BLOOMINGTON – The City of Bloomington is moving forward with a series of downtown and near-downtown infrastructure, maintenance, and public space investments. The work includes street paving, sidewalk repair, alley improvements, planter maintenance, public space cleaning, parking lot repairs, and continued support for downtown activation. Timelines may shift due to weather and other operational factors.
The City has identified nearly $4.7 million for improvements along Kirkwood Avenue, Rogers Street, Grimes Lane, and Patterson Drive. Planned work includes street paving, crosswalks, accessible curb ramps, traffic signal improvements, curb changes, stormwater infrastructure, median islands, bumpouts, and other corridor updates intended to improve safety, access, and movement. Funding includes City Public Works and Engineering funds, pedestrian safety funding, utility funds, bond proceeds, and $1 million from the state’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program.
The City will complete more than $800,000 in paving on downtown and downtown-adjacent streets, including portions of 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th Streets, Madison Street, 3rd Street, Kirkwood Avenue, Walnut Street, Dodds Street, College Avenue, and Henderson Street. Scheduled for the week of June 8, surface parking lots 1, 3, and 5 will receive pavement maintenance and repairs funded through parking meter revenue. The City will also install alley bollards funded by $107,555 in parking meter revenue to support safety during festival setups.
A separate $491,600 Kirkwood sidewalk maintenance contract with E&B Paving, LLC will address East Kirkwood Avenue from North Indiana Avenue to North Walnut Street between mid-May and mid-July. The project will include block-by-block road closures:
- May 11 – 31 — 500 block closed
- June 1 – 14 — 400 block closed
- June 15 – 21 — 300 block closed
- June 22 – July 1 — 200 block closed
- July 2 – 11 — 100 block closed
In mid-May, Downtown alleys will receive attention, with a $311,575 alley renovation project between College Avenue and Walnut Street. This funding is in partnership with the City’s Parks & Recreation Department, with a portion of the funds coming from the remaining Bicentennial Bond that authorized downtown alley enhancements and rebuilding.
The City will continue maintaining the public spaces that shape the downtown experience. Planned work includes planter maintenance and enhancements around Courthouse Square and Kirkwood Avenue, tree and shrub replacement, powerwashing, and continued public space care through the Brighten Bloomington program, a Public Works-assigned crew partnership with Centerstone funded at $381,000. Planter care and powerwashing are supported by parking meter revenue, which is reinvested into downtown improvements and operations. This dedicated funding source allows the City to address ongoing downtown maintenance needs while reducing pressure on other local funding sources.
Public Works is also evaluating long-term facility needs, including space for equipment storage, maintenance, and daily operations. City equipment includes sanitation trucks, snowplows, fire engines, police vehicles, electric fleet vehicles, and other equipment used to provide public services. Many of these vehicles and pieces of equipment cost more than $100,000 per unit. Storing equipment outside can shorten its useful life and increase long-term maintenance costs. Facility planning will help the City better protect these public assets and support daily service delivery.
These planning efforts are underway as traditional local funding sources become increasingly constrained. The City is assessing the impacts of state-level funding changes, including Senate Enrolled Act 1, and prioritizing investments that maintain existing infrastructure, extend the life of public assets, and support essential services.
About Brighten Bloomington
Brighten Bloomington offers no-to-low barrier employment with the City of Bloomington for residents experiencing substance abuse, mental health issues, and homelessness. The crew members manage curbline and alley cleaning, trash pick-up, clearing storm drains, graffiti removal, and general custodial work throughout downtown, trails, and parks. As of this year, the program has coverage for all seven days of the week.
