By: Diane Benjamin
Why do so many water main breaks occur around Laesch Acres?
The latest: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/Home/Components/News/News/9944/1394
Greenwood Avenue, Laesch Avenue to West Hamilton Road Closed Effective Immediately
Post Date:02/05/2024 11:02 AM
BLOOMINGTON, IL – Beginning immediately, Greenwood Avenue, from Laesch Avenue to West Hamilton Road will be closed to all traffic due to water main repair. This section of Greenwood Avenue will be reopened as soon as repairs are complete.
Not all the breaks close the main roads, they don’t make the City of Bloomington website.
Was the developer responsible for installing water mains, or did the City of Bloomington install them? This area was developed in the 80’s. Why are they failing when others in town are much older?
Given that repairing newer mains that shouldn’t have broken consumes resources that could otherwise be allocated to replacing much older ones, shouldn’t the City be interested in understanding why these newer mains are failing, in order to prevent similar problems in the future?
I was thinking a developer put that area in and I don’t remember if the city did the water mains.
I can still remember that whole area being lush green grass. I also remember the trapeze that was set up west of the Laesch home. The Laesch family sold the land when the dairy delivery business was dropping off. Later wasn’t it Mark Laesch who got money from the city to help keep the business running and they closed or sold to Oberweiss and he never repaid the city. Bailed and went to IN to persue his golfing leisure. He would show up at the YMCA on occassion as I recall. Passed away sometime in 2017. Bob Rotrammel(?) ran a limo service out of that building until he passed away. I don’t know who owns that eyesore building now.
Seems like that area they stripped away the surface to make it more flat because I recall a rolling surface of hills.
From what I could find the Laesch family sold the land in 78-79 for development. Around Sept 79 is when homes were for sale. Before that lots were for sale. Bayles Real Estate from what I found listed homes for sale and Bauhmgart(?)/Sopper. It doesn’t appear one developer built homes. So about for 44 years the water mains have been there. Shoddy work possibly or poor material used for mains.