(bright music) (powerful music) - Downtown Bloomington is set to get a major facelift.

Some improvements you won't see directly, but others are set to make downtown more inviting to residents and visitors.

To get us up to speed on the latest streetscape and Downtown For Everyone campaign is Bloomington mayor Mboka Mwilambwe and Mike Sewell from the engineering firm Crawford, Murphy & Tilly.

Gentlemen, thanks for being here today.

- Thank you for having me.

- Yeah, thank you, Mark.

- Mayor, let's start with you.

Tell us about the streetscape plan, when this started, and overall, what is the mission that the city hopes to accomplish with it?

- Yeah, so the streetscape plan started about almost two years ago, in the summer.

We had a proposal to consider from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly that would help us address some of the issues that we have in the downtown.

For example, some of the issues that we had were, of course, infrastructure, you mentioned that, but also trying to really give people a better sense of place, a place where people could come and congregate and have fun but at the same time taking care of some very pragmatic things such as, you know, streets, sewers, but other things like, you know, lighting issues, being more, you know, energy efficient and that kind of thing.

So, you know, that summer, we, you know, we put forth the proposal, and it passed narrowly at the time.

It was a five-to-four vote, but I'm very excited that we were able to pass the plan unanimously, you know, just recently.

- Mayor, do we know yet, I know this is a, there's 10 different projects, a lot going on here.

Do we know yet, in the end, what an estimate is for the price tag of this, and who's gonna be paying for it?

- Yeah, so the price tag, so what you have in what we call the buckle, pretty much from north, you know, Main Street all the way to Washington and further down south, would be about $60 million.

And then, you know, we have other things that we will do on the side, you know, which could extend the price tag.

But you know, who is going to pay for it?

You know, we really are looking at a combination of things, especially now that we have a plan in place and we know what we're going to do.

We are looking at, you know, going out aggressively and seeking some grant funding and possibly as well, you know, instituting a TIF downtown to help us pay for some of those projects.

But the projects themselves, you know, like you said, you know, it's 10, you know, 10 phases, and it's fairly flexible.

It's going to take, you know, likely, you know, at least a decade or two.

And we will, you know, we can move them around, you know, depending on what's available, the opportunities that we have, the grant funding that's available.

We don't have to do one to 10 in sequential order.

You know, we could decide that yes, something, maybe there's a grant that applies to, you know, project number five, phase five.

Then we could go for that, you know, before we go through some of the like two, three, and four.

- Okay, Mike, let's talk a little bit about some of the specifics on this.

And I know in the end, maybe after a decade, we're gonna have a downtown that's gonna look beautiful and accessible.

We may not recognize, but first you have to do some of the non-sexy things like fix water lines and things like that.

And you were telling me that the city down in that area has some pretty old water lines and water pipes.

- Yeah, they do.

I like how you put that, the non-sexy stuff, but no less vital, 'cause the last thing that we wanna do is do something beautiful up on the surface and then have to come back later on and dig it up.

So the city leaders, you know, I have to give them a lot of credit.

They wanna make sure throughout this whole process that they're being good stewards of the city taxpayer money.

And so that does include infrastructure.

Yeah, there's some water mains at over a hundred years old.

There's some combined sewer that we're separating throughout all of downtown.

So yeah, there's a lot of improvements both below grade and above grade for this program.

- Besides water lines, what other types of things are we talking about as far as infrastructure improvements?

- Well, it was pretty exciting, when the city teed this project off for us, they told us everything is on the table to consider as we talk about revitalizing downtown.

And so that means we're, from a transportation standpoint, we're looking at lane reductions, de-signalizing intersections.

We've worked a lot with IDOT on different solutions.

So there were certain goals that we wanted to make sure that we accomplished for this program, and one in particular is making downtown more walkable.

So that means making it less, today's downtown is very vehicle-centric and looking at doing a lot of road improvements, expanding the space for pedestrians so that it's easier to get around and more enjoyable and things like that.

So really this whole project, we're kind of reworking the bones of downtown to accomplish what we're hoping to do there.

- It seems to be a trend in a lot of cities and towns.

They want their downtown area to be more pedestrian friendly, but at the same time, there's complaints, I know, in Bloomington and other cities as well about a lack of parking.

So how do you balance that, the pedestrians and parking for people that are driving in?

- Yeah, absolutely a balancing act.

