3 PM. So, let me welcome all of you and call to order the meeting of the Monroe County Capital Improvement
Board for October 21st, 2026 at 3 PM here in the cookroom. So, we will begin with a call to order and
we'll take into the role. So, Mr. Whitledge, if you'd please take the role. Yes. John Weickart. Present.
Doug Bruce. Here. Jim Silberstein. Here. Jay Baer. Here. Joyce Poling. Here. Galen Cassidy. Here. And
Kyle Hannon. Here. Thank you.
Item number two, approval of the consent agenda. You've received the minutes of the board meeting of
September 16th, claims and a financial report. And before I ask for a motion, I'm going to ask Mr. Underwood
to explain something that's new to your packet. So this month, you'll notice that we had two different
claims registers.
the normal one for the construction side of things. But as we've begun to take over operations of the
existing facility, we now have a claims register for the operations side. So it'll be labeled for the
Bloomington Convention Center operations side. So you'll start seeing those two separate claims register
paid out of different sources of funds each month. And then down the road, we'll also have a second
financial report, which will also be for the operational side of things as well.
So may I have a motion to approve the Consent Agenda? Second. Moved and seconded. Is there any further
discussion or questions about the Consent Agenda? Seeing none, Mr. Whitlatch, if you would take the
roll. John Weichart? Yes. Doug Bruce? Yes. Jim Silverstein? Yes. Jay Baer? Yes. Joyce Polling? Yes.
Galen Cassidy? Yes. Kyle Hannon? Yes. Thank you.
Item number 3, Treasurer's Report, Mr. Silberstein. Yes, the good news is that our 2027 budget request
for construction was approved by City Council last week and that will be our last construction budget
on this project. Okay, thank you. Item number 4, President's Report, and we have change authorizations
that I've approved since our last meeting of $25,000 or
or under, I sent those out to you with the explanations for them, but you'll see them again in this
report, as well as the category under which they fall. And then you may want to call your attention
to where we are with the total contingency sum used to date and what percentage that is of the contingency
budget and the remaining contingency of over $1 million.
I'd be happy to answer any questions about the ones that I've approved that I sent out to you earlier.
If there are no questions, we'll move to item number five, the construction update from Weddell.
Thank you, John. Andrew Sherry, project manager at Weddell Brothers. Share screen here.
Okay so starting off with the construction progress update and then upcoming activities for the expansion
center project. This photo here is the southwest corner of the exhibit hall as you can see a lot of
overheads in place overhead painting and then actually this is the ceiling grid so preparing to drop
some tiles so this is a neat picture to see the bulkheads the paint and then the ceiling clouds in place.
Starting off on exterior concrete. So on the north side, the sidewalks and curves are completed. On
the west side, the curves are completed near the two near the connector location. Sidewalks are in progress
at the northwest entrance and progressing south. So this was this morning pouring the entrance here
at the northwest entrance. So on this side, we'll see a lot of the tree grates and accessories being
placed with our sidewalk pours. And then we're progressing into the paper bands, light poles, things
like that.
Also, we have metal panels. Metal panels are progressing on the parapet walls from the low roof to high
roof. The metal panels for the canopy will be progressing by the end of this month, starting on the
east elevation, starting to wrap up the canopy elevation. Our limestone feature walls, as you can see
here in this photo, this is the north feature wall. This is one of the change orders we talked about
a month or so ago, where we changed to the CMU wall. The CMU wall has been topped out, so now we are
preparing to start the limestone itself.
Again, it'll be a neat feature to see. And then the west limestone feature wall, we're planning to start
next week. Masonry work. So the last area for exterior brick is nearing completion, which is the southwest
elevation shown in this picture. So this is looking south on college. Masonry workers are working on
washing the exterior brick. And then on the column wraps, we'll be starting in the existing courtyard.
