic future for years to come.

The 2026 Indiana State Legislative Session ended February 27th — and for Monroe County residents, the results were mixed at best. The session got off to a rocky start when the Trump administration pushed for mid-cycle redistricting, pressuring Governor Braun to bring it to the floor. Indiana's Republican majority pushed back, but the distraction cost valuable legislating time. Bills moved fast, oversight was thin, and the consequences showed.

This development did not stop Rep. Matt Pierce from catching a catastrophic bill, HB 1333, that would have allowed any project to be developed on agricultural zone land if the soil was bad enough. These developments would bypass public hearings and go through only site planning (watch the clip on Indy Star). The common attitude was “let's pass these bills in our chamber, and hopefully the other chamber will fix all their problems.” Not to mention, those Republicans who opposed redistricting are now facing challengers. Folks at the Indiana Chamber are concerned because those same lawmakers are their pro-business voices. 
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The session opened with bold promises: lower the cost of living, address the housing crisis, expand childcare access, and strengthen protections for employers. Most of those promises either died quietly or were watered down beyond recognition. Most notable was HB 1001, which was originally written to remove onerous zoning and permitting requirements imposed by local governments to streamline housing construction and alleviate the housing crisis. Many legislators noted that this bill helps developers more than the homebuyers, but it was a good starting point. The bill lost its teeth when it passed with an opt-in option. This raises the question: how will these changes help Monroe County’s housing crisis? For that matter, will it change anything? HB 1002 experiments with electric utility performance-based rate making as a way to reduce costs and price spikes for low-income populations. Legislators noted that this bill may face backlash. Some consumers like to see what their bill is for the given month to weigh their usage.