By: Diane Benjamin The proposed Zoning changes cover a lot of ground, but let’s start with downtown. Obviously everything the City does revolves around putting lipstick on this pig. This map is included in the documentation: http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=19954 The Purple proposed to be D2. The Green proposed to be D1 Light Blue proposed to be […]
By: Diane Benjamin The VenuWorks report is not the audited version, it is therefore immaterial. Time allowed for the presentation is 5 minutes, included will be the fictional economic impact of the arena. See PDF page 40: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=19928 Financial information is on PDF page 39. The loss does not include depreciation on the building which […]
By: Diane Benjamin The short answer is because of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. The MCRPC is an organization most citizens know nothing about. In 2013 a new executive director was hired: Vasudha P. Gadhiraju. The formerly conservative Commission took a hard turn to the left immediately after. According to the MCRPC website, 2013 is […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council only had ONE meeting last night instead of 2 or 3. It didn’t help them not spend your money, but at least they only contemplated how to shovel out more. Of course, it was on downtown. More later. Jamie Mathy did not attend, so Ward 1 had no […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight Bloomington is holding a special meeting to talk about TIF’s. Again, they believe they can create prosperity with the “Right Fit”. Here’s the article they need to read: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/6/18/running-government-as-a-business Excerpts: If you’ve been here with Strong Towns for any amount of time, you know the suggestion that, “the object of a […]
A reader sent this pic of the “test” changes going on downtown: Comments? . . . . . . . /
By: Diane Benjamin With the change to twice yearly bulk waste pickup, areas around downtown now look like this: The owner could call the City for pickup and pay $25 per bucket, or they can wait to be tagged by the City. The tagged mess still won’t be picked up immediately because the City is […]
When the City of Bloomington decided to hire the Downtown Bloomington Association staff because they could support themselves: They created ANOTHER empty space downtown: (read the awning)
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I toured the downtown core with a friend. If the pics below have spots blurred, it because a reflection was caught in the pic. My partner wishes to remain anonymous. The Core area is bordered by Front, East, Market, and Madison. It’s 12 square blocks. First, I was surprised by the […]
By: Diane Benjamin When taxpayer abuse is this blatant, it’s easy to see. Most abuse is much harder to find. This picture is from Google maps. Note the sidewalk is perfectly flat – this is along Front Street in front of Rosie’s. Now see this picture – again look at the sidewalk. TWO concrete planter […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tuesday night the Bloomington City Council is going to talk about TIF districts: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=17858 PDF page 209 Bloomington has a long history of projects that aren’t the “Right Fit”. Start with the Coliseum and the BCPA, both catalyst project that did nothing to revitalize downtown. Between the two, around $100,000,000 has been […]
By: Diane Benjamin The building below used to be the piano and music store: It has been vacant for quite a while even though the rent is cheap for such a large space. http://www.cityfeet.com/cont/listing/retail-space-for-lease/417-n-main-st-bloomington-il-61701/cs11356072 According to the County website, taxes on this building are $1,511.88 a year. http://mcleanil.devnetwedge.com/view/RE/21-04-189-003/2017 The building is owned by ZCV3 LLC. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.point2homes.com/US/Commercial-For-Sale/IL/Bloomington/Downtown-Bloomington/602604-N-Main/51134568.html The building is owned by downtown supporter Mike Manna. Is he fleeing? One caveat: The taxes listed are on a much lower Assessed Value: $93,787 http://mcleanil.devnetwedge.com/view/RE/21-04-178-016/2017 Multiply that by 3.33 and it is supposedly the value of the building. That would be $281,361. Is the asking price too high or the […]
When does the first person trip and sue? If the City doesn’t want to pay for stop lights, why aren’t they out-doing Normal with TWO roundabouts? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout Did a planter used to be in front of Rosie’s too? I heard one was there briefly! Can anyone confirm? .
By: Diane Benjamin Only you can stop the welcoming ordinance! . Show up or it will pass in the future! . . . . . _____________________________________ .http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=17702 The Council is meeting at 5:00 only for an Executive Session (Secret Meeting): I’m betting the collective bargaining contract won’t ban pension spiking. The City needs to lead […]
By: Diane Benjamin YMCA, State Farm, and now Specs Around Town are just some businesses who have or will be leaving downtown Bloomington. City of Bloomington: Whatever you are doing is causing flight from downtown. Downtown is for bars, restaurants, lawyers, and government. Until Bloomington quits trying to make downtown something it isn’t, the few businesses […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is Rosie’s on Front Street. Your thoughts? Have you seen cute downtown seating outside in other cities? (without the corral?) These pics are of the Market Street garage the City wants torn down. They were sent by a reader who doesn’t see what the problem is. The City did spend money […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council thinks they can make downtown a destination. The Coliseum and the BCPA were supposed to do the same thing. Since the Council spent close to two hours last night discussing beautification and streets, it proves the MILLIONS already spent have failed. There were some tiny shreds of fiscal responsibility when […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City Manager has issued a report for February. The library stats posted for 2018 are not the same stats used in 2017, so I took the ones that can be compared and turned them into a chart. 2018 Library facts: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=16111 2017 Library facts: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=12434 The library wasn’t included in the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts were meant to redevelop blighted areas. They divert all increases in property taxes to the City and then to the developers. The taxes are diverted FROM all other taxing bodies like schools, library, county, township, etc. Downtown Bloomington had a long term TIF that expired a couple […]
By: Diane Benjamin Downtown Bloomington is dead. The only people who don’t understand that were elected by the people who didn’t bother to vote last April. The Coliseum and the Cultural District failed to revitalize downtown. When will the Council quit throwing money away? When you change who is on the Council!