The glazing systems, the last curtain wall frame has been set on the project, which is the southwest
elevation here in the photo. The glazing is currently being installed, and then we're preparing to start
doors on the east entrance off of Walnut, the northeast entrance, and the northwest entrance. Also for
exterior progress,
We have the exterior equipment set on the back of house roof. So the dedicated outdoor air system,
the DOAS, as we call it, has been started and is supplying air into the building. This is one of the
three equipment locations shown in this photo on the right-hand side. Here are some exterior photos
on the left-hand side. You can see the northwest entrance. A photo on the top right of the patio area.
Bottom right would be the equipment and the roof tied in, dried in.
Again, patio photo here on the left coming into the main meeting space and then the doorway on the right
would take you to the grand stairs and the photo on the right hand side is the northeast entrance and
we are preparing to get metal panels here on site. We are procuring the canopy system, the glass canopy
to start to see that to get buttoned up. Interior progress for those that don't get to drive by and
see the inside drywall framing.
Drywall is nearing completion in all areas. Wall infills are completed in the exhibit hall. So what
we did is we left a few areas out to shoot the equipment up onto the mechanical mezzanines. Those have
been buttoned up or are getting buttoned up right now. And then second floor drywall is completed so
that our painters can start on Monday on the second floor. Rough ends, so termination points to the
equipment.
are being completed for the equipment startup to take place next week. So we actually have a meeting
tomorrow to start our phasing plan, starting each piece of equipment up. That includes electrical,
mechanical, and plumbing. And this photo right here on the right side is the north mechanical mezzanine.
So as you can see, the tie-in points are taking place, the equipment is set, the walls are buttoned up.
Interior progress. Painting is progressing throughout the building. Overhead paint is in progress above
ceilings in the exhibit hall. And then painting is starting on the second floor. The photo on the right
hand side is the North restroom. So we have our toilets being set, toilet partitions and toilet accessories
to be starting. Tile, the restroom tile is completed in the North restrooms. Corridor tile has started,
which we'll see in another photo. And then restrooms are in progress throughout the building. So there's
a lot of tile work on the project in the corridors, in the restrooms.
The water fountain areas, things like that. And again, we're progressing in all areas. Ceilings, so
the ceiling grid is progressing the exhibit halls we saw in the first photo I explained. The linear
ceilings are being installed in the corridors, which you can see on the right-hand side here. So this
is the east corridor looking north towards the northeast entrance. The ceilings up top, painted walls.
It's hard to see, but this little cubby here is the water fountain areas the tiles placed.
And then ceiling tiles are starting installation for the fixture trim-outs. Again, we're moving towards
the testing and balancing as we fire up the equipment. Also to note here, the kitchen build-out, the
walk-in cooler has started installation this week. And then kitchen equipment is starting to be set
also. We'll see a lot of that take place in the November timeframe. Here are some interior photos. The
photo on the left is from the window view from the second floor.
The photo on the right is all the mechanical and electrical terminations on the south mezzanine. Photo
on the left-hand side here is the south mezzanine and then a connector photo here on the right-hand
side. Thought this photo, these photos were showing the corridor, or I'm sorry, the restroom tile. So
the restroom tile is progressing very well. Upcoming activities, so interior work.
Floor coatings are starting in the back of house area. Floor carpet is starting in the corridors. Casework
and solid surfaces to be delivered next week for installation. Terrazzo stairs are being poured to be
procured to the project for the grand stair. Decorative railing is in fabrication for installation and
then toilet accessories and partitions to start in all the restrooms. This is a short list of the many
things that's going on right now.
Upcoming activities on the exterior side is sidewalks and curbs are to be completed. Site landscaping
is going to start taking place this month. The green roof is going to start installation this month.
South parking lot concrete pavement is going to start at the end of this month beginning in November.
The remainder of the asphalt patch along college will be completed and then metal panels will be progressing
around the entirety of the project.
Small notes here in the renovation, again, as we're starting to come into the last two to three months
here on the expansion side, we're starting to prep for the schedule on the existing convention center.
