The city of Bloomington looking to expand the convention center, but some in the community don’t agree

BLOOMINGTON – The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce wants to expand The Monroe Convention Center located in downtown Bloomington, but others feel differently.
 
"It is the people who are to be served not the business interest,” Joe Davis a resident who opposes the expansion said.

Davis along with other citizens filed the petition asking the city of Bloomington to not use food and beverage tax funding to pay for the expansion of the Monroe Convention Center. He and others feel the money could be used for what they see as more important issues facing the community.
 
READ THE PETITION BELOW:

"Taxpayers paid it so it should go towards helping the underprivileged,” Mark Harper a Taxpayer objection petitioner said. “You know the people that didn't maybe get quite the resources growing up that need help. That million dollars should pretty much go towards social work. "

Eric Spoonmore is the CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and a member of the capital improvement board which will oversee the project. He says the food and beverage tax dollars can't be used for anything other than expanding the convention center.

WRTV

"We have accumulated about 18 million dollars in cash balance in the food and beverage tax fund right now,” Spoonmore said. “The only way it can be used by the requirement of the state legislature is on a convention center expansion. So the money cannot be used for any other purchase. "

According to the Chamber, the expansion is needed. It says they've had to turn away 80 conventions because they don't have enough space. Leaders with the chamber say in the long run this will bring more money to the city and the county.

City of Bloomington

"It's important that you know we are doing everything we can to diversify our economy and bring more revenue in,” Spoonmore said.

The project will cost around 65 million dollars. On October 9^th the Bloomington city council will vote on the Capital Improvement Board's budget which will allow them to take the first steps toward construction. They have a goal of finishing the project by 2027. To read more about the project click here.

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