The Johnson’s Creamery smokestack in downtown Bloomington is being torn down to 60 feet.
The partial demolition comes after the city issued an unsafe building order for the smokestack Jan. 10, and on March 11 a modified order that partially closed the B-Line Trail. City council granted the property historic district status in April, and AT&T was ordered to remove its cell tower equipment in May.
Down comes the smokestack. It’s like local government Christmas pic.twitter.com/5twyiOp6BN — Holden Abshier (@AbshierHolden) August 25, 2022
The south half of the property is a business center, and the north half is a parking lot, which plan commission approved for a new housing development in October 2021. However, the approved plan sits partially in a public alley, and city council must vacate the land for the building to move towards construction.
In return for the land, city administration asked the property owner, Chicago-based Peerless Development, to invest $250,000 in public art. Peerless proposed to relocate the alley directly south, but city administration still wants the art installation.
READ MORE: Bloomington council tables creamery apartments, sends to plan commission
City council tabled the alley decision July 20.
