The city of Bloomington will want reimbursement if convention center leaders decide to move the expansion north. That’s according to Mayor Kerry Thomson.
Five years ago, the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission bought the Bunger and Robertson property with the idea of expanding the convention center further downtown.
At last week’s Capital Improvement Board meeting, Chair John Whikehart received permission from the board to do a formal inquiry into area properties with the county, the city, and the Convention Center Building Corporation.
Thomson said the $7 million used to purchase the Bunger property was a significant cost to the TIF district, the tax mechanism used to generate new development within that area.
“We need that TIF money for projects like Hopewell where we are focused on one of the city's main goals, one of my primary objectives, which is creating attainable affordable housing, right in downtown Bloomington,” Thomson said.
She said she asked county commissioners for an equivalent land swap if the project does not use all county land for the expansion.
Whikehart plans to share his findings with the CIB at the next meeting May 8th.