We have created all the renovation scope and logistics in our schedule. We're working on procurement
of equipment and materials for installation currently. And then one note we wanted to make is we've
worked with the owner here, the group, Delicious Team, to improve our end date to June 16th to accommodate
an upcoming event.
kudos to our team, everybody involved to see what we can do there and tie that together. And that's
the construction update. Yeah, let me place greater emphasis on that last bullet point about the improved
end date of the project. I was contacted a couple of weeks ago, Mike McAfee contacted me to say there
was an opportunity
to land a large conference in late June of 2027, but we had to be able to guarantee both buildings to
this large conference, and they had to be available to them by June 20th. And we're talking about 900
people. So I approached Weddle and asked them, is there any way we can move up the completion date from
June 28th to accommodate a conference on June 20th?
I met with all the parties they would need to meet with and came back to us and had a schedule to have
the completion of the renovation done by June 16th to accommodate that conference. Mike Mackey's estimated
that conference has a $500,000 economic impact to our community. And I just want to thank Weddle Brothers
for that effort. Mike's here and they signed the contract yesterday. So it's a done deal.
We've landed 900 people for June 20th of 2027 with that kind of an economic impact. And it's because
we work with our local partners and Weddle Brothers who take as much pride in making sure we can get
things done as all of us do. And I just want to thank them for that effort. So appreciate it very much.
Any questions for Andrew?
Yes, Mr. Bayer. Just one, because it's been a while. Maybe next month, if we have time, we could have
Andrew give us a little presentation on the scope and scale of the renovations over here. Yeah, that
would be no problem. Thanks. Absolutely. Item without, I didn't see any other questions. Let's move
to item number six, working group reports.
I don't believe we have a wayfinding report, is that correct? I have a presentation, just as an update.
Graphic House, the wayfinding science vendors have been working with Little Brothers on coordinating
install schedule. They submitted their shop drawings to us for review to make sure that what they're
proposing matches the design and then working with City of Bloomington on the science permitting so
that all can be here in time to reopen. Yes, thank you. And other things we've been working on behind
the scenes are
dedication plaques and things that go with the building. And we're already to that stage, which is very
exciting that we're working on those things now. Furniture, fixtures, and equipment, I don't believe
we have anything this month. We don't have anything this month. OK, thank you. And art installation,
the Beat Advisory Group. Gail, I think you have something for us. Just a quick update. We are close
to finalizing the call for artists for this next stage. Hope to release that in the next couple of weeks,
by the end of the month.
That call for artists will be open until kind of the second half of November. We will review the applicants
at that time and then present in December to the CIB the recommended selections that we have there.
So that call for artists will be available on MonroeCIB.com as well as the application portal.
There will be a FAQ on there for any questions and contact information if artists do have questions
about that call. Okay, thank you. Any questions for Galen? All right, thank you. Item number seven,
demolition on South Parcels update. Weddle, and I know there's a sequence of bullet points you're going
to go through with us. So, Andrew, are you starting that?
Yes, I'll be starting. I'll go through the environmental testing and the schedule and then hand it off
to Josh Nagle for the bid process and the recommendation. Starting off here with the south parcel demolition
again, just going to talk about the environmental testing update and the schedule update. So as far
as environmental testing, all the testing has been completed for both the site and the buildings. The
site testing, the site testing included soil and groundwater sampling. We'll note here that with coordination with VET,
They noted that this is one of the cleanest areas that they've ever observed in the downtown area. Very
surprising there with their testing, but great topic there. The boring samples noted a few locations
of elevated arsenic results. The arsenic is a natural occurring material and is very common in the local area.
If required, these can be disposed of at approved landfills. And then the current demolition scope is
not expected to have any soil removal. So don't expect this to affect the project. So again, great things.
As far as the building testing, the buildings were tested for lead paint and asbestos. So currently
we're waiting on the final analytical results for all structures, which we expect to have that this
week. Based on current evaluations, we have environmental exposures and structure
four and structure five, which is the Seminary Point apartment building and the Friendly Beast. So again,
with that, we'll wait on the final results, see what they are, the recommendation for abatement and
how we move forward. Remediation requirements, again, will be determined with the final results, and
then we'll just add that into our schedule. You know, if there's three out of the five buildings that
we can start on, we will. We'll identify those. Our schedule will be broke out into the five structures,
and then we will put an abatement activity in there.
but good news overall. In regards to the schedule, so the demolition schedule update permitting and
utility termination efforts are in progress. Those have been ongoing for a while now. The current goals
include mobilization, implementing the maintenance of traffic plans in November, again, to start our
mobilization. This will include fencing, barricades, and pedestrian diversions as we prep for demolition.
