'Front porch' of Bloomington to get some attention as the new Stadium District

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16 hours ago

After a delightful townie summer, Bloomington has begun to welcome back 45,000 Indiana University students who are already breathing new life into our streets, businesses and neighborhoods.
Move-in week, football weekends and other campus events draw tens of thousands of visitors from across the state and beyond. They fill our hotels, explore our downtown, eat at our restaurants, shop at local stores and experience the vibrancy of our city firsthand. These visitors — and the energy they bring — are a vital part of our community.
But tourism also plays a deeper role. It acts as a traded sector — meaning it brings new money into our local economy rather than just circulating existing dollars. Every hotel stay, dinner, ticket or piece of art purchased by a visitor helps fund the businesses and services we all rely on. And just as importantly, tourism tells a story: It shapes how the world sees Bloomington and what they believe is possible here.
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More than ever, cities are competing for people. Remote work, flexible careers and generational shifts have changed what workers — and employers — are looking for. Quality of place matters. Workers don't just follow a job; they want to live where life feels good.
In Bloomington, we have an embarrassment of riches in terms of community character — the historic charm of downtown, the energy of Kirkwood, the distinct identity of the Trades District and the broad appeal of the B-Line Trail and Switchyard Park. We have the new Hopewell Commons (plan a visit for Tuesday Farmers' Market!) and the development at the future convention center. We also have key neighborhood assets that we tend to overlook — like the commercial areas on the east side, west side, Renwick, Hillside and the developing south Sare Road. Each of which responds to specific community needs and provides a welcome counterpoint to downtown.
One area we are particularly focused on right now is what we hope will soon be named the Stadium District — the area surrounding Millers-Showers Park. This area is the front porch of Bloomington as visitors either head east on the bypass or drive south on College Avenue. Local businesses advanced a plan to call this area the Stadium District, and city staff are preparing legislation to do just that.
This area has undergone a transformation in the past few years, which can be seen by the addition of new apartment complexes and commercial spaces as well as the redevelopment of properties and opening of new businesses. Local businesses old and new are magnetizing this neighborhood through yoga, dance, barbering, baking, brewing, banking and the many other services available in the area.
The city also has made significant investments in the Stadium District, including major maintenance of the Millers-Showers water feature (which supports stormwater detention), the installation of a multi-use path along 17th Street, which improves connectivity from North Monroe Street and Tri-North Middle School to the north-south arteries of College Avenue and Walnut Street as well as improvements to Cascades Park. The limestone Bloomington gateway sign welcomes visitors, and the Bloomington Arts Commission will release the call for the public art gateway piece later this year.
Naming this area the Stadium District continues the work that the city started with its citywide branding campaign earlier this year. It distills part of our identity; it guides visitors; and it celebrates our role as a major force in collegiate athletics.
By investing in our public spaces and storytelling, we are doing more than attracting tourists — we are building the foundation for sustainable economic growth. These efforts to improve Bloomington's quality of place make the city more livable and attractive, which in turn helps retain talent, attract new residents, and draw businesses in high-wage industries. In short, quality of place isn't just a cultural asset — it's a critical economic strategy.
Jane Kupersmith is director of economic and sustainable development for the city of Bloomington.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington to name Stadium District near Miller-Showers Park and IU
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