By: Diane Benjamin
I keep hearing, especially from Bloomington’s mayor and an alderman, that we need amenities in order to get millennials to stay here or move here.
Articles on-line talk about what millennials want in BIG cities. They want apartments with fitness centers, pools, and Wi-Fi. They want health food, resale shops, nice restaurants/bars, and public transportation. Millennials rent because of the massive debt they got from college and they use public transportation because cars are expensive and impractical in big cities. They like resale shops for all the same reasons.
This wish list already exists in Bloomington-Normal, created mostly by the private sector. We never get an explanation from the elected on exactly what they want to do to keep millennials here.
Since I have two of them (neither of them stayed here) I can tell you a little about what they want. Nature is big. They love hiking and camping. I hope building mountains isn’t the local government’s plan!
Both hate paying taxes when they see no benefit. Both rent with no plans to buy a house. Both want the ability to move whenever they feel like it. Both want adventures. Both want to create things, and both have found ways to do it. Government involvement wasn’t required for their creative outlets.
Neither want to live in a downtown. My son attended college close to the Chicago loop. In 4 years he was the victim of an attempted mugging and he had to jump off his bicycle a second before it got hit by a car. He couldn’t wait to graduate and LEAVE Chicago. He was excited about going to school there until he actually HAD to live there.
I posted this last year from a resident of Austin Texas: http://blnnews.com/2014/07/07/clueless-fazzini-and-other-liberals/
“I’m at the breaking point,” said Gretchen Gardner, an Austin artist who bought a 1930s bungalow in the Bouldin neighborhood just south of downtown in 1991 and has watched her property tax bill soar to $8,500 this year.
“It’s not because I don’t like paying taxes,” said Gardner, who attended both meetings. “I have voted for every park, every library, all the school improvements, for light rail, for anything that will make this city better. But now I can’t afford to live here anymore. I’ll protest my appraisal notice, but that’s not enough. Someone needs to step in and address the big picture.”
Since the Renner Budget Task Force won’t be able to find big cuts and the State will cut tax dollars returned to the City next year, Bloomington residents will suffer the same fate as those in Austin Texas. You won’t be able to afford to live here.
If local employers can’t attract millennials, maybe they should pay more for older stable employees. If local government thinks they can spend money to attract millennials, they will chase them away instead.
Have you seen the commercial where:
- the guy claims he is never getting married
- then he is never having kids
- then he is never living in the suburbs
- then he is never buying a mini-van
- finally, he wouldn’t trade his life for any other
Kids have for generations grown up to be not much different from their parents. Millennials won’t want government intervention in their lives any more than their parents do.
If Tari Renner and Scott Black know differently, they need to explain themselves.
Well said Diane!
I mentored a couple of student from ISU this past school year. Both probably could have found jobs locally but neither had any intention of staying in the area.
I hear the big reason State Farm is locating offices in other states is partially due to attracting younger workers. I would believe SF has more insight into this.
I’ve heard they are having trouble recruiting competent employees in the hubs, therefore transfers are being offered. Heard that?
Yes, an applicant in Bloomington has a better chance of being hired at SF if they are willing to move. That is what my son was told. I’ve heard that large apartment complexes have been built in the hubs to accommodate and attract the millennials.
No, but for whatever reason I do know they have a 3.0 GPA requirement for IT. I’m not sure if that is company wide or just that area. Quite possibly that could be the reason why.
I know one person who handed a rep from SF at ISU’s Career Day their resume with a 2.9 and they handed it back to them.
I forgot! Both my millennials have vehicles! One tried not having one, but it didn’t work.
Listen up kids! I am your mayor professor and I will strive to take away your rights to address your government. I will tell you what you want (because you don’t know) and I will tell you where and how to live. This quality of life thing,,,I got it. Forget all about “,,,life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” That is history which is not a part of this class. Economics is not part of this class either so forget it. Just go back to your video games and bicycle lanes. Nothing to see here. Hey if you ever want to come and see our water feature in front of city hall, please don’t put soap in it. And don’t come inside unless you want to see some art that I have for sale in my office. Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies. Now get on your bikes and ride as riding the bus during flu season isn’t a very good idea. Take your hankie and button up your coat children.
This may sound boorish but if someone wants BIG City amenities, don’t live in Bloomington. Instead, drive to Chicago, St. Louis or Indianapolis for the day or weekend. What I liked about this town when I moved here from Chicago 25 years ago is the “Norman Rockwell” feel. If that is taken away, there is really nothing attractive here.
I moved to the are 35 years ago. Before Mitsubishi, back when it really was a tiny town.
I’ve been here 50+ years and I remember stores in downtown way before the mall opened. We were all excited when Kmart opened. As I mentioned in one blog this town was a booming town but not anymore.
In addition, Bloomington needs well paying jobs to attract and keep ANYONE here.
The prospective new business owners are waiting on the downtown hotel. Haha that would be the Mayor Professor Lawyer and City Manager’s excuse.
The city as well as a few other groups need to work on this problem, top priority. Maybe instead of a budget tax I mean uh task force they should have done a focus group on how to attract new business.
Yes. This area needs jobs. And we all know jobs are leaving this community every day.
Jobs are leaving this town, this state, and this country. Until policies are changed at the federal level this trend will continue.
Today’s Pantograph reported on the positive feedback at yesterday’s Planning Commission’s Public Hearing #1. Most of the commenters were on one or another sort of Steering Committee. I’ve read the Strategic Plan for 2034 and may make my own comments at the second hearing at the July 22 meeting prior to it being voted on by the City Council in August.
http://www.mcplan.org/department/division.php?structureid=23
Correction: Sorry about that http://www.bringitonbloomington.com/upload/files/Final%20plan%20and%20the%20chapters/Final-Plan-Draft_June26.pdf
Lived here my whole life (for the most part) DOWNTOWN was my paper route for 4 years, and it was a THRIVING place then-1970-74! But alas, the My Store is gone, Rogers Hotel, etc. And even the Eddy and Unity had some charm AND businesses! Where are those now?? Maybe we can put em in the new hotel on the ground floor with a CHEAP rent, since we’ll be footing the bill. Hell, why not build an indoor ski mountain like Dubai? Google it! What’s a few billion $$$ DREAM BIG!