Demolition of the structures will start in November, starting at the structures that do not
have environmental remediation concerns.
or requirements. Again, the idea right now is the northern most buildings and our project team is still
progressing to have demolitions of the structures completed by the end of the year, which will be evaluated
further based on the environmental results that we get this week. So could be a pretty quick turnaround.
We're just going to show in our schedule of flow. So good things on the schedule. With that, I think
that we'll hand it to Josh Naga with Weddle Brothers for the bid process and the recommendation
Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Josh Nagel, Assistant Vice President of Pre-Instruction with Weddle Brothers.
As Andrew mentioned, I'm going to talk about the bidding process that we followed for the South Parcel
Demolition Project, go through the bid results, and then ultimately present a recommendation. So just
high-level bidding process. We released the documents on September 29th of this year.
These documents were posted publicly in the Herald Times on the Weddell Plain Room and Construct Connect,
which is an industry plan distribution service that covers the nation. We posted to adhere to public
bidding laws in the Herald Times on September 28th and on October 5th. We held a pre-bid meeting at
the job site on October 6th, and we received bids and opened them publicly
on October 13th. Bids were reviewed per Indiana code 202636-1-12-4A. And those are the bidding procedures
for public projects over $300,000. There was a prequalification element to the project beyond just the
pricing, which was conducted via Form 96, which is a standard bidding form for public works projects
within the state.
We also had a supplemental Weddle Brothers pre-qualification. We primarily use that information to collect
safety information and manpower information from bidders. We did not use that pre-qualification as a
sole method to qualify or disqualify any bidders, but we use that as a supplement there. That was the
process that we went through.
And then we received six bids. And there was a range of bids here. I have Denny excavating highlighted
in green. I will get to that on the next slide. But just showing the green demo, they were a bidder
from La Porte, Indiana. Dor was from Michigan. And then the rest of the bidders were from central Indiana.
There's no local bidders from the city of Bloomington that presented there.
So there's a range of numbers. If we go to the next slide. So our bid analysis of the four bidders.
So we went through a scope review to make sure that the project requirements were understood, that no
gaps in coverage. And what we found with green demos, the low bidder, they were missing significant
amounts of scope. They were unfamiliar with local requirements, whether it be with CBU or coordinating
city of Bloomington requirements, and they also had no on-site supervision. So that was a concerning
point for us in evaluating their proposal. The next two bidders, Dorr and Renescent, did not include
their financial statement, which according to the Form 96, it is an automatic disqualification. So we
were then moving on to the fourth bidder, Denny Excavating.
They had complete bid documents, they had complete scope, complete supervision, everything that we expected
to see in the bid. So with that, on the next slide here, so we are coming today with a recommendation
to award to Denny Excavating for a total of $660,000, utilizing the AIA
A132 agreement between owner and contractor. And this is the CMA edition, which brings Weddle Brothers
in as the manager to oversee the transfer of information between the CIB and Denny excavating. All right.
So we have that recommendation and that review from Weddle Brothers. I'm going to ask Mr. Whitlatch
what he proposes we do as a recommendation. There's an action by the board now, and then if we have
a motion and a second to that effect, then we can discuss that. Thank you. It would be my recommendation
that the board consider this recommendation with a motion and a second, obviously, and that if the board
does approve the recommended Denny excavating
a contract has been included. Obviously, the contract has not been signed. It would be my recommendation
with approval of the bid that the board also give approval to John Weichart to work with me to get that
contract in final form. We will certainly bring the contract back next month for final or for the board
to review, but we would like to keep the project moving forward and give John the authority to sign
the contract, which
which was provided by Weddle Brothers as part of the project. So the recommendation or the process would
be to approve the bid and to approve John signing the contract once we get it in acceptable form. So
that's the recommendation. Do we have a motion to accept that recommendation? So moved. Is there a second?
