Bloomington, IN Development News

[HoosierInBTOWN]

Originally Posted by GarfieldPark

Sure. Pictures are always great! Now I remember reading about the school of music's expansion. Those buildings will really extend the feel of campus eastward - and make a nice wall of new buildings along E. Third street as you're heading toward campus.

Yes, I was walking on a side of the sidewalk that I don't normally walk on (the north side of 3rd St) and the look of the area has completely changed and is new to my memories when looking in that direction. It was a really weird feeling seeing as I've lived here for 8 years and most certainly have walked on that side before, but it seemed as if I was in a different area. Here are the current campus projects, minus the new baseball/softball complex, and business school (both of which you can find a few threads back).

Jacobs SM Studio building video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_-N-JBlMQ8
(Guess I still don't know how to embed video, so you'll have to click the link)





3rd and Union Apartments:





Rose Residence Hall:

[jkramb]

Not really crazy about a lot of the new IU construction... They are calling it campus gothic, but there is nothing really gothic about it other than it is made of stone. They need a lot more details to make them interesting. I'm not sure they're going to age well and they don't look that great to begin with. Almost like a roadside hotel that is stone instead of brick or vinyl siding. I love the limestone as it is an Indiana thing, but they need to find ways to make the buildings more interesting and more varied. If they're not going to go with beautiful collegiate gothic like memorial hall, just go modern. The Neal Marshal looks good and the proposed international studies building might look good. I thought MSB1 was done quite well, and MSB II was good. The new Kelly looks nice, but it's going to look like a small beautiful building with a giant building tucked in behind it. Based on the renderings, I think they should have built something that became the new outside of the building, rather than looking like the old building with a new building in front of it....

[GarfieldPark]

Thanks HoosierinBTown for posting the renderings: I was out of town for most of last week - so am just now checking them out. They very much are done in the IU Bloomington limestone style. It'll be great to get down there again soon to see the progress. It definitely changes the feel for that two or three block stretch of E. Third Street.

[HoosierInBTOWN]

It's no problem, Garfield. My dad owns a construction company, and although it's on a much smaller scale than what buildings we talk about around here, I've always had an eye for this kind of stuff. Seeing the renderings always makes me wonder how much it will actually look like said picture and seeing the buildings come to life is amazing to me. Sometimes, I wonder if I should have went to that other school so that I could have done this stuff... but as a lifelong Hoosier, that would've never happened.

[JeffG]

The rendering showing the School of Music building appears to have Jordan Ave removed just north of 3rd Street. Anyone know if this is the case?

[HoosierInBTOWN]

They are planning a new "entrance way" to the University in that area. However, I don't know what those plans entail, exactly. And I haven't heard anything about Jordan being shut down. Of course, I hope not, because that's the way I come into work. But, if it makes the campus more beautiful than it already is, I guess I'm for finding another way.

I guess if you look more closely, you can see where the road is just separated by trees. I think that's all they would do, as there is plenty of space there to work with the road and make it a much more pleasant gateway.

[JeffG]

Originally Posted by HoosierInBTOWN

They are planning a new "entrance way" to the University in that area. However, I don't know what those plans entail, exactly. And I haven't heard anything about Jordan being shut down. Of course, I hope not, because that's the way I come into work. But, if it makes the campus more beautiful than it already is, I guess I'm for finding another way.

I guess if you look more closely, you can see where the road is just separated by trees. I think that's all they would do, as there is plenty of space there to work with the road and make it a much more pleasant gateway.

On second look I think you are correct. It would not be feasible to shut Jordan down through there.

[HoosierInBTOWN]

After a long stint here... finally an IU graduate! Hooray!!!!

[hoosier]

Originally Posted by HoosierInBTOWN

After a long stint here... finally an IU graduate! Hooray!!!!

Congrats. I graduated from IU four years ago and miss Bloomington.

[HoosierInBTOWN]

Man, they don't wait long after the students are gone to start tearing up town and campus! JeffG, I think they are creating a new entrance way at Jordan and 3rd. Tried to get to work this morning only to be surprised by the fact that I can't go through there!

[HoosierInBTOWN]

Well, there is some development news going on, I just can't post the articles because I can't log on to my web site subscription due to their system being down. So, I will just type up a brief summary of a few things I am aware of.

1. Bloomington Plan Commission passed a request yesterday to build a high density development along the B-line trail second phase on the south side of Bloomington near the new Switchyard park. This development will have about 10-12 houses connected to the trail, a condominium building and 2 mixed use buildings, all connected to the trail as well. It will have numerous covered bike parking spaces and enough spaces for the commercial development as well.

