Landscaping, "BLOOMINGTON" letters to be installed in late OctoberThe Bicentennial Gateway at Miller-Showers Park, 101 W. 17th St., is nearing completion, with the gateway, surrounding landscaping, sidewalks, and road work scheduled to be finished by mid-November. The Bicentennial Gateway is a wall approximately 52' long and 10' high, composed of stacked limestone blocks and the word "Bloomington" in backlit letters mounted to the limestone. The powder-coated aluminum letters are being fabricated by bo-mar Industries in Indianapolis, and are slated for installation when crushed limestone surfacing and park benches are in place around the gateway. The final landscaping work, including tree planting, will begin the last week in October. Plans call for more than 20 trees to be planted in the median around the gateway. Tree species include serviceberry, redbud, yellowwood, black gum, and white oak. The cut-through is scheduled to be re-opened when it is paved, likely after the first week in November. The Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) will solicit design proposals for an additional public art piece located about 60 feet north of the gateway. The BAC will receive $125,000 from the Bicentennial Bond fund to solicit, select, and install a piece of public art in this location. Further announcements on this art piece will be made by the BAC.
Funding for the Bicentennial Gateway comes from a series of municipal bonds approved by a vote of the City Council in October 2018. A total of $1.25 million was earmarked for the design and construction of the city gateway. With the exclusion of the additional funds to the BAC, which will come from proceeds of the same Bicentennial Bond account, the project is expected to remain within the original budget. Bicentennial Gateway Project Timeline
This brings the net impact of the redesign to $42,339.87 and brings the total project cost to $1.23 million out of an original budget of $1.25 million. However, as part of the redesign, Parks and Recreation also worked with the Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) to include a separate art element. The BAC will receive $125,000 from the Bicentennial Bond Series C fund to solicit, select, and install a piece of public art in this location. Enough additional funds remain in this bond fund from the original issuance and interest accrued in the intervening years to pay for the art element through the BAC without negatively impacting other projects.
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