So, you know, a lot of it is (no audio) to go visit Michigan Avenue.

It's kind of all about expectations.

Up there, you have no expectation that you're gonna park right in front of the business that you wanna go to.

If you're in a very small rural village, say, then, you know, you have every expectation that you're gonna park right in front of the post office and get in and out.

So Bloomington's not downtown Chicago, and it's not a very small village.

So there was sort a bit of wrestling with this to make sure that we got it right.

But this wasn't something that we, as the design team at CMT or even the city leadership guessed at.

We put this question directly to the, we had open houses.

We had a downtownforeveryone.com website where we asked input from people.

And really the, you know, while there's not always a total consensus, by far, people we're telling us, "We want to make downtown more walkable.

If we need to walk a little bit further, then we will."

But really as part of this project, we're actually increasing the number of parking spaces downtown.

We're just kind of redistributing some of them.

- Okay, Mayor, I know a big part of this is building around the old county courthouse on the south end of the project.

Tell us what some of the plans are for that and why you felt and other people with the city felt it's so important to utilize that area.

- Well, that area traditionally has always been kind of a gathering place.

So I have to give credit to, you know, CMT for recognizing that and really looking to enhance it.

So there will be, you know, on the north end of that area, so north of the museum, you know, an opportunity for kind of a larger gathering space, you know, where you can hold concerts and things like that and something that is already done now.

So it's just, you know, another way to enhance it.

But, you know, also on the east side of the museum, there is an opportunity for a, to have kind of a, you know, a light show and that kind of thing, which will make it look very, very attractive.

The one thing that I am, you know, disappointed about is that there were some initial plans for a sort of a, you know, water feature, but unfortunately, you know, with the museum and some of their collections there, you know, water, you know, does not mix very well.

So, but you know, still nevertheless, very pleased with what the, you know, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly came up with.

- Gotcha, sure.

I've got a question for both of you now, and I'll let you answer first, Mayor, and then we'll go to Mike.

You know, people like to see progress, but a lot of times progress at times can impede our everyday lives.

So specifically, I guess, talking about businesses in this area, how will they be affected during this construction, and what steps are we taking to make sure they're not put out too much?

- Yes, certainly, you know, just like anything, you know, it's like streets, you know, street repair, you know, we talk about it, and everybody, you know, wants their streets to be repaired.

But you know, there is going to be a little bit of disruption.

One of the thing that I like about this plan is that it's taking that into consideration.

And so, you know, they will try to make sure that, you know, when they're, you know, fixing one area, they pay attention to other areas.

So the disruption, you know, let's say, you know, for streets that are going, you know, east to west, you know, is not going to be totally comprehensive.

So they will just kind of take things in, you know, in bite-size chunks so that people are not disrupted too much.

And I'll let Mike maybe speak a little bit more to some of those specifics, but that's what I understood, and I'm very happy with that.

- Yes, I echo what our mayor said there.

We tried to be very strategic about the way in which we broke the entire program into individual projects and made sure that we sequenced those in a way so that, for example, nobody needs to detour more than one block in any direction to get where they need to go.

That's very important for supporting the businesses.

We also looked at other major projects that are planned for downtown.

So for example, Connect Transit, which is Bloomington-Normal's mass transit district, they have a very major project going on in downtown, and so we need to make sure that we are staying clear of that area there.

We worked with utility companies to see what their capital improvement plans are and just did everything that we could to make sure that when we come in, we dig things up, we don't have to come back and we're not disrupting any larger of a footprint than necessary.

- Mayor, speaking of Connect Transit, I know there's a new transit center that the city's wanting to build.

Do you anticipate with that new transit center and with these other improvements being made that maybe we won't have to worry about parking as much because we'll have more people taking public transit downtown?

- Well, that is certainly the hope, but you know, as you know, and as Mike stated, we are a, you know, generally a vehicle-centric community, especially in the downtown.

So I think it, you know, it will take a little bit of time, you know, for people to change the culture.

But I'm certainly hoping that, you know, the improvements that we're making are going to, you know, make a change, and eventually people will start to use, you know, bicycles and walking a little bit more.

- And Mike, I know your company, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, has worked on some other big projects in even bigger cities than Bloomington.

What kind of feedback have you gotten after, you know, projects like this, like a streetscape project?

What kind of feedback have you gotten from folks in those cities in terms of how well it's working or what kind of effect it's had on the community?

