After multiple big box stores have closed their doors in Bloomington, former employees are without jobs and retail space sits vacant.
Lucky’s Market, the former east side Marsh, Kmart and others have closed in the past years. President of Bloomington Economic Development Corporation Jennifer Pearl calls vacant buildings a missed opportunity.
She says economic development in Bloomington is important to the quality of life.
“Is this a place that people want to live and work?” she says. “Is it a vibrant feeling community? So, what we do with properties like that is a really important piece of it.”
Pearl says when stores have closed, the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation has organized efforts to recruit employees to other jobs around the city with transferable skills.
She says the closing of each store serves as a way to indicate better ways of serving the community in the future.
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Bloomington’s east side Kmart shut down nearly four years ago and sits vacant with an empty storefront and parking lot.
Monroe County Assessor Judy Sharp says she’s surprised that it’s empty after so long because the location is a prime spot for a businesses.
“There is only so much property in Bloomington for places to sit empty,” she says. “You don’t get a better location than that.”
READ MORE: Former Bloomington Kmart Property May See Progress As Early As Next Year
Sharp says the county is still receiving tax revenue from the buildings despite the vacancies. She says the location is rumored to become an apartment complex but that no plans are set yet.
Sharp says these fluctuating stores are a part of a growing community.
She says Kroger dictates the fate of former Marsh locations and Lucky’s Market should see a quick exchange with another store because of its prime location in a strip mall.
Lucky’s Market is set to close its doors for good on Feb. 12.
This story has been updated to clarify that the county receives tax money from vacant buildings.