Bloomington Councilmember Tom Crumpler introduced a motion to postpone action on a proposed East Washington Street Housing Development until the June 12, 2023 council meeting that was passed by the council on a five to four vote on Monday. That stalls the project temporarily for the developers who are on a tight deadline to get the project under construction by this fall.
“Three weeks to me doesn’t seem like a really long time frame if we can just come together and try to get it right so that both unions and the developer benefit from this project,” Crumpler said after the meeting.
But Andy Kaufmann, one of the developers of the project likely has a different opinion on that. He addressed the council during the public comment section of the meeting.
“It is our intent to continue moving forward on construction of this project by this fall and we are walking into your decision tonight with open hands trusting that you as our elected officials see fit to approve this project that we can meet that construction kickoff date at this timeline makes this project viable,” Kaufmann said.
“Should you see that this project not be best for our community and or delay in a manner that prevents this fall start then our performance can not support this delay and unfortunately the project would no longer be viable.” Kaufmann stated.”
Time will tell whether or not this delay ultimately kills the project.
Crumpler believes “more union involvement will make this an even better project then it currently is” and that the question whether or not the developer should have to pay prevailing wages is “really important.”
According to Crumpler paying the prevailing wage, “helps families support themselves. They are able to reinvest in the community and it really makes a difference for Bloomington at large.”
Kaufmann feels different about the “prevailing wage.”
“There is a bit of a misnomer surrounding the phrase “prevailing wage,” Kaufmann told the council. “But in essence some in the community may be asking whether this project will leverage the local labor force union or otherwise.
The Tax Increment Allocation Development Act of the State of Illinois does not include a prevailing wage or union requirement,” Kaufmann said. ”
It is our intention to move forward on this project by fall,” Kaufmann added. “We know that it will undoubtedly result in a combination of union and non signatory contractors delivering this project just as it did on the nearly complete Northwestern Mutual building (formerly known as C II East),” he said.
During public comment Bloomington Normal Construction Trades President Mike Raikes argued that language should be included in the development agreement that required the developer to “comply with the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act.”
Raikes criticized contractors doing work in our area on similar projects for using “rovers from Streator, plumbers from Peoria, metal workers from Arthur and demo companies that we are not even sure where they are from.” Raikes accused those contractors of not employing local construction workers and paying workers less than area standard wages and benefits.
The housing development is proposed for 402 East Washington Street. It includes approximately 24 two bedroom townhomes and a five story mid rise apartment building, consisting of parking on the first level and four levels of apartment units, with 48 apartments. The development also includes a 60 space surface parking lot and a small centralized shared green space.
The Developer is expecting the project to cost approximately $18.5 million.
The site is the previous site pf the old Coachman Motel opened in 1961 and demolished in 2008. The property has since remained vacant as the City continued to market the site for redevelopment.
Also part of the site is a church building built in 1888 to house the First Baptist Church. In 2012 the building was acquired by City of Refuge Ministries.