Second. So is there discussion? Are there questions?
Mr. Baird. This budget comes out of contingency, is that correct? Or construction? Yeah, Mr. Underwood.
This will come out of contingency on the soft cost side. Because we didn't necessarily know at the very
beginning that we were going to, the demolition was part of this project at the beginning. So that's
why it's contingency, not a budget. Correct. So it's not a part of the construction bond.
or the contingency for the construction bond. It's on the food and beverage side. Any other questions?
Okay, seeing none, Mr. Whitlatch, so we have a recommendation. It's been moved and seconded, and I'll
ask you to please take the roll. John Weichart? Yes. Doug Bruce? Yes. Jim Silverstein? Yes. Jay Baer?
Yes. Joyce Polling? Yes. Galen Cassidy? Yes. Kyle Hannon? Yes. Okay, thank you.
All right. So we move then on to item number eight, Anticipated Site Map for the South Parcels.
And again, we're back to Mr. Sherry from Weddle Brothers. Thank you, John. See if I can. I'm just second.
I want to share.
And is there any way that you can share that logistics plan I sent over? Thank you. Oh, there it is.
Apologize. It's working now. OK, so our team got together and just wanted to kind of show a logistics
plan of what we were thinking and how all this ties together with the demolition and the hotel development.
So on the logistics plan here, you can see the hotel footprint. And then we sat down and tried to really
think through
What do we need and what do we have as far as utilizing the property? So some things to think about
on our end was parking, the office setup, the lay down, which is slightly larger because this project
is slightly larger. Also the two way egress for construction traffic deliveries and coordination to
try to limit staying off of College or Second Street. Equipment and staging area due to larger concrete
structures. So thinking about concrete pumps, cranes,
things like that, and then porta pots, dumpsters, and other accessories. So on this site, again, we
tried to draw this as close as possible to scale, but in here you can see how we would propose to utilize
the site. Again, this is very early stages. We would finalize this plan, but two gates coming in to
show egress. We would have lay down over here on the left-hand side.
Um, and employee storage, a lot of this would be Connex boxes, trailers, forms, depending on where we
were with the project, we would leave this North area open for staging, uh, and equipment again,
you know, thinking about cranes, concrete trucks, uh, pump trucks, things like that dumpster location.
Again, we, from a logistic standpoint, we want to have that as close to the project as possible.
And then, uh, porta pots in the restrooms, we are going to lose, um, uh, significant parking.
as far as employee parking. So we're trying to think about that. We showed the employee parking here
in blue, and then the construction office and management parking. So the assumption is to have job trailers
down there, temporary services as far as electric, things like that. So again, this is just a general
overview of the thought currently of how the site would be utilized as the hotel was developed.
So once construction of the hotel begins, which is anticipated to be 18 to 22 months, this would be
how all the parcels would be used during that construction phase. Yes, sir. So for the next
hotels anticipated to open in 2029. So this would be how the parcels would be used up to that point.
Yes. OK. Any questions, Mr. Bear? Between now and then, if Denny
finish the contract with them, they do the demolition. Do they then put asphalt where it is now so that
they can do lay down lot and construction trailers and all that? Or what's the surface of this at that
point? The surface at the end of the demolition scope is going to be topsoil and stabilized, so seed
and straw. And then, yes, and then it'll be developed. The lot would be put in place when the hotel started.
So during the design process, the design stage and all of that, we would be accommodating the
city requirements for the lot. Proceed and straw, yeah. Yeah, and then after that, when it's groundbreaking,
a movement to construction, then this would be how it would be used, with the adaption of the area for
that use. Yeah, I'm just wondering if we have to pave this in order to build the hotel next door. Yeah.
Any other questions?
Okay, thank you, Mr. Sherry. Thank you. All right, that concludes those items. And now we, item number
nine is old business. Is there any old business to be brought before the board? Seeing none, is there
any new business to be brought before the board? Again, seeing none, item number 11, comments from board
members. Any board member comments at this point?
