BLOOMINGTON – On Friday, Hopewell Steering Committee co-chairs Mayor Hamilton and Vi Simpson, along with members, and city staff received updates in a Hopewell Steering Committee meeting on the Hopewell Neighborhood project.
Progress continues, with Phase 1 East demolition and site restoration that began in late August now complete. Material haul-off for recycling and disposal took place over a few weeks in September and October.
The Hopewell Phase 1 East project site is bounded by 2nd Street to the north, 1st Street to the south, B-Line to the east, and Rogers Street to the west.
The City Engineering Department is seeking bids for the infrastructure phase of the project, with construction to start early next year. The infrastructure phase will construct a north-south extension of Madison Street from 1st to 2nd Street and a new east-west street, named University Street, from Morton to Rogers Street. Along the north side of the new University Street, the project will create a linear park with a wetland garden, tree grove, stage/lawn area, and other park amenities. The infrastructure work will support the creation of 15 parcels totaling over 3.5 acres of developable land. The targeted completion date for this phase is spring 2024.
“This neighborhood is named to honor the past and envision the future,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “The community values embodied in the Hopewell name will carry forward and expand to include sustainability, affordability, and opportunity.”
Project Background
In May 2018, the City of Bloomington entered into a purchase agreement with IU Health for the 24-acre hospital site. The legacy hospital on W 2nd Street was decommissioned and demolished, and IU Health Bloomington opened its new University Academic Health Center at 2651 E. Discovery Parkway on December 5, 2021.
The City chose the name “Hopewell” for the neighborhood because of its long history of association with the site. The 10-room house that was on the site and became our community’s first hospital once belonged to Isaac Hopewell and served the community as the Hopewell House for nearly six decades. You can read more about the building’s history at bloomington.in.gov/news/2022/02/04/5101.
Hopewell Goals
Bloomington looks to diversify and expand opportunities for all, constructing a new neighborhood where people from all walks of life and all ages, incomes, abilities, and backgrounds can thrive. Specifically, this means targeting affordable workforce housing with affordability built into the master plan. Hopewell is expected to have up to 1,000 residential units including multi-family, single-family, multi-plex, and townhomes. The goal is that at least 20% of the units will be affordable and workforce housing.
Hopewell is also being planned with sustainability in mind, to advance toward a zero-carbon future. Hopewell will incorporate best practices in sustainable redevelopment as a blueprint for a more equitable, livable, and resilient Bloomington. Specifically, this includes its near-downtown location with access to businesses, parks, and public transit lines, as well as design and on-site features. The neighborhood’s public and private amenities will help it serve as a natural hub and reduce its carbon footprint. Sustainability strategies are included in the consultant’s scope of work for the master plan, including area ecology, health and wellbeing, and long-term impacts. Read more about City of Bloomington sustainability and climate action at bloomington.in.gov/sustainability.
Hopewell is also being planned for the overall excellence of design, both in public spaces and private development. A new neighborhood that is affordable and sustainable can also be a beautiful and inspiring place to live.
Preservation
The legacy hospital parking garage and historic Kohr Administration building will be maintained. The Bloomington City Council voted in early 2021 to support the Historic Preservation Commission’s vote to preserve the 1940s Art Deco Kohr Building, which will give the neighborhood a beautiful and interesting structure for function and an architectural point of interest. The parking garage will serve an important function and allow streets, paths, and greenways to be constructed without a high volume of parking spaces.
Community Engagement
In addition to releasing updates city-wide throughout this process, the City has been direct with outreach to proximal neighborhoods/neighborhood organizations. These include The Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), Prospect Hill, McDoel Gardens, and Near Westside. The City is also using direct outreach in the form of door hangers and informational signage. Information at hopewellbloomington.org includes the master plan and FAQs.
Outreach to the construction community, Monroe County Apartment Association (MCAA), Building Association of South-Central Indiana (BASCI), and Exchange Club is in-process or scheduled. The Hopewell Steering Committee is actively working to identify partnerships that can be shared with developers, making full use of community strengths and connections in realizing this project’s potential.
Looking Forward
By the end of 2023, IU Health will transfer the remaining four parcels in the development area to the City of Bloomington, giving the City a total of ten parcels for development. One of these contains the existing parking garage (parcel 4) and another the historic Kohr Building (parcel 5). As each stage of this project progresses, the City will continue to release updates and reach out to neighborhoods and community organizations. People interested in receiving updates about the project can sign up at https://bton.in/j7wEN.
Slides shared with the steering committee on October 28 are available at https://bton.in/jzXJH.
