Fourth of July Celebrations Include a Parade and Free Swimming; The Street Department Continues to Increase Accessibility; and Lights come on at Lower Cascades

Bloomington, Ind. – Numerous infrastructure improvement projects are underway this season to advance community goals, including safety, sustainability, accessibility, equity, economic vitality, and quality of life in Bloomington. The City will provide regular public updates on a range of these improvements as they progress. City departments coordinate with one another, as well as with private developers, to minimize the impact on Bloomington residents and visitors. 

PARKS & RECREATION

Fourth of July Parade

The parade is Monday, July 4. Festivities begin at 8:30 a.m. on the courthouse square with music from the Bloomington Community Band, followed by a dedication ceremony for the Alexander Memorial at 9 a.m. The parade then begins at 10 a.m. More parade information can be found at bloomington.in.gov/parks/events/fourth-of-july-parade.

Bryan Park and Mills Pools

Admission to Bryan Park Pool and Mills Pool is free on Monday, July 4, courtesy of the Bloomington Parks Foundation. Learn more about the pools at bloomington.in.gov/parks/pools. 

Farmers’ Market: Bollards at City Hall

Installation of safety bollards on Morton and 8th Streets began on June 20th. Bollards have been installed on the Morton Street entrance to the City Hall parking lot. Installation of the second set of bollards along the Rogers Street entrance to the parking lot, just east of the B-Line Trail, is scheduled to begin July 5th. These bollards will separate Bloomington Community Farmers' Market customers from vehicle traffic and are in place during the Farmers' Market; the entrance is open to vehicle traffic during times when the market is not in session. 

Lower Cascades Trail and Streambank Stabilization Project

Bloomington’s first public park, Lower Cascades, has undergone significant renovations and improvements. Fencing will remain in Lower Cascades to protect areas that were recently seeded. The new Cascades Trail lights are installed and turned on. The lights are LED, and dark sky compliant. The "Celebrate Lower Cascades Park" event is scheduled for Sunday, September 18 at 1 p.m.

Switchyard Park

On July 11, starting at approximately 7:30 am Otto's Parking Marking will be painting arrows and a crosswalk on the Switchyard Park Rogers parking entrance.  The paint dries in 15 minutes and the work is expected to take just a couple of hours. During this time there may be a disruption to entering the park but access should still be possible.

The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park

Submittals have been approved for stage work at The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park. Repairs to the stage columns are expected to begin in the next couple of weeks. The contractor will be on-site for a couple of weeks for deconstruction, then back to reconstruct the columns in August. The site of the future playground is prepped and ready for playground equipment installation. The playground equipment is scheduled to arrive as early as August. Work at the park is in conjunction with the City of Bloomington Utilities Hidden River Pathway Project. 

Contractor Milestone will return to the Allison-Jukebox Community Center in early July to wrap up final site restoration items. Milestone will resurface and stripe the east end of the parking lot on or about July 14. Curbing will be completed before that date; the parking lot light pole will also be reinstalled and turned on. 

UTILITIES

Hidden River Pathway Project

The two-year downtown stormwater infrastructure reconstruction project to prevent flooding during rain events will continue to necessitate the closure of East 4th Street between Lincoln and Grant. The City will coordinate with other construction and road projects as they reconstruct 1,829 feet of culverts to protect downtown area residential and commercial buildings. 

Evergreen Village Stormwater

City of Bloomington Utilities will be doing restoration work on a drainage ditch and detention pond in Evergreen Village, off Susie St. The project will be complete in early August, weather permitting.  

PUBLIC WORKS

Street Paving

This week the City of Bloomington Street Division will continue to mill and resurface on East 7th Street from North Union Street to North Overhill Drive. Work will continue into next week. This work is being completed in coordination with the City's 7th Street Neighborhood Greenway project. The Street Department will be installing traffic calming and pavement markings to supplement the concrete work completed by the City's contractor. ADA-compliant ramps were completed on South High Street from East Hunter Avenue to East 2nd Street. Crews will start next week on East 13th Street from North Jackson Street to North Maple Street, installing ADA-compliant ramps ahead of scheduled resurfacing.