BLOOMINGTON — The Monroe Capital Improvement Board received new renderings of several design tweaks to the proposed Monroe County Convention Center expansion.
Board members have seen several versions of the building design since the first concepts were released in August.
Another change expected with the completion of the project: a new name for the new and previous convention center building. A committee of board members Jay Baer, Joyce Poling, and Jim Silberstein is tasked with creating the process to decide a name.
Board member Doug Bruce hinted the name could be decided by a contest involving the public.
The board also discussed proposed sidewalk trees, which are required by city ordinances. The trees are proposed to be put in the middle of the 10-foot sidewalk along Third Street, which raised some questions at the meeting.
The CIB could request a variance on the requirement from the Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals. That hearing could come as early as Jan. 23.
The site plan review is expected to be in front of the Bloomington Plan Commission on Jan. 13.
The next meeting of the CIB is scheduled for Jan. 15.
The current Monroe County Convention Center opened in 1991 and is 31,000 square feet. Construction and renovation could start in June 2025, with the project expected to be complete in early 2027.
