HOPEWELL
UPDATES
October 11, 2024
Hopewell Moving Forward on All Fronts
It has been a busy year for the Hopewell Neighborhood. As of January 2024, the city has been in full ownership of the entire 24 acres purchased from IU Health Bloomington Hospital. There has been activity in Hopewell South, East and West. Each section is moving toward its next stage of integration into our city fabric as Bloomington’s next great neighborhood!
The most visible development of the Hopewell Neighborhood can be seen at Hopewell East. After breaking ground over a year ago, the below grade infrastructure work is complete and the street pattern is integrated into our City grid. Hopewell Commons that connects with the B-Line has taken form and awaits landscaping, site furnishings and public art. The City Arts Commission solicited and awarded the 1% for the Arts commission for “Undulate”, designed by Jon Racek, to be incorporated into the park. Hopewell Commons is envisioned to be a reprieve for everyday enjoyment as well as a place of celebration for various community events. We look forward to celebrating its opening next Spring!
In addition, the City will soon begin a formal process for Hopewell East to select development partners for the much needed housing in these newly integrated city blocks for residents interested in living close to our downtown core.
Hopewell South demolition is now complete and the First Street reconstruction is more than halfway done. The City has recently issued a formal Public Offering for Hopewell South in search of a development partner for this part of Hopewell. Consistent with the Master Plan, this area is planned to focus on various smaller scale housing options, committed to affordable and workforce housing types that blend well with McDoel Gardens. Serving this area is the reconstruction of 1st Street which has been underway with Milestone Construction.
Hopewell West is also moving forward with infrastructure planning efforts. The Secondary Plat approval process is completed while the consulting engineers, Crossroads, are deep into the infrastructure design work for the utilities and roads of Jackson Street and Rogers Street. The Hopewell West Infrastructure Project is scheduled to initiate the bidding process for construction later this year. At the same time, the Kohr Building Renovation work is preparing for a late 2024 construction start, bringing 38 affordable housing units to this historic building.
As the city puts forth public offerings for development of the housing for each sector of Hopewell, they are guided by recent housing studies, most notably the Indiana Uplands Housing Study released by ROI this April as well as the Bloomington Housing Study 2020. The City of Bloomington is committed to providing affordable (<80% AMI), workforce (80%- 120% AMI) and market rate housing in promoting a diverse, vibrant and sustainable neighborhood!
The City of Bloomington will hold a public event to provide an update on the planned Hopewell neighborhood development on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. You can find additional information about this event at the following link: The City of Bloomington to Host Hopewell Neighborhood Project Update Oct. 23 | City of Bloomington, Indiana.
Just as we move into the beautiful colors of Fall and the last quarter of 2024, we are grateful for all the work that our various city departments and associated partners have done to bring our Hopewell Neighborhood forward!
February 1, 2024
Hopewell South Demolition to begin!
To prepare for the creation of the new Hopewell neighborhood, a demolition project is planned for the neighborhood. This project will not only pave the way for future development efforts but will also remove vacant structures that are creating security concerns for our surrounding neighbors.
The structures are small and will be manually demolished by a team of 2-4 individuals reducing noise impact, vibration and dust compared to other demolition techniques. Some demolition equipment will be used which is already on site, and no explosives are permitted. The team will be working on one structure at a time rather than all of the buildings at once in order to limit the impact on surrounding areas. The buildings will be removed from east to west. Testing and material salvaging has begun, and demolition will begin on February 9th and last approximately 16-20 weeks.
The work associated with the Hopewell South Demolition Project is
scheduled to occur between the hours of 7:00am and 5:30pm, Monday through
Friday, and will adhere to the Bloomington noise ordinance.
Site Plan showing approximate demolition timeline
Only the existing structures are being removed as part of this project as noted on the graphic above. All asphalt paving, concrete pads and walks will remain for the time being. All surfaces will be appropriately graded to prevent drainage issues and prepare for future work. Any necessary abatement will take place by certified contractors.
The City of Bloomington has worked closely with our demolition contractor, Renascent, to plan and implement the Hopewell South Demolition Project after also completing several recent demolition projects in the surrounding area, including the IUH Legacy Hospital site. As with all their projects, Renascent is working closely with the City of Bloomington to ensure the safety of our neighboring communities and businesses. Temporary construction fencing has already been installed to ensure safety during the demolition work.
Construction traffic will come and go from West 1st Street rather than other streets to minimize disruption to the neighborhood. No lane closures are currently planned, but future notifications will be posted if this changes.
The Renascent site contact for this work is Anthony Larsen. Mr. Larsen can be reached at 317-457-0969 for the duration of this project. The Project Manager working on behalf of the City is Desma Belsaas with J.S. Held. Ms. Belsaas can be reached at 317-981-7257 if project concerns arise.