All right, seeing none, move on to number 12, comments from the public. So we set aside a 10-minute
period at the end of each meeting. For the public to make comments that are limited to two minutes,
we've established some policies and rules on comments. And so at this point, if there are those in the
public who would like to make comment, you are welcome to come to the microphone. And please identify
yourself, please, for the record when you do so.
Amber Core with Bloomington Homes for All. I didn't prepare anything to say. Mostly, I just want to
point out that it seems like the plan for the hotel footprint and then what extends beyond it, south,
seems like an excuse to demolish affordable housing when you don't really have any other idea with what
you want to do with it now. And you already have staging equipment set up for the convention center.
I'm sure you have dumped your
dumpster locations, employee parking, and construction offices for this project. I understand that that
might need to be extended in some way, but to demolish the entire site for this purpose seems absurd.
And this land was originally transferred
by the Monroe County Council for a land swap. And we need to consider still using it for that land swap
to save the affordable housing and get the hotel at the right location at Bunger and Robinson.
Thank you. Anyone else?
Mr. Green, welcome back. Please identify yourself for the record. You are correct. I am Mr. Green and
I am back. I'm with Bloomington Homes for All. I'd just like to echo what Amber's saying. I mean, this
process is far enough along, but I will recap the fact that this is affordable housing that is being
demolished. And it's not only being demolished for a hotel, it's being demolished for a hotel, despite
the fact that many members of the county
Council and County Commission have spoken out against this idea. Also from the fact that the public
has been very unanimous in their voice that they would like to keep affordable housing. And also the
City Council has sent a letter saying that they would like affordable housing. And the Bloomington
Redevelopment Commission has also said that they were open to talking about ways to preserve the affordable
housing. For whatever reason, this body has sought
to move forward with the destruction of affordable housing to give it to a private developer for a hotel.
Now, I think I can speak for most people when I say that this is not a good way to spend city resources,
especially when we're in a housing crisis and there doesn't seem to be any way to get any more units
of that cost point into Bloomington. So we're permanently destroying affordable housing. I just want
it on the record that this is what is going on.
that this is a conscious choice to do so. And a number of members of this body have gone on record saying
that they don't believe it's their job to assist in developing Bloomington's affordable housing stock.
And that may be true on a technical level, but on a human level, on the level that I think we should
be acting on, and that should be the basis of any government sanction action, on a human level, it's
just wrong. And it's just bad city policy. And it's very disappointing to see.
We'll be continuing to raise our voices and make the details of this issue known to as many people as
possible. Thank you. Anyone else for public comment? Mike McAfee from Visit Bloomington. I just want
to thank Mr. Weichardt and the board and Mr. Sherry and Weddle for adjusting the schedule for us to
help with that group. It's actually a large sporting event that'll be here for about a week in June.
It was touch and go there for a little while. We weren't sure we were gonna, even after they rearranged
the schedule, I was nervous about being able to meet the hotel block, but we made some calls and the
actual reason we were able to do it is because it was in late June. Probably wouldn't have been able
to put that hotel block together if it wasn't late June or July. That's why this new hotel is critical
for the convention center to meet its potential. We have to have the room block down the road. I've
been at this a long time.
I remember when these two lots were purchased in 2012 for this purpose within Keepers Tax. There's no
surprises here of what's going on. We made it publicly known. We're building a hotel and convention
center. That's 15 years ago. And I just thank you for keeping moving forward. Appreciate all you're
doing. Any other public comment? Anyone online? All right, that concludes the public comment phase.
Item 13, next board meeting is November 18th, 2026 at 3 p.m. And I would note on the agenda that we've
announced the, oh, I'm sorry, before we get to that, Mr. Baird, did you want to make a report on, we're
back to almost the furniture fixtures and equipment on where we are with the AV process? I don't think
there's a report yet, just other than that we are meeting the subgroup on the audio visual provider
for both the new and
Refashioned Convention Center. We're going to start looking at the proposals for that soon. And so we
should have a report in November. Okay, thank you. So back to where I left off. New dedication is set
for Tuesday, January 12th at 2 p.m. So by all means, get that on your calendars as well. And we are
at item 14. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. And we are adjourned.