BLOOMINGTON — The City of Bloomington appears to be moving closer to selecting a possible site for the future Bloomington Police department.
Mayor Kerry Thomson said a building at 714 South Rogers Street is a strong candidate for BPD.
In a public meeting Monday, Thomson and project leaders said the site has enough room for future expansion and is in a central area.
The location has the support of police staff and police union members.
"We really have landed on the best possible scenario for our police department at this point,” Mayor Thomson said. “Their ideal location was at Second and Rogers Street, this is just one block off from that.”
Some neighbors, however, were surprised by the proposal.
"The negative is obvious, the noise, but you know that's nothing new to us,” said Bloomington resident Paul Ash. “The positive is security, and we have security issues, as most neighborhoods do."
Due to the current building structure and size a move or renovation is necessary as the police department continues to grow and evolve.
“Eventually in the not-so-distant future they need to do something to accommodate the needs of the Bloomington police department,” said Chris Ciolli, Vice President of Weddle Brothers Construction.
The city is currently working to decide between three different locations: Rodgers Street, Showers West, or remodeling their current building.
The Showers West project has had stark pushback from police, who voiced concerns over location and ease of access.
If the Rogers Street location is chosen, Thomson said the project could take a year-and-a-half to complete.