Another piece of Bloomington’s Trades District is being developed to grow business ventures.
A group of local companies is planning on renovating and expanding the historic Kiln building north of The Mill to provide more office space for expanding businesses.
Business incubator The Mill opened fall of 2018 with all of its office space leased. Officials then said the short-term leases are meant for businesses to outgrow The Mill and move to other space in town.
Mayor John Hamilton says The Mill is the fastest growing co-work space in Indiana.
“I’m looking forward to that Trades District growing, it’s focused on being the center of employment, jobs downtown, and it’s exciting to see that happen,” Hamilton says.
The Kiln is a 100-year-old building originally part of the Showers Brothers Furniture Company complex. Five large ovens dried lumber in the Kiln building before being milled into furniture.
The Kiln Collective is buying the building for $50,000 from the city, but it will need a lot of work. Cheddar, Periodic, SproutBox, Soma, Pro Blue, Harlo, and Bailey & Weiler are part of the collaborative.
Affordable housing duplex B-Line Heights opened last August and construction of a 360 car-parking garage in the park started in December.
