 Parking is one of the few public systems that people judge one trip at a time. Find a space near your destination, and the system barely registers. Circle the block twice, get a ticket or fight with a payment app, and suddenly Bloomington has a parking crisis.
I spent four years on the now-defunct City of Bloomington Parking Commission. My experience is that downtown parking is generally available and reasonably priced. Someone who has spent 15 minutes searching for a space may reasonably see things differently. Individual experiences quickly become conclusions about the entire system. The City’s new parking study offers another chance to compare those perceptions with actual usage—and to consider parking as public infrastructure supporting workers, businesses and development. A parking problem, or a convenience problem? More than 1,500 people responded to the study’s survey. 55 percent said they usually find an on-street space within five minutes. 44 percent said Bloomington’s rates are comparable to other communities, while another 32 percent said they are lower. Those responses present a calmer picture than the public debate often suggests (Walker Consultants, 2026). The listening sessions were less reassuring. Participants associated parking with fines, hassle, and confusion. Downtown businesses said some customers assume parking will be difficult and choose another destination. Broken equipment, enforcement and limited awareness of cheaper garage spaces also came up repeatedly. Both experiences can exist within the same system. Garage spaces may be available while every curb space beside a restaurant is occupied. Bloomington can have enough parking overall while particular blocks reach capacity at certain hours. Perception also carries an economic cost. A customer who expects downtown parking to be difficult may never make the trip. An occupancy report produced afterward does not recover the visit. Better signage, visible garage entrances and clearer information may improve the experience as much as another rate adjustment.
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 Bloomington does not lack imagination for Kirkwood Avenue.
Most people can picture the better version: outdoor dining, steady foot traffic, music, better lighting, easier movement between campus and downtown, and a street that feels less like a pass-through and more like a place. The vision is easy to understand. What has been missing is the harder conversation about cost, management, and tradeoffs. The ordinance before the Mayor would close five blocks of Kirkwood Avenue to vehicles from April 1 through November 15 every year. This is not a weekend closure or a seasonal experiment. It is a seven-and-a-half-month operating model for one of Bloomington's most visible corridors. Last year's closure did not prove that the model works. Kirkwood has already shown it can be an excellent event street. Taste of Bloomington's return and Pride both brought the kind of energy people want to see downtown. But those events worked because they had a clear purpose, built-in crowds, programming, and management. That success does not answer whether five blocks should function as a seven-and-a-half-month pedestrian district without the same level of planning. Too often, the closure looked unfinished: pavement, barricades, scattered seating, uneven activity, and long stretches where the street did not feel like a destination. The problem was never that people oppose downtown vibrancy. A closed street is not automatically a public space, and that is what the city ran into.  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.  We are proud to congratulate Galen Cassady, General Manager and co-owner of Uptown Cafe, on his appointment to the Capital Improvement Board (CIB) — a critical body guiding major public investments in the expansion of the Monroe Convention Center.
Rooted in Local Business and Community Galen's connection to Bloomington runs deep. Uptown Café, founded by his father in 1976, has been a cornerstone of Kirkwood Avenue for nearly five decades. What began as a family venture has become one of downtown's most enduring institutions. It is known for its hospitality, local flavor, and welcoming atmosphere. Step inside Uptown and you'll witness its role as a true community crossroads: where city council members grab breakfast, business leaders hold informal meetings, and local fixtures are greeted by name. As General Manager, Galen has championed not only his business but also downtown vibrancy and thoughtful urban planning. His leadership helped navigate evolving street uses — including expanded outdoor seating during seasonal closures — always to create an inviting, economically healthy downtown environment.  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:
 The City of Bloomington is re-opening Kirkwood Avenue to vehicles from Walnut to Indiana after Oct. 31. Portions of the street have been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow businesses – mostly restaurants – to have more space to serve customers outside.
Also ending is the "parklet" program, which cordoned off parking spaces with orange barriers to allow for extra outside seating, and the restricted parking spots designated as pick-up/drop-off zones. City staff are preparing a proposal for Bloomington Council to consider restarting the partial Kirkwood closures and parklet program in 2022, from mid-March through October. Kaisa Goodman is the point person for the proposal, and can be reached at [email protected]. UPDATE: Staff will present a plan for 2022 to Bloomington Council on Wednesday, Dec. 8 with a final vote expected on Dec. 15. Stayed tuned for details.  Lee Marchant Lee Marchant, a local businessman who has served on the Monroe County Convention Center Building Corporation Board of Directors and was president since its inception 30 years ago, resigned in August. The announcement was made at the board's Sept. 7 meeting.
"We just really are deeply moved by Lee's leadership and we thank him so very much for that," said Jim Murphy, the board's vice president. The Building Corporation Board oversees the Convention Center facilities and operations. At the Sept. 7 meeting, the group also elected new officers. They are: Cindy Kinnarney, president; Jim Murphy, vice president; Jerry Neely, treasurer; and Joyce Poling, secretary.  The Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association is seeking applicants to serve on its board, which meets monthly. The applicant must live in the BUEA zone and be affiliated with the non-dominant political party. (In Bloomington, the Democratic Party is the dominant political party.)
More information about the BUEA's work and how to apply can be found at https://bloomington.in.gov/business/buea.  On July 27, the Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners approved a contract extension with Marshall Security, a private firm, to provide extended security coverage in downtown area parks. The unarmed guards would be staffed in shifts from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Last month the board approved an initial contract with Marshall for one shift at Switchyard Park, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Tim Streets, operations and development division director, told the board that there had been numerous security incidents during daytime hours throughout other parks and on the B-Line Trail, including physical altercations, unconscious persons, assault, and destruction of public property. In addition to Switchyard Park, the security guards will now patrol these parks: RCA Park, Seminary Park, B-Line Trail, Building Trades Park, Butler Park, Crestmont Park, Miller Showers Park and Third Street Park. This new contract of $52,500 runs through Dec. 31 and adds to the previous contract of $60,588. The funding will come from the city's share of CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funds. This is the first time that the parks department has hired private security for regular patrols Watch the discussion on CATS here. Read the staff memo here.  The City of Bloomington is seeking responses to an RFQ (request for qualifications) for managing the Waldron Art Center. The deadline to respond is 12 p.m. on Friday, August. 13.
The city wants an entity "to manage the city-owned facility as an arts center for no less than five years, embrace the facility’s core users (including WFHB, community artists, and arts organizations), conduct joint marketing efforts with these stakeholders, lead fundraising activities, maintain the structure and its building systems, and actively pursue community outreach for diversity and to build audiences." Read the RFQ here. |
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