BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington Police Department's goal is to protect and serve its community, but it can no longer protect its 3rd Street headquarters from floods and water leaks. The department wants a new home and it has the perfect place in mind.
"We have to do something with our current place because we have simply outgrown it," said Bloomington Police Chief Michael Diekhoff. "It's getting more expensive to upkeep the building."
The city and police department are focusing on an abandoned four-story concrete complex on Rogers Street as the potential new headquarters. The building is already owned by the city and was part of the former Bloomington Hospital campus.
"The Rogers Street property is an obvious solution that we just had not considered yet," said Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson. "This is what we believe is a 50-year fix, it's really a no-brainer."
Thomson, Diekhoff, and other city officials unveiled the proposed move in a public meeting Monday night.
The city does not have to build a new headquarters from the ground up, but the potential new police headquarters would still need 18 months and $22 million for a remodel. That money would come from a bond after approval from the public and city council.
Thomson said the city no longer has the option to not pay for police station upgrades.
"The current building is in desperate need of repairs," Thomson "The choice really is to spend upwards of a million dollars to demolish the building or to invest in a renovation and make the best use of that infrastructure."
A previous proposal to move police headquarters to the historic Showers Building, which also houses City Hall, is no longer preferred because of logistical complications.
"It was a matter of building inside of a building rather than having an existing building that did the work," Thomson said.
Diekhoff said the police department needs to find more space immediately because the current building limits how his officers can operate.
"We can't really expand our investigative division because there's no place to make new offices," Diekhoff said. "When we do roll call, there's no parking. The space we do roll call in is really small, so there's no place for officers to sit."
If the relocation plan does go forward, Thomson estimates the Bloomington Police Department could move to Rogers Street in 2027.
-
Secretary of State Morales accused of using state resources for campaign video
Marion County Election Board accuses Secretary of State Diego Morales of using state resources to film a campaign video, which he denies.
Free seeds and expert tips: How to begin your spring garden indoors
Starting seeds indoors compared to starting them outdoors later this year will give your garden a longer harvest season.
Body found in drainage ditch in Greenwood
The Greenwood Police and the Johnson County Coroner's Office are investigating after an unidentified body was found in a drainage ditch on Friday.
Pacers celebrate Read Across America at Stout Field Elementary
Fourth graders at Stout Field Elementary School were all smiles Friday when members of the Indiana Pacers organization stopped by to read books, play games and give out prizes.
