The Johnson’s Creamery smokestack is coming down to 60 feet, and Bloomington is offering to help repair the remaining structure.
Bloomington’s Urban Enterprise Association awarded Peerless Development a $20,000 façade grant last week, despite a single application being limited to $10,000. However, a single organization is eligible for $20,000 in one year.
Peerless said the grant will be used on repairs after partial demolition of the smokestack, which is estimated to cost $350,000.
Additionally, Bloomington’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) approved a $500 consulting grant for Peerless Thursday. The developer is seeking the grant for Arsee Engineering’s study that deemed the smokestack unsafe.
HPC advisory member Duncan Campbell said this is the first time he’s seen a grant retroactively applied to cover costs.
“It’s not exactly the way this money has been applied previously, but it is serving the same purpose,” Campbell said.
He said he cannot think of a time where the grant was awarded for engineering consulting; typically, it is awarded for design consultation.
“We have not necessarily seen eye-to-eye with everything Peerless has done,” commissioner Sam DeSollar said. “But they did bring in a world class engineer to try and figure out what to do with this thing.”
He said he wouldn’t feel guilty about defraying the company’s cost by $500.
“It’s a goodwill gesture and we’re going to have to work with these folks in the future on what happens with this,” DeSollar said.
Despite the mandate to lower the smokestack, Peerless’s proposed housing project for the site is still not guaranteed. Plan commission approved the design in October 2021, but the proposed building sits partially in a public alley. As a result, Peerless needs to get the land vacated by city council.
READ MORE: Smokestack apartments in limbo: Bloomington council delays alley vacation, public art vote
City administration wants council to require Peerless to invest $250,000 in a public art instillation in exchange for the alley. Council delayed its vote on the alley for the second time June 15.
