By: Diane Benjamin Remember this eyesore in downtown Bloomington? . That was what the former CII East building looked like for many years. The City of Bloomington gave away FUTURE money to a new developer, see this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/04/24/69-million-for-water-projects-so-you-wont-notice-the-cii-east-giveaways/ What did the future money buy? This is the same building yesterday: That is a complete […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t Kelby Cumpston for posting this on Facebook . Taxpayers are subsidizing this building by waiving the 6% Short Term Rental tax and providing 20 parking spaces in the garage across the street for 15 years (or 20 since the docs say both). https://blnnews.com/2022/04/24/69-million-for-water-projects-so-you-wont-notice-the-cii-east-giveaways/ It gets better! The same two guys behind […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader This picture is the entrance to the Government Center from Washington Street where early voting takes place. According to County Clerk Kathy Michael the building has experienced the smell of sewage. She was not told what is going on at this entrance, but obviously a plumbing crew is digging […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1166&Inline=True Bloomington has elevated water storage that has never been used: https://blnnews.com/2015/08/04/more-ineptness/ Maybe in December it can at least be decorated for Christmas. It stands as a monument to incompetency by the designer/engineer and the failure of City officials to hold whoever did it accountable. Monday night the Council will approve just […]
POW/MIA Flag raising at the Mclean County Museum of History. New Normal Township Trustee Art Rodriguez led the event. Rep Dan Brady and County Board member Jim Soeldner attended. The bugler from Leroy Axillary Unit 79 was superb. Flags have been at half staff for quite awhile, nobody remembers why. It may have started under […]
By: Diane Benjamin When the last Downtown Bloomington TIF ended, I hear David Bentley wasn’t happy with the money he got to rehab the CII East Building. He sued the City in 2014. See the 2014 TIF report here: ftp://ftp.illinoiscomptroller.com/LocGovTIF/FY2014/06402530/14TIF06402530Dwtwn_Cendistrict.pdf Since the TIF was pretty much over, expenses for legal fees were all that is […]