- We've gotten great feedback that our process was good and as far as how we engaged the community.

You know, of course we feel like we've got great ideas, but until you vet 'em past the public, sometimes you don't really know.

And so we made it a very intentional part of our process to engage all stakeholders that we think are gonna be impacted by the project.

So that has helped to lead to good results.

But then I guess to expand on that, the success of a streetscaping project, it needs to be a project that's designed well, but it's also needs to be one that's maintained well and one that's programmed well.

So we need to make sure that we as the design team have a good handoff to the owner, you know, in this case the city of Bloomington, to make sure they understand what they have, they understand what the opportunities are for programming events and things like that.

In this case, with the city of Bloomington, they're a wonderful partner and very, very engaged and very, of course, interested in the success of this downtown.

So the city already has a great division that's just focused on downtown Bloomington.

And so that's a group that we have and we'll continue to collaborate with to make sure that this is successful.

- And Mayor, I know you've had a lot of open houses, and you've gotten a lot of public input about these plans.

This has been a long process.

Do you feel like the community for the most part is on board with this?

- Yeah, I definitely do.

And I would echo what Mike has said about the public engagement process.

You know, it not only included some stakeholders, you know, a steering team, but also it included, you know, reaching out to residents through open houses, you know, a website, you know, that they could engage with.

And I think when you have a plan that is unanimously approved by the council, that is definitely a very big signal that it is something that the community wants.

- Mike, when you're working on projects like this, we talked earlier about, you know, fixing things, underground water pipes, things that people will never see.

I don't think anyone ever imagined a hundred years ago when Bloomington had those pipes installed they'd be around for a hundred years.

But when you're fixing things like this, what kind of, I guess, what kind of life will they have, these new pipes and other things that are underground?

- Well, we use a lot of plastic pipe, and the jury's still out on how long those last, because they haven't failed yet.

We hate to say indefinite, but there's a very long life with most of the materials that we're putting in.

We use ductile iron for water main.

That also has a very long life.

I mean, we're talking 50 years plus, so, you know, these improvements, you know, you don't wanna say you bury it and forget about it because there is, you know, perhaps some maintenance that's ongoing, but should be very little.

- And Mayor, as we wrap this up, could you tell me a little bit about what maybe you personally are excited to see once this process is done and what kind of benefit it's gonna have, not only to people that live in Bloomington but people that may be coming in from out of town?

- Yeah, so for me, you know, for one, what I'm excited about is that we are able to, you know, we put forth a process, a project, and then to see it, you know, culminate in approval by the city council when we know that there had been previous iterations of, you know, downtown plans that did not make it to where we are now, so that's very exciting.

The other thing is that, you know, I'm excited about the infrastructure that we're going to fix because its going to take care of, you know, some of the, you know, the flooding issues that we've had in 2021, at least in, you know, in this area.

And then I'm also excited about the programming that is going to happen because it's gonna bring more of the community together.

That's how you strengthen a community.

And the last thing I would say is that one of my goals has always been to make Bloomington a regional destination.

So with an environment that looks more appealing and great programming, I think we will have an opportunity to do that.

- Mike, you told me earlier that you hope to break ground on one of these phases in March of next year.

Best case scenario, when do you think we could see the entire process done?

- Oh, boy, all 10 projects, it depends on how aggressive the city would like to move on that, but you know, there's a scenario where we do some of these projects even concurrently.

I think a 10-year timeframe is actually very doable.

But as the mayor alluded to earlier, some of that, we made sure to have a plan that's flexible so we can react to different development opportunities and grants and things like that.

So we'll just kind of take it one step at a time.

- All right, well, it's an exciting time for downtown Peoria and all of McLean County as we get going on this project- - Downtown Bloomington.

- early next year.

Mike Sewell from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly and Bloomington Mayor Mwilambwe, thank you very much.

We appreciate you both being on today.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you very much for having us.

- For more information on the Bloomington streetscape, you can go to the website downtownforeveryone.com.

Recently, our Phil Luciano spoke with a longtime Bloomington restaurant owner, and we get his thoughts on this big project.

- [Phil] With Bloomington poised to spend $59 million on a downtown facelift, the plan has the blessing of the Lucca Grill.

At 87 years old, the landmark eatery is the dean of downtown businesses.

Co-owner John Koch thinks the project's improvements will restore the historic area's grandeur and boost business.

