Thomson says the city needs to update means of public comment for better communication, why a hotel in the Trades District, and where should the new jail be built.
In this week’s installment of Ask The Mayor, Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson addresses these issues and more during a visit to City Hall. Listen to the full conversation with Indiana Newsdesk anchor Joe Hren by clicking on the play button above, or read some of the questions and answers below. A portion of this segment airs 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday on WFIU. Here are some highlights.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Hren: The CIB picked the expansion of the convention center to go east last week. The north parcel was eliminated due to the city wanting reimbursement for that parcel of land. So the next up is the hotel site. Let's say a hotel would like to go in that north parcel and reimburse the city, the $7 million, is that something the city would be interested in?
Thomson: Absolutely. Our goal for that whole area is to have a vibrantly developed economic district that is really going to attract not only great conventions and meetings there, but also our locals and other visitors to come to that area and experience. New hotel but also likely new restaurants and retail that will pop up to surround and really take advantage of the activity in the area.
We don't have a plan yet for that spot, but this is an active redevelopment district and it's in our TIF and so we would we like to activate that area for the best development of downtown.
Hren: I attended the groundbreaking ceremony at Simtra, formerly known as Baxter, expanding production lines, huge investment, more jobs and great for Bloomington. But down the street, Catalent has laid off hundreds. How does the city navigate economic activity?
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Thomson: My focus is on really clustered development and which is best practice in economic development. And so that's what is really important about what's going on at the Trades District. What is incubating at The Mill? Indiana is one of the worst states when it comes to innovation. We have for far too long been reliant just on factory jobs, and manufacturing is great and we need those jobs. And we are smart people here. And we need to innovate and help solve not only our community's problems, but innovate for what the world needs.
And so it's really important that, that we find our niche and innovation and that we really develop it well, it's likely going to be related to micro electronics, or BioPharm. Those are the things that we're already doing. But you can also imagine other fields, where people are already innovating. And when innovation happens, we give birth to businesses that offer tiers of jobs. So we get the the C suite, the middle management, and the production workers. And that's what a community really needs to thrive.
You have to you have to create the whole ecosystem. And housing has to come right along with it. And so that's why we're looking at how we develop workforce housing and how we keep it, how do we keep that middle income housing, that is going to sustain our community, and keep those keep those workers here and attract them to come from elsewhere.
Hren: Speaking of Trades District, what's new there - I hear a new hotel is coming in, why a hotel, where is the commerce?
Thomson: The hotel company that is committed to building there has award winning hotels that are unique. So this is not going to be an out of the box hotel, it's going to have a personality. And with that, this company has a history of attracting really pretty high end dining and bars. And so we need in this whole district here, not only trades, but all the way down to Hopewell, along the B-Line is a diversity of live, work, play. And so with the development of this boutique hotel, the Trades District is going to be the place to hang out at lunchtime and after work for our locals and for visitors.
Hren: A lot going on with the county figuring out where to put a new jail and how big it should be. How much do you think the city should be involved with those discussions? And is the city involved with those discussions?
Thomson: I've expressed to the county that we really want to support their efforts. And I think that, while it is a county initiative, certainly it impacts the city. Our law enforcement feeds right into that justice system. And, so we are in active conversation, and we want to do what's best for the city and for the community as a whole. And this is where the city county relationship is really critical. And my administration has made great headway in creating partnerships with the county, and those that were already functioning well are still functioning well. And at the executive level, it's functioning better than before.
Hren: Where do you think the jail should go? Should it go downtown? Should it go out in the county?
Thomson: I think the county is having some appropriate conversations about where the jail should go. And really at the end of the day, that's a much more complex discussion, because it ties directly into where the court system goes. And that is a systems question. That's really the county's to decide, there are ways to have a jail that is not attached to the courts, and certainly the courts could move to a spot that's outside of the city.
Hren: County council is changing the way it conducts public comments at its meetings. I know you were upset, as many were, of some of the comments that were made during the season for the Gaza ceasefire resolution. Will these changes help?
Thomson: I think they may make some minor impacts. The the fact of the matter is, though, three minutes at the mic is not a participatory government model. Frequently these decisions are by and large, made before the council meetings start. And so I continue to push for a whole government system that works collaboratively and finds ways to do outreach to people where we can have two way interaction and conversation, because that's the way we actually solve problems, not in a one way conversation.
I think in this day and age, we need to find other ways as well of interacting with the public. I've had two sets of traveling office hours now. I've been I've been frankly floored at the conversations that happen there. When somebody can sit one on one in a place that's not City Hall. It's not intimidating to them.
Hren: I'm curious about your support for the city council's gender affirming care resolution. We talked before about resolutions that you wouldn't sign not directly impacting city business. Do you feel this one does?
Thomson: Absolutely. I sent a support letter. I met with the leadership that had asked the council to propose this resolution in the first place. This is about the residents of Bloomington. It's also one of the core principles that caused me to run for office, which is creating a community that is welcoming, accepting and creates belonging for all people no matter what. And so gender affirming care, and our ability to really make a statement that we are supportive and we care about the people who are experiencing these difficulties in our state. It's great for our community, in many ways, and not the least among them is creating that belonging.
