Committee of the Whole - 10/19/2026

The City of Bloomington Committee of the Whole met October 19, 2026, and heard presentations from two developers seeking to redevelop the city-owned 801 North Main Street site; no developer was selected and no redevelopment funding or contract action was taken. Franklin Park Foundation presented a roughly $62.5 million project for 260 residences and 40,500 square feet of commercial space, with private financing and three parking alternatives. Its original request included a roughly $15.5 million shared parking deck and TIF-eligible site and infrastructure work; it also offered an alternative privately financed deck or a plan with no deck. Royce & Brinkmeyer presented a project estimated at just under $40 million and said it would require reduced land/site costs and a TIF rebate to meet its financing thresholds. Council questions addressed project scale, affordability, parking, financing, and local labor. Franklin Park Foundation asked that both proposals and their terms return to the council and public for consideration, but no direction or vote on the proposals was recorded.

The council also discussed proposed building-code updates, including adoption of the 2021 International Code Council codes and 2023 National Electrical Code, removal of the local energy-code requirement, and changes affecting permits, contractor registration, and fire-suppression rules. Staff said a vote was planned for October 26, with the updates intended to take effect January 1, 2027. The council discussed, but did not resolve, possible local restrictions on vape vending machines; staff/legal were asked to continue work on a potential ordinance. No contract awards or other procurement approvals were identified.