The area surrounding West Second Street will look very different a decade from now.
In place of a hospital that has been on the site for at least 100 years, there could be a new neighborhood full of townhouses, multiuse office buildings, art studios and green spaces.
Consultants from the Urban Land Institute Friday presented such possibilities for a 24-acre site that Indiana University Health Bloomington currently occupies but will leave for a new hospital complex on Bloomington’s east side.
The group, all volunteering their time, toured the city Monday and interviewed more than 100 community members Tuesday, and from those discussions and their own expertise shared a plan on how to best redevelop the site near downtown.
Recommendations from ULI addressed housing needs, a lack of office space in the downtown area and a community desire for more collaborative, artisticminded spaces.
A $6.5 million purchase agreement between IU Health and the city for the property, which could be official next week, states that the main portion of the hospital will be demolished at IU Health’s expense. The city has the final say on whether to keep or demolish the garage and administration building, according to the agreement. The ULI report recommended demolishing the administration building and keeping the parking garage, but with some beautification efforts.