Capital Improvement Board President John Whikehart said there’s a “sense of urgency” to quickly develop a hotel for the Monroe Convention Center expansion.
Jane Kupersmith, Bloomington economic and sustainable development director, said at the board’s meeting Wednesday there is no formal change in the hotel’s status, but the city continues to work with developer Dora Hospitality. The developer hasn’t yet purchased its preferred property for the hotel north of the convention center. That land is currently owned by the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission.
The Capital Improvement Board is a joint city-county group formed in 2023 to oversee the Monroe Convention Center expansion — which the CIB voted to rename to Bloomington Convention Center in February, though it’s still referred to by its original name on meeting agendas and signs. The board picked Dora over two other potential hoteliers in October.
The hotel would be the main place of lodging for the expanded convention center, according to Dora’s proposal to the CIB. The existing convention center is connected to a Courtyard by Marriott hotel.
“Our goal is to have an expansion opened in January of 2027, and the longer it takes for this process with the hotel to play out, the further it is out from that date before a host hotel is opened,” Whikehart said.
Kupersmith said she anticipates the subject coming before the RDC at its April 7 meeting.
Whikehart said the three hoteliers who submitted proposals in October said it was at least a two-and-a-half-year project. He said if there’s no progress with Dora’s selected property, it will be up to the developer to find a “plan B.”
At the CIB meeting Wednesday, the board also approved the project’s first of three construction contract cost caps, OK’d a contract to remove some trees around the expansion site and authorized the board president to make change orders up to $25,000 during construction. Change orders are changes to an existing construction contract.
Whikehart said he and board legal counsel Jim Whitlach will meet with Visit Bloomington’s Mike McAfee and Mike Campbell of the county convention and visitors commission soon to discuss putting the visitor center in the expanded space.
“What better way to market to conventioneers what’s happening in Bloomington than to have Visit Bloomington be co-located in the facility where our convention-goers are?” Whikehart said.
Visit Bloomington’s visitor center is located at 2855 N. Walnut St., about 2.3 miles north of the convention center. It offers maps, souvenirs and staff to provide directions and information.
The convention center now needs permit approvals from the Bloomington Plan Commission and city utilities in the coming weeks, but construction is still on track for June. The board next meets April 16.
