By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Alderwoman Amelia Buragas said there are still a lot questions yet to be answered about possible downtown redevelopment.

Monday night the city council voted to continue looking into a proposal to knockout four buildings in preparation for redevelopment. Buragas told WJBC’s Dan Swaney it’s too soon to tell what might end up there.

“One suggestion is to leave it very open ended, to see what kind of creative ideas people would bring to us. Is a hotel a possibility? Yes, of course it is,” said Buragas. “A lot of people believe a hotel could be very successful in downtown Bloomington. Not everyone agrees with that.

“Other people believe we would be better served by more of a mixed use facility.”

Buragas explained former East Peoria Mayor Jeff Giebelhausen, who presented to the council Monday night, might be one who is interested in developing downtown.

“It’s nice to know that someone like Mr. Geibelhausen, who has a record of development not just in East Peoria but also within our community, is interested in helping us stimulate economic development; especially in downtown,” she said.

Podcast: Listen to Buragas’ conversation on WJBC.

If Bloomington does end up removing the buildings, it could cost as much as $8.2 million. With the city already struggling to balance the budget, how would that be paid for? Buragas said the city’s structural deficit and economic development are separate issues.

“In terms of capital development, or economic development plans, it is generally considered to be very acceptable, even desirable, to put out issue bonds,” said Buragas. “That is considered to be a responsible way to deal with it.”

Buragas said the city should not issue bonds to make payroll or to cover basic city services.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].