By Neil Doyle
BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington City Council have decided to partner with a private sector to convert the former Bloomington High School into affordable housing for seniors.
Alderman passed the proposal by an 8-1 margin Monday night as the city will team up with Iceberg Development Group to undergo the project on East Washington Street.
Bloomington Economic Development Coordinator Austin Grammar addressed the council as he stated the guidelines for potential housing applicants.
“Has to be seniors that are 55-years-old or older and meet certain income requirements, preferences for Bloomington residents that are veterans and preferacne for just Bloomington residents in general,” said Grammar.
City Manager Tim Gleason said the city should be happy with this investment as it will help residents and the community.
“I know I’ve said this before but this is a rare opportunity for our community,” said Gleason. “Often times you find old schools and old churches that become problematic for communities but this investment is a huge opportunity for us.”
Iceberg’s total investment in the property is around $17 million, as the city will pay just under $228,720 over 10 years to the group.
In other agenda items, alderman approved a $1.00 sale of acreage to the local Boys and Girls Club. The sale includes 3.34 acres which will come from Sunnyside Park as the group will build a brand new clubhouse. The organization will use private donations and grants in order to take on the project.
The structure is anticipated to be around three times larger than the organizations’ current location.
Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]
