By Mike Matejka
The Bloomington City Council did the right thing Monday night when they approved beginning discussions on a downtown redevelopment effort.
There are always risk when such projects are launched; at the same time, our downtown is crying for that extra boost to turn it into the destination that it deserves. A frequent criticism of efforts like this is that only private dollars, not public, should trigger the investment. Like it or not, it’s become an economic fact that redevelopment efforts, particularly in older areas, don’t happen without financial support from local government. Uptown Normal shows how private investment dollars can flow, once a community is willing to financially open the door for a developer. Downtown Bloomington deserves the same opportunity.
City council members asked the right questions Monday night and were cautious in their approach, but willing to explore. It was commendable that not only did they see the pitfalls, but also recognized the opportunity that can come with a revitalized downtown.
The other great potential here is the developer, Jeff Giebelhausen. Sunday afternoon we drove through East Peoria, which is now incredibly busy with new stores, restaurants and hotels. It wasn’t that long ago that area was old industrial buildings that Caterpillar no longer used. East Peoria was facing a shrinking community and young Mayor Giebelhausen knew his town needed a spark. Thanks to his efforts, both as Mayor and as a developer, East Peoria has a stronger tax base today, because new businesses have located there.
Downtown Bloomington, with its historic architecture and new Route 66, Looking for Lincoln visitors’ center, has the potential to draw shoppers, diners , tourists and entertainment seekers. If the vision outlined Monday night comes true, some older, crumbling buildings will fall and potentially the Commerce Bank building could be integrated into a new development. The process is open ended, the city council is listening carefully and asking the right questions, hopefully the puzzle pieces will come together to make Downtown Bloomington a desired destination.
Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, covering 11,000 union Laborers in northern Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He lives in Bloomington with his wife and daughter and their two dogs. He served on the Bloomington City Council for 18 years, is a past president of the McLean County Historical Society and Vice-President of the Illinois Labor History Society.
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