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve heard from a reliable source that State Farm is not remodeling their downtown Bloomington building. It will be empty in mid January. Grand Cafe is not going to re-open. Maybe you can help compile a list of businesses no longer downtown. Lancasters Chocolatier Mueller, Reece & Hinch Attorneys Who else? Anybody open […]
By: Diane Benjamin Continuation from this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/12/26/lets-talk-tifs/ Who got money to improve their properties: 215 E Douglas – E Douglas Apartments. The owner of 215 E Douglas is listed in the County Assessor’s office as Mike Manna. Illinois House – 201-213 W. Jefferson Ralph Turner, partner in the Darrell Hartweg Law firm 408 W Washington […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t understand that Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a slush fund for government friends, the Town and Normal and the City of Bloomington will continue to use them to funnel money to people they want to fund. The theory is the money will be recovered with increasing property tax values […]
by: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal are bankrupting their towns and citizens with Utopian dreams. The difference is Normal spent taxpayer money where people can see it, Bloomington threw money away on a failing Coliseum and heavily subsidized BCPA. The difference is obvious when you look at the Christmas decorations the towns put up. […]
By: Diane Benjamin I almost feel sorry for Tari. Citizens who disagree with actions of the City and Tari were pretty furious last night. I’m sure by the end Tari was ready for it to be over. I expect his next event to be stacked with a lot more supporters. Schedule: 12/12 – 5:30 – […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve received several reports from citizens about State Farm leaving their building in downtown Bloomington. One person just commented they are in the process of moving out the last group now. When did the evacuation start? Why isn’t that public knowledge? Did the Bloomington City Council know? Is the City of Bloomington […]
By: Diane Benjamin Your elected aldermen in Bloomington really have guts! On the same day they found out at least $1 Million was stolen from you – they voted to slap higher sewer and storm water rates on the victims of their ineptness! Yes, that would be Bloomington taxpayers. The conversation was really amusing. Scott […]
By: Diane Benjamin You already know that Tari Renner’s handpicked committee doesn’t represent the interest of anybody outside their tiny group who think downtown is the future. (Decades of facts to the contrary are immaterial) https://blnnews.com/2017/05/03/taris-downtown-task-force/ I know you don’t need proof, but: You can see what they have been up to here: http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-552 I […]
Unbelievably busy!
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/09/13/it-keeps-getting-funnier/ Just who was this day for? The kids are in school. People are at work, so did they expect the downtown lawyers and staff to love the idea of losing parking spots? Should San Francisco stay in California? I wonder if Bloomington is trying to compete with Uptown […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari’s Downtown Task Force mostly consists of people who had their hand out for your money and Council people dying to give them more. The entire rest of Bloomington has no representation. Maybe that’s why moving the library and adding a bus transfer point got shredded at the meeting Monday night. See […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Sage decided to have an opinion last night, but the media probably missed it. It didn’t happen during the regular meeting – it happened during aldermen comments before adjourning. What was Sage outraged about? Moving the library! He pulled the minutes of the joint Library/Council meeting in June (that wasn’t live […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night the Council has bills to pay, massive pension payments to approve, and a little misc stuff. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14583 See page 285. A consultant came up with a “Branding Concept” for downtown: . That means signs: Payment to KMA design of $62,190 was approved in 2016, Monday they get another […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last week I received this email from a patron of a downtown Bloomington business: When I drove down Main Street today, I noticed that several businesses had their doors wide open. I made a comment to an employee at the locale where I was conducting my business about the nice weather outside. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Want proof council meetings are really immaterial because decisions are all made in advance? Tari formed a Downtown Study Committee before getting Council approval! That approval is on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=12806 Getting approval must have been an afterthought since this item was added as an addendum. Of course […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Budget Task Force was ignored, so I have no idea why Tari is organizing another task force for downtown. More interesting is who he appointed: Justin Boyd – Tari’s campaign chairman Tricia Stiller – head of the Downtown Business Association (DBA) that was supposed to be self-sufficient years ago. They still […]
By: Diane Benjamin There are people in Bloomington who don’t care what high taxes under Tari Renner are doing to the poor. How many Bloomington residents know the City DOUBLED the amount landlords pay to register properties? Who is hurt? Renters – the poor. If any members of the Council complain about high rents so […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has a ridiculous editorial today urging the City to spend spend spend on downtown. They must not realize with building the Coliseum and covering the losses, rehabbing the BCPA, and with the TIF dollars from the past – Bloomington is probably close to spending $100,000,000. Don’t forget to add the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nothing citizens said at the Citizen’s Summit mattered. Nothing Bring It On Bloomington said mattered either. The Budget Task Force was a joke. The Downtown Stakeholders meeting held last night was equally for show, except the City most likely bought the food that was served. The stakeholders nixed a downtown hotel! Therefore, […]