We apologize for any inconvenience this work may cause and we look forward to working with to you create a Better Blueprint for Bloomington!
December 18, 2023
Hopewell Year in Review
Hopewell is planned to complete 2023 with a final conveyance of property and continues to achieve milestones that will pave the way for private development of 700-1000 housing units in downtown Bloomington. This new neighborhood will bring affordability, sustainability, and design excellence to this area.
Click Here for additional details.
October 20, 2023
Contract Awarded for Demolition of Hopewell Building South of 1st Street.
The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission (RDC) awarded a $352,052
contract to Renascent to demolish several buildings south of 1st Street.
Read more about this award at https://bsquarebulletin.com/2023/10/20/350k-demolition-contract-for-1st-street-hopewell-buildings-okd-one-needs-historic-review/
Image Credit | Google Maps
July 19, 2023
Community Members Invited to Hopewell Neighborhood Groundbreaking
Mayor John Hamilton, the Redevelopment Commission (RDC), and
City of Bloomington Capital Improvement Board (CBCI) invite community members
to attend a groundbreaking for the new neighborhood of Hopewell. This
investment will set the stage for a new inclusive Bloomington neighborhood
where people from all walks of life and all ages, incomes, abilities, and
backgrounds can thrive.
The groundbreaking will take place on Friday, July 21, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. on W. 2nd
St. between S. Rogers St and S. Morton St. Free parking is available nearby.
Please refer to the image below for location and parking information.
For more information, please contact Angela Van Rooy, Interim Communications
Director, Office of the Mayor at angela.vanrooy@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3505.
March 8, 2023
Hopewell Neighborhood to Receive $1.8 million from The Indiana Uplands READI Steering Committee and Regional Opportunity Initiatives
Bloomington will receive $1.8 million in Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI)funding for construction on Jackson Street as part of the new Hopewell neighborhood. This housing investment was approved by the Indiana Uplands READI Steering Committee and the Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) Board of Directors, and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). The Indiana Uplands is an 11-county region encompassing Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties.
The City of Bloomington is redeveloping the 24-acre site now known as Hopewell, formerly the location of IU Health Bloomington Hospital and surrounding properties. READI funding will support the design and construction of a 350-foot portion of Jackson Street as a brand-new corridor for housing in the diverse neighborhood in downtown Bloomington. The vision for Hopewell includes a number of housing designs and density types for all income levels, including increasing owner-occupied and rental workforce housing. Read more about the Hopewell project at hopewellbloomington.org.
“Buying Hopewell lets us rebuild from the ground up a new neighborhood in our downtown – and this grant accelerates the process,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “We will restore a city-scale grid of streets and sidewalks to support a mix of housing types built for sustainability and affordability. We are delighted to have READI support in realizing this dynamic vision.”
About the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) in the Indiana Uplands
In May 2021, Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) launched the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), a transformational initiative with $500 million in state appropriations to promote strategic investments to make Indiana a magnet for talent and economic growth.
Seventeen regions, including the Indiana Uplands, developed plans that outline strategies focused on improving the quality of place, quality of life, and quality of opportunity. The Indiana Uplands plan, entitled “A Region on the Rise,” can be accessed on the ROI website at: regionalopportunityinc.org/readi
For more information and announcements on Indiana Uplands READI projects, please visit: regionalopportunityinc.org/readi-projects
About the Indiana Uplands
The Indiana Uplands is an 11-county region encompassing Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties. In a region replete with talent and resources, it is home to Naval Support Activity Crane, the third-largest Naval Installation in the world; the number one small Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for specialized employment in the medical devices and equipment category and 4th for drugs and pharmaceuticals; and an automotive and heavy manufacturing cluster that has grown by more than 93% since 2012. Uplanders—from students to visionaries, artisans to entrepreneurs— call these 11 counties home. Learn more at inuplands.org.
About Regional Opportunity Initiatives
Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to advance economic and community prosperity in the 11 counties of the Indiana Uplands (Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties). ROI’s is growing potential and possibility in the Uplands through a focus on advanced industry sectors, regionalism, transformative school and workforce redesign, and placemaking strategies. Learn more at regionalopportunityinc.org.
February 22, 2023
Mayor Hamilton Names Four Board Members for City of Bloomington Capital Improvements 501c3
On Friday, March 3, four community members will be appointed to the City of Bloomington Capital Improvements, Inc. (CBCI) board. Mayor John Hamilton has identified Mick Renneisen, Sarah Bauerle Danzman, John West, and Valerie Peña to be the first four members to serve on the CBCI. Under the draft Bylaws of CBCI, the Bloomington City Council is identified to appoint a fifth member. CBCI is a new 501c3 nonprofit corporation established to advance several initiatives in the interests of the community, particularly related to Bloomington in three potential areas – housing and Hopewell, the arts, and technology/jobs.