(My two cents: When they were envisioning the park, this wasn't quite my vision along the trail. I was hoping of more of a Central Park feeling... but then I remembered we live in Bloomington/Indiana... where it's rare for anyone to think big. Obviously I wasn't thinking skyscrapers, but at least 4-5 story buildings with lot's of commercial/office/restaurant spaces with apartments above.)

2. They don't take much time tearing up campus once the students leave, they are already replacing drainage and utilities underneath Jordan and 3rd and creating a new entryway into campus as is depicted above and as JeffG pointed out in his post.

3. Took a drive by of some of the construction going on yesterday, mostly due to the fact I had an unexpected detour around the 3rd and Jordan mess. The apartment building on 3rd St is getting it's limestone shell placed and should be ready for students in the fall. The new residence center is starting to rise out of the ground, slowly, but progress is being made. That will not be open until Fall 2013. I was unpleasantly surprised to find that they had not started digging or bringing in equipment to start construction on the Kelley School of Business yet, but that should start this month as well. And finally, the excavators have started digging out the site for the new baseball/softball complex. I can't wait until they start building out there.

That's all the news I have for now, no movement on the hotel downtown as of yet.

[vitamin R]

Congratulations on graduation!

[HoosierInBTOWN]

The first pictures of Kaufman field! As I said, groundwork started this week!!!

[HoosierInBTOWN]

Jordan is back open, but sidewalks near the building are all out. Don't know if they are really going to make that new entrance. However, here is some news about a new development off of East 2nd St.

Bloomingfoods looking at Elm Heights site for new grocery
By Kasey Husk 331-4243 | khusk@heraldt.com
May 14, 2012, last update: 5/14 @ 1:07 am

The K&S Market on East Second Street is seen during its closing sale in 2007. Bloomingfoods is developing a proposal to tear down the building and replace it with a new Bloomingfoods cooperative grocery. Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times

A proposal to bring a Bloomingfoods to the site of a former grocery store on Second Street and Fess Avenue was greeted with enthusiasm by area residents Saturday.

Residents of the Elm Heights neighborhood have long wanted a grocery store to move into the vacant building in the 600 block of East Second Street that once was home to the K&S Country Market, which closed in 2007. Now, five years later, it seems residents may get their wish following a meeting with the general manager of and an architect for Bloomingfoods, which may purchase the property and create a 5,000 to 5,500 store.

Also tied into the deal would be the construction of a roughly 25-bedroom apartment complex on an empty lot adjacent to the store that faces South Henderson Street. That project would be handled by current property owner Bill Shank, of Indianapolis, but Bloomingfoods general manager George Huntington said the development of the grocery store and apartment complex are tied together. The grocery store would not likely happen without the apartment complex, he said.

Huntington and local architect Marc Cornett led about 20 residents through the proposed site of the store, noting that the existing boarded-up building would be knocked down and replaced, while the parking lot adjacent to it would become a “pocket park” with places to sit. Current on-street parking would be replaced with angled parking, similar to that outside Bloomingfoods’ store at 316 W. Sixth St.

Huntington said Bloomingfoods has listened to the neighbor associations’ requests for the development of the property in recent years and has strived to achieve all of them with this proposal. Among the requests were that a grocery store, preferably a Bloomingfoods, move in, that new owners preserve green space and especially a large elm tree near the property, that there be adequate parking, that it should be a neighborhood gathering spot and that its design be in keeping with the character of the neighborhood.

The neighbors had also requested that if apartments were a part of the design, that they be small instead of the four- to five-bedroom “party palaces.” As a result, the proposed apartment complex would have a few two-bedroom apartments, but mostly one-bedroom units and efficiencies, Cornett said.

Residents, who followed the walking tour Saturday with a meeting and brainstorming session at the Harmony School, seemed pleased overall with the proposal.

“It was wonderful to have a grocery store, and it would be wonderful to have one again,” resident Martha Harsanyi said. “And Bloomingfoods would be ideal. I’m not swept away by the apartments, but it’s the price you pay.”

Bloomington resident Rich Pierce was equally pragmatic about the apartments — “If that’s what it takes to get a grocery store,” he said — while others noted that the apartments weren’t a burden because students already live in the neighborhood.

At Saturday’s brainstorming session, where about 30 residents in attendance were asked to share their thoughts about neighborhood grocery stores, people shared memories such as being able to start a pot of water, run to buy some pasta and return home before the water boiled.

Meg Torrence said she remembered her children, years ago, being able to run to the K&S to grab a few items for her.

“I think neighborhood grocery stores are coming back and should be back,” she said. “People can walk and bike to them.”

Huntington said at the meeting that he hoped to hear any input from the residents before moving forward with getting a plan approved by the city. Further meetings to review more detailed plans were expected to be set for Thursday and next Sunday, but times had not yet been set for the meetings.

Huntington said he would like to have the store opened by mid-2013 if all goes well, though he cautioned that he was hesitant to set a timeline for the project.

Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2012

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sto...ess.951011.sto

[indymidlander]

excellent, love bloomingfoods - and the more neighborhood stores we can add in cities the better!

[HoosierInBTOWN]

Indiana University buys 10th & the Bypass property for $4.6 million
Several IU projects forging ahead in plans or construction
By Mike Leonard 331-4368 | mleonard@heraldt.com
May 15, 2012, last update: 5/15 @ 1:32 am

Indiana University took an important step in realizing its plan for a research technology park when it purchased the 10th and the Bypass retail shopping center late last month for $4.6 million.

The purchase was completed by the IU Foundation at the university’s request and registered on April 30, according to Barbara Coffman, the executive director for strategic planning & communications at the foundation.

“We’ve been talking for a couple of years,” said Whitney Gates, who operates 10th & the Bypass LLC with his father, Jerry. Gates said the purchase covers slightly more than three acres and includes structures housing longtime retail lessors such as Sherwin Williams, Scandinavian Imports, B-Town Pizza and several others.

“At the moment, the foundation will operate it as it has been operated and with the same tenants,” said Tom Morrison, IU vice president for capital projects and facilities. “The university will be looking at how the property, long-term, can best serve the growing technology park to the north.”

Morrison said the purchase will give the university almost exclusive control of the property along the north side of the Ind. 45/46 Bypass from the railroad tracks south of the strip mall to the cyclotron facility north of Assembly Hall. The property occupied by the retail center marks the southern terminus of the university’s master plan for the technology park, which has more than 1 million square feet of developable space for public-private partnerships.

The acquisition may ultimately alter the types of businesses operating in the nearly 30-year-old 10th and The Bypass development. “There are some hopes there are businesses that will locate there that will be more in line with servicing the growing employee population that works across the street,” Morrison said.

Last fall, IU opened its new, $37 million Cyberinfrastructure Building across 10th Street from the retail center. The Cyberinfrastructure Building provides office and laboratory space for about 600 employees and is the central operational home for most of the university’s information technology workers. “Like any place, employees there have expressed a desire to be closer to a place to grab a cup of coffee or a sandwich or even a place nearby for dinner,” Morrison said.

The university now owns all four corners of the 10th and the Bypass intersection, which is currently being remodeled and expanded by the Indiana Department of Transportation. “There will be much greater pedestrian access and safety in that area when the project is done, including a pedestrian underpass at Seventh Street,” Morrison said. IU’s large, 11-story Tulip Tree complex contains 219 two- and three-bedroom apartments and also is being remodeled, with the second half of the project on schedule to be completed and reopened this fall.

More building

Several IU construction projects are either forging ahead at breakneck speed or ready to launch, Morrison said.

The new, $16 million, four-story Third and Union apartment complex is on target for fall occupation and will include 102 studio and one-bedroom apartments and a centrally located computer lab and laundry facilities.

A nearby, new 440-bed residence hall just north of Third Street on Rose Avenue is getting started and should be on track for a fall 2013 opening. A new dining facility between the new residence hall and existing Forest Quad also is ready to begin construction.

Just to the west, the $44 million Jacobs School of Music Studio Building is back on track after rock excavation delays and is slated for a July 2013 completion. It primarily will contain acoustically insulated practice rooms and will also have a coffee shop and cafe at the street level. The building will add to what is being called the musical arts district, which includes the Simon Music Center and the Musical Arts Center.

The university is also set to begin its $60 million addition and renovation to the undergraduate side of the Kelley School of Business at 10th Street and Fee Lane. The project, funded through gifts and grants, will add 140,000 square feet to the existing building and renovate all of the classrooms and offices in the 46-year-old facility.

“It’s going to be a hectic summer, I don’t deny that at all,” Morrison said. “Like with the bypass construction, people are going to have to figure out what areas to avoid. But it will all be great when it’s done.”

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sto...ews.059554.sto

[GarfieldPark]

Great stuff going on all over Bloomington. The Research Park news is especially good to hear - as it should help keep the job growth going all around that area near 10th and the Bypass.

Also --- Congrats on your graduation!!

[HoosierInBTOWN]

Thanks for the lovin!

[ndrwmls10]

MSI|KKG and Kirkwood Design's design for the Bloomington Tech Park.

http://www.design27.com/portfolio/ce...chnology-park/

[HoosierInBTOWN]

Originally Posted by ndrwmls10

MSI|KKG and Kirkwood Design's design for the Bloomington Tech Park.

http://www.design27.com/portfolio/ce...chnology-park/

Glad you knew about this, didn't know a master plan yet existed. They've already knocked down some of the old buildings in that area and are doing site work on it now. However, the one thing that I wish this had... and is once again lacking, is more density and higher buildings.