TO: Common Council

FROM: Mayor Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Allen

DATE: August 16, 2023

RE: Showers West Update

Dear Council Members:

In response to a recent request for updates on the renovation of Showers West as the fire
administration and police headquarters, we share the following summary of work done to date,
the plan of engagement and contracting in the coming months, and responses to specific
questions you forwarded. Since receiving the Council’s approval to pursue this project, we have
been diligently working to bring our core constituencies together in making this important
investment for the future of Bloomington.

TO DATE:
● December 2022: in Ordinance 22-30, the Common Council approves $29.5 million in
revenue bonds to finance public safety capital improvements backed by the Economic
Development Local Income Tax, which were earmarked for fire stations and a new police
headquarters
● January 2023: Council approves the Redevelopment Commission’s purchase of the CFC
Showers Business Plaza (now referred to as Showers West) to be used as the site of the
new fire administration and police headquarters
● January 31: the Redevelopment Commission assumes ownership of Showers West
● February: the City issues a nationwide request for qualifications for architectural firms
with experience in designing public safety facilities and receives five responses
● March: City representatives attend a national public-safety facilities planning seminar
hosted by the Center for Public Safety Research and Planning and Architects Design
Group
● March and April: City working group interviews and reviews submissions from design
firms
● April: the City selects StudioAxis as the architectural firm for the project
● May and June: Expanding upon due diligence completed prior to purchase, StudioAxis
begins pre-design due diligence of Showers West, including taking LIDAR
measurements of the inside of the building to create 3-D model of existing structure
 ● June 1: StudioAxis holds design charrette with key stakeholders including Police Chief
Diekhoff, Fire Chief Moore, Fraternal Order of Police representatives, and key fire
representatives
● June 22: StudioAxis presents initial preliminary layout and design options of Showers
West
● July 3: Weddle Brothers selected as project manager to assist the city in the public
safety projects.
● July: StudioAxis begins conversations with City staff from Planning and Historic
Preservation to assure plans will meet needed approvals
● July: StudioAxis presents additional options of basic design layouts based on feedback
from charrette and follow-up meetings
● August 1: Sustainability/LEED charrette held by StudioAxis with Police Chief Diekhoff,
Fire Chief Moore, Fraternal Order of Police representatives, Weddle Bros., Public Works
staff, and Deputy Mayor Allen
● August 7: Working draft revised design layout shared with City Council, clerk, additional
members of police and fire departments
● August 8: StudioAxis meets with Police Chief Diekhoff, Deputy Chief Oldham to review
updated plans based on their prior feedback; StudioAxis also meets with Fire Chief
Moore and representatives from BFD to review plans and tour existing vacated offices in
Showers West
● August 9: StudioAxis meets with Clerk Bolden and Council Attorney Lucas to discuss
preliminary design
● August 16: Meeting scheduled with Police Chief Diekhoff and Police Chief Moore further
to review preliminary design

NEXT STEPS:
● Solicit feedback from key stakeholders, including City Council representative(s), City
Clerk, Police Chief, front-line police, Fire Chief, Fire administrative staff, Mayor, City
facilities staff, sustainability staff, Public Works, Parking Services, and City Information &
Technology Services.
● Once basic design layout is settled, StudioAxis generates more detailed design,
including input from front-line police and fire staff as well as administrators
● Construction drawings (blueprints) to be completed by StudioAxis
● Sale of current police headquarters to be accomplished (with leaseback provision to
remain in building until new facility is ready for occupancy)
● Bidding documents prepared and offered, with contract to build entered into by
December 2023.
● Construction during 2024

Q&A - Specific Questions forwarded from Council (Responses in bold):

1. The current 3rd Street BPD headquarters is 20,000 square feet. How many square feet of
the Showers west addition are presently in the architectural plans for police functioning?
Currently, it is estimated that there will be approximately 32,000 sq. ft for Police,
including expansion space and support functions (such as IT).

2. The last meeting that included police personnel, social workers, administration, and
officers was June 1, 2023. It is my understanding that plans have been changed since that
meeting and that police personnel are no longer in conversations with the architects and the
Mayor. If that is the case, what are the plans for keeping the police personnel at the planning
table? See details above. Both fire and police front line staff have been and will
continue to be directly involved in design details.

3. How much of the allocated Public Safety money has been spent for Police and Fire to
date? What are the projections at this point for staying within the budget for retrofitting
Showers to the professional standards and appropriate purposes for Police and Fire? In
2023 ED-LIT funds were used for salaries and other public safety support. ED-LIT
revenue bonds were sold in December of 2022 based on the approximately $2 million
annually earmarked for public safety facilities, which will support the new and
rehabilitated facilities of showers west, Fire Stations 1 and 3, and the new fire training
and logistics facility, all within the planned budgets.

4. Are there other City Hall administrative functions and offices being planned for that will
take up square footage in the newly acquired Showers addition? The current design
includes several connections between showers east and west, including an access
point from the back of the Mayor’s office to connect with the new public safety
offices; this allows for some potential expansion of the Mayor’s office into that space.
Details are still to be developed. There may be some expansion of council/clerk space
as well, in connection with a potential new hallway connecting the atria. Additionally,
we anticipate making a fitness room available to all City employees.

5. There are two phases required in retrofitting this building, the planning/design phase and
then bidding for the construction. What are reasonable time frames for adequate planning
that must come first before estimates can be made as to how much the actual construction
will cost? Is it reasonable that planning can be satisfactorily completed before the end of the
year or does prudence require more time in making fiscally responsible decisions? We are
working closely with architects and construction managers; bidding and construction
contracting for the project are planned to be completed in 2023, with construction
beginning in 2024.

6. What are the architects saying about cost estimates at this planning phase? | am told that
the City of Frankfort was recently able to build a new 28,000 square foot secure police
station for $10 million. Where do we stand with the cost projections to adequately retrofit this
historic building for public safety purposes? All planning and design is being conducted
to stay within original budgets. The full pricing will not be available until detailed
construction drawings and bidding are completed later this year.

7. What are the plans for the current 3rd Street headquarters? What is the assessed value,
and what if any negotiations are taking place regarding its sale and use? Should this sale be
fast-tracked before adequate cost estimates at Showers are known and transparently
shared? The plans are to sell the current 3rd Street BPD headquarters, as included in
the financial plans shared with council in 2022 and earlier this year. Any sale prior to
completion of the Showers West renovation will likely include a leaseback provision
allowing BPD occupancy to continue until the new BPD space is completed.

8. What is the status for leasing portions of the newly acquired Showers space? Are office
rentals required to make the fiscal plan work, and if so, what does that do for the square
footage intended for Police and Fire? Several existing tenants remain in Showers West.
Discussions continue about future plans for their occupancy in the building during
and after construction. Rents are not assumed in the financial plans.

9. With the announcement of a boutique hotel possibly being built in the Trades District,
what does this do in limiting parking availability for Police vehicles? Adequate parking is
available for police and personal vehicles in the Trades Garage on 10th street, as well
as any needed hotel uses.

10. How much fiscal and planning information is being shared with Kerry Thomson? What
transparency in process do we owe the public about a smooth transition during the change
in leadership? Is the next mayor fully apprised of the fiscal picture with only 4 months to go
in this administration? Mayor Hamilton and Kerry Thomson have met and continue to
be in dialogue. Planning for a full and smooth transition with a new administration is
underway.