BLOOMINGTON-Parks and Recreation announced today the Bicentennial Gateway at Miller-Showers Park, 1500 N. College Ave., is finished and the vehicle crossover between College Avenue and Walnut Street has re-opened.
The Bicentennial Gateway is a wall approximately 52′ long and 10′ high, composed of stacked limestone blocks. Powder-coated aluminum letters spelling “BLOOMINGTON” are mounted to the limestone. The letters are backlit at night with soft white light.
More than 20 native trees, including serviceberry, redbud, yellowwood, black gum, and white oak, were planted in the median surrounding the gateway.
“We sincerely appreciate our community’s patience and cooperation during construction of the gateway,” said Tim Street, Parks and Recreation Administrator. “We are pleased that we were able to incorporate public feedback into the final design and are confident that the gateway, along with associated improvements to our park’s native landscape and accessibility, will be an attractive welcome to Bloomington.”
Numerous businesses, city boards, and commissions were involved in the planning and public feedback phases of the gateway project, as well as with site preparation, fabrication, and installation. Project contractors included Rundell Ernstberger Associates (design & construction plans); Reed & Sons Construction (general contractor); Rock Solid Masonry (limestone wall construction); RiverTown Construction (concrete); Huston Electric; Abell Nursery; and bo-mar Industries (letter fabrication and lighting). Limestone blocks were supplied by Monroe County, Ind.-based TexaCon Cut Stone and 3D Stone Inc.
The Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) plans to solicit design proposals in February 2025 for an additional public art piece located about 60 feet north of the gateway wall. The BAC will receive $125,000 from the Bicentennial Bond fund to select and install a piece of public art in this location.
Funding for the Bicentennial Gateway comes from a series of municipal bonds approved by a vote of the City Council in October 2018. A total of $1.25 million was earmarked for the design and construction of the city gateway. The project, and the associated BAC art installation, will be completed with the original bond funds.
