Bloomington Seeks Planning Team for Project
The city of Bloomington’s Redevelopment Commission has issued a Request for Information seeking a Master Planning and Design team for the IU Health Bloomington Hospital redevelopment project. Officials say the hospital site will be available when IU Health leaves its current buildings and moves to the new IU Health Bloomington Regional Academic Health Center on the city’s east side in late 2021.
The team will work to develop Master Plan and Design Guidelines that meet the city’s approval and express a new vision for the site into zoning updates for approval by the City Plan Commission and the Common Council.
The space is made up of 24 acres of land currently occupied by IU Health Bloomington Hospital and its affiliated operations currently zoned for medical use. The terms of the purchase agreement stipulated that most of the current hospital buildings be demolished, according to a news release.
“The hospital site represents a rare opportunity to shape the sustainable redevelopment of a central part of our city,” said Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton. “We look forward to engaging a master planning team that will help all of us in the community to produce an ambitious and achievable vision for the site, one that can provide a future-oriented new section of downtown with mixed housing, sustainable economic opportunities, and a stronger community for all.”
The Concept Plan for the hospital site includes the following goals for its redevelopment:
• Assist with housing needs for a variety of housing types/different income levels
• Provide office space for new and existing businesses
• Maintain neighborhood scale
• Contribute to the network of public spaces
• Re-stitch the street grid, breaking up the mega-block
• Link key City assets to strengthen connections between people and places
• Include other community assets, such as an arts and activity center, an urgent care facility, and education and skilled trades training facilities
Responses to the RFI are due December 19.