By: Diane Benjamin
Practically since Tari became mayor, the citizens have been told the Front and Center building can’t be saved. Now Jeff Giebelhausen thinks it can be a hotel.
Here’s the problems:
- Hotels and convention centers are a dime a dozens. Spend time on Google and see all the failures.
- Bloomington has convention centers: Doubletree, Chateau – just to name a few
- A lot of citizens don’t support plans for a downtown hotel
- Government shouldn’t create competition for already existing hotels
- Few people believe a downtown hotel will help the Coliseum
Time to jump out of the hotel-convention center box Tari!
Everybody realizes Tari wants a strong downtown. Everybody realizes Tari is willing to risk public money to get it.
Hold a contest Tari!
Offer a cash prize to the citizen that creates the most unusual and futuristic no-fail plan to get people downtown.
Here’s an example of what might work:
A High Tech high school. The future is technology and college costs are ridiculous. A tech school can bring in the best and the brightest and maybe their parents. Kids can graduate ready for the world and maybe bypass college. (Sorry professor) Bloomington could lead the education revolution instead of hoping a hotel works.
California has some high-tech charter schools. Here’s one: http://newtechhigh.org/about-us/
This high school partners with a local Community College: http://oaklandtech.com/staff/community-college-concurrent-enrollment/
Why not make Bloomington the technology center of the state? Train kids for the future instead of creating minimum wage jobs at a hotel.
Maybe a downtown charter school located in the Front and Center building would create demand someday for a hotel. Right now it’s your dream and not supported by a LOT of citizens.
Make Bloomington a destination by giving people what they need, not your hopes and dreams.
Innovate Tari – quit regurgitating the past. The internet makes conventions unnecessary for businesses.
Bloomington doesn’t need boxed in to yet another destined to fail plan.
Create a future Tari!
Let the citizens create a workable road map to make downtown successful. Local government has failed at it so far.
I met with terri and asked for his help with getting some city business to my downtown store. Pathetic waste of time All you get is a huge pile of bs. I’m so sick of renner can’t wait for next election. Also whether you like trump or not it isn’t Terri’s place to discourage his visit.
The Mayor really doesn’t assist current local businesses. The Manager and Mayor talk about growing existing business and attracting new. Ha. I don’t see that at all.
A High Tech high school. That’s an excellent idea!!
Diane,
A high-tech school is an awesome idea! There are plenty of vocational schools out there for welders, mechanics, truck drivers, etc., etc., ad nauseum… I am living proof that you don’t need a degree. I work in information security and I carry some of the highest certifications available. And, I’ve done it all without the “benefit” of a college degree. If there had been a specialized school available, I have no doubt that it would have been a much smoother path. Yes, community college programs in IT were, and are, available. However, those programs always include(d) what I consider to be non-essential, “fluff” classes. We already have something of a high-tech reputation with our recognition by Google back in December… To wit:
Google announced the City of Bloomington has been named the 2015 eCity of Illinois. The eCity Awards recognize the strongest online business community in each state – the digital capitals of America. These cities’ businesses are embracing the web to find new customers, connect with existing clients and fuel their local economies.
If we could establish our fair city as the “academic” eCity as well, what a draw that would be both for now and for the future!
You may not realize it now, but you’ve kindled a fire in my gray matter that may really turn out to be a great start for something wonderful!!! I’m starting TODAY to brainstorm this with some other folks and just see what might be done… I’ll keep you posted.
Diane,
Please let me know your thoughts…
A hotel brings little progress and shows Bloomington has no imagination. Easy choice.
Now I see where the mayor developer wants to buy the Electrolux site. I suppose so that it can sit empty like that lot on east Washington St. near the downtown. How is that working out on selling it.
Is there a go fund me link for the Dump Renner 2017 campaign?
I hear Kroger wants to relocate there. Maybe Tari will give them the property and call it economic development
multi-use is also being considered–more “luxury” living located near downtown and IWU
Seems odd that Kroger would want to move there and close the other store on north Main where there is cross traffic from Emerson too.
Something about iwu students crossing the street
There will be… There WILL be!!
Having a high tech high school would be great! Then State Farm would not ship Illinois jobs to Texas!
Great idea on the school, but until they close most of the bars am afraid they might learn more than one way to sshock their system. The bloomington powers to be just don’t get, most of us living outside downtown who are over 40, see no real need to go downtown, maybe fos and hunds
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2016 17:20:55 +0000 To: [email protected]
🙂