Mick Renneisen served as Deputy Mayor for the City of Bloomington from 2016 to early 2021. Prior to that he served as Administrator of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department from 1996-2015. His long service to the City is complemented by his service on the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board and the School of Public Health Dean’s Associates.. Mick served as the Hamilton administration’s lead during the Master Planning process for the Hopewell project. Mick has been a part of or at the center of initiatives, projects, and award-winning work during his years in public service and brings that experience and expertise to the board.
Sarah Bauerle Danzman, a political scientist and associate professor of international studies at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, is also the Director of the Tobias Center for Innovation in International Development at Indiana University. Her research interests with regard to investment and capital and experience at the Office of Investment Affairs in the U.S. Department of State (2019-2020), combined with her local service in the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission, brings important experience and understanding of complex and interrelated issues to the board.
John West, an Indiana licensed Real Estate Broker since 1984, has been owner of FC Tucker/Bloomington Realtors since 1991. A past member of the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission, he currently serves on the Hopewell Steering Committee (formerly Hospital Reuse Committee). He brings a deep knowledge of Bloomington neighborhoods and experience in community service to the board.
Valerie Peña is Associate Vice President for the Office of University Relations. Additionally, she serves as executive director of the Center of Representative Government. Peña is an experienced executive with a decorated track record in non-profit growth and development. She is also committed to service, as evidenced by her role on the City of Bloomington Animal Control Commission. She brings organizational, managerial, and non-profit experience to the board.
The organizational meeting of CBCI will be held on March 3 at 12:30 p.m. in the McCloskey Conference Room of City Hall at 401 N Morton St. There will be a Zoom option for public attendance (link is below). The meeting will begin with incorporator and City Controller Jeff Underwood appointing the directors, and then the directors will discuss and adopt bylaws.
“Initiatives that support community interests are vital to Bloomington’s culture and economy and improve the quality of life for residents while attracting visitors,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “Finding the right people willing to dedicate their time and expertise to this body dedicated to our community assets is exciting.”
CBCI will potentially oversee major projects that involve city ownership of land and structures but not core city services or functions. The CBCI will focus on the Hopewell project in the immediate future. Engagement with other City projects, including arts and economic development related initiatives, may come in the future.
Read about the activation of CBCI at bloomington.in.gov/news/2023/01/12/5459.
October 31, 2022
Progress on Hopewell Neighborhood Moves Bloomington Toward Greater Diversity, Sustainability, and Affordability
On Friday, Hopewell Steering Committee co-chairs Mayor Hamilton and Vi Simpson, along with members, and city staff received updates in a Hopewell Steering Committee meeting on the Hopewell Neighborhood project. Progress continues, with Phase 1 East demolition and site restoration that began in late August now complete. Material haul-off for recycling and disposal took place over a few weeks in September and October. The Hopewell Phase 1 East project site is bounded by 2nd Street to the north, 1st Street to the south, B-Line to the east, and Rogers Street to the west.
The City Engineering Department is seeking bids for the infrastructure phase of the project, with construction to start early next year. The infrastructure phase will construct a north-south extension of Madison Street from 1st to 2nd Street and a new east-west street, named University Street, from Morton to Rogers Street. Along the north side of the new University Street, the project will create a linear park with a wetland garden, tree grove, stage/lawn area, and other park amenities. The infrastructure work will support the creation of 15 parcels totaling over 3.5 acres of developable land. The targeted completion date for this phase is spring 2024.
“This neighborhood is named to honor the past and envision the future,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “The community values embodied in the Hopewell name will carry forward and expand to include sustainability, affordability, and opportunity.”
Project Background
In May 2018, the City of Bloomington entered into a purchase agreement with IU Health for the 24-acre hospital site. The legacy hospital on W 2nd Street was decommissioned and demolished, and IU Health Bloomington opened its new University Academic Health Center at 2651 E Discovery Parkway on December 5, 2021.
The City chose the name “Hopewell” for the neighborhood because of its long history of association with the site. The 10-room house that was on the site and became our community’s first hospital once belonged to Isaac Hopewell and served the community as the Hopewell House for nearly six decades. You can read more about the building’s history at bloomington.in.gov/news/2022/02/04/5101.
Hopewell Goals
Bloomington looks to diversify and expand opportunities for all, constructing a new neighborhood where people from all walks of life and all ages, incomes, abilities, and backgrounds can thrive. Specifically, this means targeting affordable workforce housing with affordability built into the master plan. Hopewell is expected to have up to 1,000 residential units including multi-family, single-family, multi-plex, and townhomes. The goal is that at least 20% of the units will be affordable and workforce housing.
