By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – The demolition of State Farm’s former Downtown Bloomington headquarters would signal a loss of faith in the city, according to one of the participants in a listening and strategy session conducted Friday evening at City Hall.
City Council member Jenn Carrillo organized the meeting, attended by about 30 people. The high-rise that dominates the downtown skyline is in Carrillo’s ward.
Carrillo played the role of facilitator, asking what she described as a devil’s advocate-type question of participants who don’t want city tax dollars spent to save the building.
“How do we generate interest and investment in our downtown if we’ve allowed arguably the most significant structure downtown to come down?”
“We were told that very same song-and-dance with BCPA, with the Coliseum,” participant Gary Lambert responded.
Allen Brokken said if the goal is to attract a tech company downtown, perhaps tied to Rivian Automotive, it might be best to offer a clear space instead of an old building,
Brokken asked, “What does it do to downtown business when a modern building that has amenities, and is configured, and set up to be the next 100 years of Bloomington’s history, not the last 100 years of Bloomington’s history?”
Ryan Abbott said he worked in maintenance at the building for 13 years, and believes this is a seize-the-moment opportunity for the downtown building that’s in the best condition.
“We don’t have buildings that are in that good of shape that are maintained by a Fortune 500 company anywhere downtown,” said Abbott.
“So it really doesn’t make any sense to me to tear the best building down, that you have any chance of doing anything with and revitalizing this downtown,” Abbott also said.
Local historian Greg Koos believes the city can use existing ordinances to delay the demolition, giving those wishing to preserve the building more time to come up with other options.
Jeanne Howard wants to see a “bustling” downtown like Champaign that attracts young people, but losing the State Farm building suggests Bloomington’s downtown does not have much of a future.
“I feel like we’re well on our way to becoming a hollowed-out, empty, meaningless community where there’s nothing special about us,” said Howard.
“I think one small piece of the answer is saving something that is special right now that’s in wonderful shape, that makes us distinctive and different,” Howard added.
Carrillo is planning another session on Wednesday, to be held at 6 p.m. at the McLean County Museum of History.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at howard.packowitz@cumulus.com
