The design and name for the Monroe County Convention Center expansion project are lined up for several final approvals in the next two months.
If all goes as planned, the years-long process to build the expanded convention center may be completed as soon as January 2027.
At a meeting Wednesday of the Capital Improvement Board — the joint-city and county board formed to oversee the center expansion — Eddie Layton, project manager at Schmidt Associates architecture and engineering firm, presented the latest timeline for the project.
In January and February, the CIB will present several variances to the city Board of Zoning Appeals and propose to the Board of Public Works its skywalk across College Avenue.
One item in the works is a bus pull-off lane along Third Street. CIB President John Whikehart said the board initially proposed a 300-foot cutout lane to the Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department, which was not receptive due to its impact on the sidewalk and trees.
Whikehart said some bus drop-off space is necessary because buses can’t open doors in traffic and so conference attendees can reach their ride without crossing the street, among other reasons.
The CIB met with the department again this week, where it proposed a 100-foot lane instead, which civil engineer Bill Riggert said would fit about two coaches. The department was more receptive to that idea, Whikehart said, but discussions are ongoing. It will then require approval from the city council.
According to the latest project schedule, the center design is on track to be finalized next month, with construction starting as early as June. The construction could be completed by January or February 2027.
Layton, the architecture and engineering firm’s project manager, said that since the CIB’s last meeting, designers reworked the layout of an outdoor patio space to increase occupancy. They also moved the locations of some restrooms, redistributing them more evenly through the building, and created layout concepts for the center’s exhibit hall.
The CIB will also choose the name of the new center and has narrowed down considerations for the name.
CIB member Jim Silberstein said those considerations include the target audience, differentiation from other Bloomington building names and the suffix — if the venue will be a “civic,” “convention” or other sort of center.
They will consult a number of community groups that also gave design feedback on the center design last year. One new contributor will be the Monroe County History Center. Silberstein said the group will present the feedback it gets at the next CIB meeting and ideallysubmit a final name for approval in March.
Geoff McKim, who became the newest CIB member when he was sworn in Wednesday, asked if further public input on the name would be during public comment. Silberstein said that opportunity would be at the board’s next meeting.
Whikehart said selling the rights to the convention center name, which would require mayoral and county commissioner approval, is out of the question.
“So, we are not looking to sell naming rights for the ‘Chick-fil-A Convention Center’ in Bloomington, Indiana,” Whikehart said as an example.
During public comment, Monroe County Democratic Party Chair and County Councilor David Henry asked about any union construction labor agreements discussed with the board.
Whikehart said they've met with union representatives about the construction but would likely have more to share at the CIB’s next meeting Feb. 19.
Henry and Whikehart both lamented the absence of Dave Askins, the Bloomington local government reporter who operated the independent news website B-Square Bulletin for over five years. Askins wrote on his site in December he would stop his coverage.
“It’s truly a loss, I think, in our community for this board and for all of our boards and commissions and elected bodies who will no longer have that coverage,” Whikehart said.
