Bloomington announces request for bond to buy CFC Showers building
The City of Bloomington has announced plans to spend $34 million, including the issuance of $29.5 million in general revenue bonds to fund the purchase of the CFC Showers building and remodel 2 fire stations. The City Administration announced their intention to purchase and renovate the 64,000-square-foot CFC Showers building contiguous to City Hall, to establish a new public safety headquarters, including relocating the police station and fire and police administration offices. The improvements also include rebuilding Fire Station #1 (E 4th St), remodeling Fire Station #3 (Woodlawn Ave), and constructing a new Fire Department training/logistics center and storage facility.
The CFC Showers project, estimated at $23.5 million, would have the Police Department (BPD) and the Fire Department (BFD) administration offices housed together, centrally located downtown in new and improved facilities, and as part of City Hall with dedicated parking. The CFC Showers building is projected to serve the needs of BPD and BFD administration for the next 30 years with room for expansion and flexibility. The proposal to purchase the CFC Showers building located at 320 W. 8th Street was first outlined in July of 2022 (https://bton.in/i!7hA).
The new capital investments also include a major remodel, estimated at $5.5 million, of Fire Station #1 located at 300 E 4th Street. The crucial renovations would bring the building up to current standards, remove the basement, avoid complications of mold remediation, fix known issues, and provide energy efficiency updates. The new layout also follows best practices for maintaining an inclusive space by removing group sleeping areas, showers, and restrooms. The current, temporary location (https://bton.in/-GAww) for Station #1 is not a feasible long-term location.
A major renovation, estimated at $2.5 million, of Fire Station #3 located at 810 N. Woodlawn Avenue would similarly bring the building up to current standards and follow best practices for inclusion.
The remaining $2.5 million investment would construct a much-needed permanent Fire Department training/logistics center and storage facility. The proposed facility would be built on the S. Walnut St city-owned property (edge of Winston Thomas property, https://bton.in/n7PXM).
Staff will present the proposed projects and bonds to the City Council on November 30 at their regular session beginning at 6:30pm
Ivy Tech Bloomington Chancellor Jennie Vaughan announces retirement
After nine years of dedicated leadership as Chancellor and more than 25 years of service at Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington, Jennie Vaughan will retire from her position as Chancellor on May 15, 2023. During her tenure, the campus expanded its reach in the communities it serves, saw record credentials awarded, built unique partnerships, and added new programs to serve the workforce needs of south central Indiana. The College will conduct a nationwide search for the next Chancellor and details will be made public in the near future.
Under Vaughan’s leadership, the campus increased accessibility to high-quality education beyond Bloomington city limits, offering career certification courses in Bedford at the StoneGate Arts & Education Center, the Brown County Career Resource Center, the North Lawrence Career Center, and Ivy Tech Mooresville, among others. More than 5,600 students have completed industry-based courses at these locations.
During her time, the campus added key programs, including the award-winning Pathway to Licensure in partnership with Monroe County Community School Corporation, automotive technology at the Monroe County Airport, biotechnology certificates, the Smithville Center for Computing & Informatics, the Biology Outdoor Learning Lab, guaranteed admissions programs, Early College at area high schools, the Garatoni School of Entrepreneurship, expansion of the Lee J. Marchant School of Nursing, expansion of radiation therapy to the Lafayette campus, and offering the only Ivy Tech homeland security and public safety program in the southern third of the state of Indiana.
She ushered in partnerships with area employers, including Cook Group, French Lick Resort, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, Crane Army Ammunitions Activity, Artisan Electronics, Baxter, Boston Scientific, Catalent, German American Bank, General Motors Bedford, Indiana University Health, LeHigh Hanson, Old National Bank, IU Credit Union, and Smithville, among others.
Vaughan served on a number of advisory boards, including the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, Bloomington Health Foundation, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, The Mill, Regional Opportunity Initiatives, and Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society. She received the Community Philanthropy Award from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County in 2022 and the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction by Phi Theta Kappa in 2020 for her outstanding support of student success. She also won the Franklin Initiative Golden Key Award in 2016 and was recognized as a Women Excel Bloomington honoree in 2015, both by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.
Support Hoosier Creativity Through a Position with the Indiana Arts Commission
The Indiana Arts Commission is an agency of state government, funded by the Indiana General Assembly with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The agency is dedicated to strengthening the state through strategic arts and cultural investment.Why work here?The State of Indiana offers excellent benefits, with medical plans including vision and dental coverage, generous paid time off, resources that empower you to be successful, opportunities for professional growth, and agency leadership that is committed to developing and rewarding talent.Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to serve Hoosiers and work to positively impact the cultural, economic, and educational climate of Indiana.
Who are we looking for?
Grants and Research Manager – This position is best suited for someone ready to oversee the agency’s grants management software and help fellow staff and Commissioners make meaning of the data the agency collects in its various programs and services. If you have a passion for organizing data, helping people navigate online grant applications, and a soft spot for the arts, this is the opportunity for you. The salary for this position traditionally starts at $53,222. Learn more and apply.
Governor’s Summer Intern / Communications InternI – n this internship, you will serve as a member of a collaborative communications team. You will provide support in the development and delivery of marketing and communications services that advance and articulate the centrality of the arts to the state’s economic vitality, livability, and cultural vibrancy. This is a paid internship with the hourly rate of $16.24. Learn more and apply.
Governor’s Summer Intern / Programs Intern – This internship program provides an excellent opportunity to gain experience with the Indiana Arts Commission as a part of an adaptive programs team. You will provide support in the development of strategies, delivery, and assessment of services, programs, and activities that support arts throughout the state. This is a paid internship with the hourly rate of $16.24. Learn more and apply.
This Week in Hoosier History
1927 – Indianapolis Postmaster Robert H. Bryson announced the inauguration of air mail service to the city. Postal planes would arrive daily from Cincinnati at 2:45pm, depart at 3pm, and arrive in Chicago at 5pm. The planes, using Wright Whirlwind Motors, could attain speeds of 135 mph and carry two passengers as well as mailbags.
Follow us on Facebook
For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here