 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 The petition gets withdrawn.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. Hopewell has been underutilized since 2018. At what point is delay no longer a strategy — it’s just an answer?
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 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. 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.  I attend nearly every meeting of the Bloomington City Council — not because I enjoy long evenings under fluorescent lights, but because what happens in that room determines whether Bloomington builds, adapts, competes, or stalls. The business community deserves a voice at that table.
Increasingly, I leave with the same uneasy insight: we are debating process with more intensity than we are debating outcomes. Process matters. Legislative integrity matters. But when procedure becomes the main event, momentum fades — and momentum is something Bloomington cannot afford to lose. Wednesday Night: A Vote About Whether to Move Forward The Council voted 7–2 not to introduce the ordinance for the Hopewell South housing phase. This was not an outright rejection — several councilmembers made clear they support the development in concept. But the ordinance was stopped before first reading. Concerns centered on document clarity, agenda timing, and whether the item felt "fully baked." Councilmember Piedmont-Smith put it directly: she called it a good project, but said no one would be helped by rushing it. These are not unserious objections. Precision matters. But so does timing.  On October 12th, 2022, city councilmembers voted unanimously to approve the mayor's proposed budget for the 2023 year. Last year's Economic Development Local Income Tax (ED-LIT) rate increase helped to expand the city's combined budget to 228.5 million dollars, a 28 percent increase from last year's 178-million-dollar budget. Under the requirements of the ED-LIT additional funds were allocated to areas like city services and workforce investments, climate change preparedness and mitigation as well as equity and quality of life for all.
The biggest topic of discussion that night, however, was the five percent salary increase to American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) employees. Members of this labor union argued that this percent increase is not enough to meet higher costs of living. Negotiations between the city and AFSCME are still ongoing despite the budget's approval. To read more about Mayor John Hamilton's 2023 proposed budget, click HERE.  The City Council unanimously approved to move forward in the first part to designate the Catalent expansion as a revitalization area. Final approval of the tax abatement in exchange for $350 million in investment and 1,000 new jobs will be on March 2nd after a public hearing. Bloomington is competing with Louisville, Madison, and Kansas City. $10 million of this investment will be to develop real property. The Real property would be abated at a rate of 50 percent a year for 10 years, while the larger portion is the personal property, which is 90 percent for 20 years. The impact of the abatement on TIF revenue would not be significant as it is calculated on real property but not personal. The Impact on COB revenue would not be significant. Local taxes are collected is based on the City’s budget. The abatement does not reduce total revenue on a dollar-for-dollar basis, but rather spreads that loss to the other taxpayers. Where the issue comes is how close we are to the state-restricted CAPS which puts a levy on the amount a tax can go up. According to the the City’s Alex Crowley does not believe it will be an issue. The main reservation from the Council was housing, where are these people going to live? Currently, half of Catalent’s 3,212 workforce lives outside the county which Monroe County reaps no financial benefit from. Get involved, contact your City Council representative to voice your opinion.  The City of Bloomington will offer free street parking downtown and in city garages from Thursday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday and to support downtown businesses. Parking will be free on the following days throughout the holiday season:
 Habitat for Humanity's Osage Place. At its Nov. 15 meeting, the Bloomington Plan Commission approved the next step in the Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County's Osage Place development. The approval related to 5.34 acres for 30 residential houses and three common areas. The site is located at 650 W. Guy Avenue and is part of a larger 12.5-acre project there.
Construction has already begun and the first houses are expected to be completed by early 2022. Watch the Plan Commission discussion on CATS here. Read the proposal from the meeting packet here.  The City of Bloomington has signed a letter of intent with Meridiam to build and operate a citywide broadband network for residents, including areas anticipated to be annexed into the city. A final agreement is expected to be inked by Dec. 31, with construction starting in 2022.
According to a press release, the international company plans to invest more than $40 million in digital infrastructure in the coming years. Read the city's press release here.  An ordinance to amend Bloomington's Municipal Code regarding the pet shop sale of cats and dogs will have its first reading at the Nov. 17 Bloomington Council meeting.
This policy proposal follows nationwide efforts by the Humane Society of the United States to decrease the number of puppy and kitten mills across the country. Legislators hope that by outlawing the sale of cats and dogs in local pet stores, a disincentive will be created for mill owners to exercise inhumane breeding practices. Stores will still be allowed to partner with shelters or other rescue organizations to feature pet adoptions, however. To view a copy of this proposed ordinance, follow this link.  At the Bloomington Council's Nov. 3 meeting, John Zody, director of the city's Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) department, gave an update on housing initiatives.
He reported that since 2016, 1,132 units of affordable housing (1,672 bedrooms) have been created in the city. He described a range of city resources, including rental inspections, the housing development fund and plans for the hospital site redevelopment. Watch the presentation on CATS here. View the presentation's slide deck here. |
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