Hopewell is also being planned with sustainability in mind, to advance toward a zero-carbon future. Hopewell will incorporate best practices in sustainable redevelopment as a blueprint for a more equitable, livable, and resilient Bloomington. Specifically, this includes its near-downtown location with access to businesses, parks, and public transit lines, as well as design and on-site features. The neighborhood’s public and private amenities will help it serve as a natural hub and reduce its carbon footprint. Sustainability strategies are included in the consultant’s scope of work for the master plan, including area ecology, health and wellbeing, and long-term impacts. Read more about City of Bloomington sustainability and climate action at bloomington.in.gov/sustainability.
Hopewell is also being planned for the overall excellence of design, both in public spaces and private development. A new neighborhood that is affordable and sustainable can also be a beautiful and inspiring place to live.
Preservation
The legacy hospital parking garage and historic Kohr Administration building will be maintained. The Bloomington City Council voted in early 2021 to support the Historic Preservation Commission vote to preserve the 1940’s Art Deco Kohr Building, which will give the neighborhood a beautiful and interesting structure for function and an architectural point of interest. The parking garage will serve an important function and allow streets, paths, and greenways to be constructed without a high volume of parking spaces.
Community Engagement
In addition to releasing updates city-wide throughout this process, the City has been direct with outreach to proximal neighborhoods/neighborhood organizations. These include The Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), Prospect Hill, McDoel Gardens, Near Westside. The City is also using direct outreach in the form of door hangers and informational signage. Information at hopewellbloomington.org includes the master plan and FAQs.
Outreach to the construction community, Monroe County Apartment Association (MCAA), Building Association of South-Central Indiana (BASCI), and Exchange Club is in-process or scheduled. The Hopewell Steering Committee is actively working to identify partnerships that can be shared with developers, making full use of community strengths and connections in realizing this project’s potential.
Looking Forward
By the end of 2023, IU Health will transfer the remaining four parcels in the development area to the City of Bloomington, giving the City a total of ten parcels for development. One of these contains the existing parking garage (parcel 4) and another the historic Kohr Building (parcel 5). As each stage of this project progresses, the City will continue to release updates and reach out to neighborhoods and community organizations. People interested in receiving updates about the project can sign up at https://bton.in/j7wEN.
Slides shared with the steering committee on October 28 are available at https://bton.in/jzXJH
February 4, 2022
Former Hospital Site Designated as “Hopewell” Neighborhood
The City of Bloomington is pleased to announce that “Hopewell” will be the name for the new neighborhood to be created following the decommissioning and demolition of the former IU Health Bloomington campus on West 2nd Street. The Hopewell name has a long history of association with the site.
Shrewsberry & Associates, LLC submitted a Primary Plat with the Hopewell name for the City Plan Commission’s review and approval at their February 7th public hearing on behalf of the City of Bloomington Redevelopment Commission. The plat refers to this area as the “Hopewell Subdivision”, names the streets, and identifies the proposed new parcels for future development. This plat is focused on the block bound by 2nd Street, Rogers Street, 1st Street, and the B-Line. This is a necessary step to dedicate various utility easements and additional rights-of-way for facilities such as an extension of Madison Street from 2nd Street to 1st Street and a new east-west street to be named University Street between Rogers and Morton Streets.
In 1905, Bloomington’s Local Council of Women bought a 10-room red brick house that would become our community’s first hospital. The house, located on a portion of the acreage that became Bloomington Hospital and later IU Health Bloomington Hospital, once belonged to Isaac Hopewell. The property came to be known by that name, linking “Hopewell” to the site for generations to come. The Local Council of Women converted that home into the much-needed local hospital. The local activists and volunteers supported the hospital with canned goods, garden produce, fundraisers, and even raising chickens to help feed patients.
Serving as part of Bloomington’s hospital for nearly six decades, Hopewell House was eventually razed in the summer of 1963. The beautiful legacy of Hopewell House – residents taking action to care for each other – continues to inspire the many individuals working to ensure that this new neighborhood in the heart of Bloomington remains a place of compassion, good health, and perpetual optimism. More information about the history of the former hospital site, now known as Hopewell, can be found at https://bton.in/advRF.
The City contracted with Borshoff, an Indianapolis-based advertising, and public relations firm, to assist with naming and branding the former hospital site. In the process of selecting the Hopewell name, representatives of the City and Borshoff conducted one-on-one interviews and small group engagement sessions with a variety of stakeholders. These contributors shared a broad variety of perspectives representing their diverse interests and expertise, including business, arts, environment and sustainability, healthcare and human services, development, education, community history, neighborhoods, and government.
“The Hopewell name captures a bit of the history of the site and at the same time projects an inspiring vision for its future. Generations to come will be influenced by the notion that this is a community with a long and proud history of people stepping up to take care of each other. Today, that means we must work together on not only accessible healthcare, but accessible greenspace, equitable housing opportunities, and a commitment to sustainability. We look forward to continuing to work together to build a neighborhood that reflects our core values,” commented Mayor John Hamilton.
