Council rezones 900 W. 80th St., clearing way for Rainbow Midwest indoor play use

The Bloomington City Council on March 31 approved a comprehensive plan amendment to reguide 900 West 80th Street from industrial to community commercial and rezoned the site from I-3 (general industry) to B-2 (general commercial), both by 6-0 votes. The council also authorized summary publication of the rezoning ordinance.

The actions respond to a business request from Rainbow Midwest (operating at the address for decades) to make an indoor recreation and entertainment use — private birthday parties and indoor play sessions in the company’s showroom — a permitted activity on the site. Planning staff determined the private play sessions constitute indoor recreation/entertainment and are not permitted under the I-3 zoning district.

Dakota Castende, planning staff, told the council the property sits in a part of the city the comprehensive plan identifies as a transitional industry area, where reguidings and rezonings may be appropriate on a case-by-case basis. The planning commission recommended approval of both the comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning on Feb. 13 by a 6-0 vote.

John Meyer, representing Rainbow, said the business has operated at 900 West 80th Street since 1998 and has offered birthday parties and similar indoor events nearly that entire time. "For the last 26 and a half years, we've been at our current location on 900 West Eightieth Street. We have operated since October of 98 to actually have, birthday parties," Meyer told the council, noting that the change would allow the business to remain in place and make its uses conforming to the zoning code.

Staff said the fire prevention division first flagged occupancy and life-safety issues for the indoor play use in September 2024 because a change from retail to assembly/occupancy class carries different code requirements. The applicant has been working with fire and building inspection staff on plan and permit-level compliance. The site also holds a 1998 conditional use permit that allowed showroom and retail sales; staff said that CUP’s conditions were aimed at retail rather than recreational assembly.

Planning staff recommended rezoning to B-2 as the most appropriate district to align the zoning map with the proposed community commercial guidance. Council members discussed alternative districts (including B-4 and a TI district studied earlier) but staff and the city attorney noted switching to a different zoning district than the one publicly noticed (B-2) would require renoticing and an additional public hearing. The applicant said B-2 would allow the business to continue and would not impair the site’s current warehouse or showroom operations.

Staff also noted two compliance items to complete regardless of the rezoning decision: removal of unauthorized outdoor storage on the east parking area and restriping that lot to provide the minimum parking required for an indoor recreation use. Meyer said the business had removed outdoor structures used for display and planned to restripe to add two parking stalls, bringing the east lot from 56 to 58 stalls.

The council approved the comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning (I-3 to B-2) and authorized summary publication of the ordinance, each by 6-0 votes.

Ending: With the rezoning, Rainbow’s showroom, retail sales and indoor play sessions will become legally conforming uses at the site; the business must still complete required building, fire and life-safety permit reviews before using the space for assembly activities.