By HOI ABC
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s proposed $230.3 million budget for the next fiscal year includes a money to repair a downtown parking garage that at least two city council members would like to see torn down.
News partner HOI ABC reports city staffers recommend the council approve $1.3 million to repair the 46-year old Market Street garage, which has 350 spaces. The staff said repairs would give the garage another 5-7 years of use.
A couple of council members said Monday night they’re tired of spending money for temporary solutions.
“1974 is the same year I was born,” said Council member Jamie Mathy.
“At what point do we stop throwing money at this garage?”
Council member Scott Black said, “There’s no doubt of the need for it. We have paying customers that are there when you do First Fridays, it’s filled to the brim with people. When I drive past it, there are people constantly coming and going out of there.”
“I don’t want to spend any more money in this garage. I want it torn down and a new one built.” Black said.
A couple of years ago, a council majority rejected the idea of turning the Market Street deck into a new public library and Connect Transit transfer center.
Also in the budget, to be finalized in the coming weeks, is $738,000 for design work on a new O’Neil Park swimming pool on Bloomington’s west side.
The aluminum pool is 45 years old, but was supposed to last 25 years. City staffers said there have been enough repairs to open the pool again this summer.
The proposed budget is 1.2 percent more than the current fiscal year’s budget, but city staffers recommend property taxes remain unchanged. The next fiscal year starts May 1.
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