- And we're getting back to the point where the downtowns are being revitalized and are being repurposed and being reused, and I think we're gonna start seeing the benefits coming from that.

- [Phil] The eatery got its start decades ago during downtown's heyday.

The place got its name from Lucca, the Italian hometown of the immigrant parents of brothers Fred and John Baldini.

- They were in town, they were, did different jobs, confectioners, and they sold advertising novelties, stuff like that, and they decided to open up a restaurant in 1936, and they settled on this corner.

And so it's been in the same place all this time, which makes us the oldest place in one location.

- [Phil] In their new eatery, the Baldinis served sandwiches and Italian dishes.

Then as now, the building had a high tin ceiling and mile-long bar.

Today, the place looks largely like day one.

- It's pretty much the way it was.

- [Phil] The only big change involved the menu in 1953.

By then, Fred Baldini's sons had joined the business.

- Which was one of the owner's sons at the time happened to have a girlfriend in St. Louis, and he would stop and visit there, and she lived near The Hill, down near the Italian area, and they went to a little pizzeria down there, and he tried it for the first time and loved it.

And they gave him the recipe and brought it back here, and here it stayed.

- [Phil] With this new dish called pizza sweeping the nation, John Baldini thought it'd go over well at the Lucca.

Brother Tot disagreed.

- From what I understand, his brother thought it was just a passing fad, but as it turns out, John was right, and Tot was wrong.

And you know, and here at stayed.

- [Phil] Today, customers come for the pizza and other foodstuffs, but another draw is the yesteryear ambiance.

- I think it's a nostalgia in some ways.

I think it reminds people of home and reminds people of a better time, a gentler time, a kinder time, and we try to keep it that way.

- [Phil] Koch, who has been with The Lucca for three decades, bought the place with a business partner in 2017.

Koch says over the years, Bloomington had discussed several plans to improve the aging downtown.

- There was a lot of talk of always revitalizing, always wanting to do something.

And I think some things were addressed, and I just don't think they've had a really, they didn't have a comprehensive plan, overall plan for the long run, but it seems like they've addressed that, and I think they're on their way.

- [Phil] The $59 million makeover will transform downtown, in function as well as aesthetics.

Infrastructure improvements will bolster sewer flow, walkability, and lighting while adding parking and green space, all while maintaining the historic look.

- We've got such a gorgeous downtown area.

To utilize it that much more is just gonna help in so many ways.

I think it'll bring more people.

That'll bring more security.

That'll bring more profit and viability to the area, and that'll bring more businesses and again will bring more people.

So I think it's gonna be the circular effect of it.

- [Phil] Koch is most excited about an expected boost in outdoor entertainment at current venues and more.

- With the Center for the Performing Arts right here and also the coliseum and The Castle, they're all great draws, and when they do their outdoor music stuff outside, it's getting bigger and better.

And I think with the new improvements that they're suggesting, they'll get even more so.

- Back with Phil Luciano, what'd you have at Lucca?

(both laughing) - Everything I can get my hands on, as always.

- Good stuff.

- It's a great project that they're gonna be doing in Bloomington, and you think it, in a way, maybe it's kind of like keeping up with the Joneses, with Normal in a good way, 'cause look what after they did around the Normal train station, built that up, and it's kind like, man, that's nice to go to, you know, wanna hang out in that area.

I think it's gonna be a good thing.

- We have to see if they start calling it Uptown Bloomington after they get the project done.

All right, well we've got something special coming up in just a few minutes.

"You Gotta See This!"

is on hiatus for a week, but we have got the big survey results show.

- For those of you who contributed to the survey and those of you who didn't, you might wanna stay tuned here to see what those results are.

And there's a lot of interesting stuff about what you viewers want on this station, and it was a great opportunity.

And to see what's gonna happen, they're gonna talk about this.

- Yeah, we asked you about your favorite local shows, your favorite PBS shows, and we'll get some insight into what your answers were, and maybe the higher-ups will let us know if any changes will be made.

I don't know what's gonna happen.

It's gonna be very interesting, though.

- Well, I hope we're back here.

(laughs) - I think our Q rating was okay.

We'll have to check that out coming up in just a few minutes.

- Tune in next week.

- That's right, all right, thanks for joining us, and be sure to check us out on Facebook and Instagram and anytime at wtvp.org.

Have a good night.

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