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Staff: Hopewell South design to continue; water-main replacement and stormwater fixes likely
Summary
Redevelopment staff told the commission they will continue design on the Hopewell South subdivision to stay on schedule, citing low risk from recent council feedback. Staff said a 1937 water main likely must be replaced and additional detention or water-quality work may be needed to address flooding near a mobile home community.
Staff updated the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission on the Hopewell South engineering and subdivision and urged the commission to allow design work to continue so the project remains on schedule. A staff member said the council’s initial review did not raise issues that would probably change the project substantially, so staff recommended continuing design and preparing to file the primary plat with the plan commission.
The presentation said the next procedural step is to request permission to submit the primary plat to the plan commission, currently scheduled for May 11, 2026. If the plat and permits move forward on the present timeline, staff said construction could begin mid-August. The staff member added that, as of the meeting, the RDC had not yet received its first consultant invoice for the design work.
Staff identified two potentially material off-site needs that will affect scope and cost. According to the presentation, an existing water main on the project’s south side—installed in 1937—has been flagged for replacement to serve the new development. Staff said they will need additional survey and design work to replace that water main as part of the project.
Staff also reported that CBU requested the project evaluate detention and water-quality measures on the west portion of the site after officials raised flooding concerns in an adjacent mobile-home neighborhood. The presenter said there may be room in the public right-of-way to provide detention and that staff will study options, coordinate with utilities (including Duke Energy for electric service), and return with recommendations and any needed contract amendments for additional survey or design.
On sequencing, staff said utilities and infrastructure work would be completed before housing vertical construction begins, with utilities (storm, sanitary, water) installed first. The presenter said some early lots may be handled differently, but overall the infrastructure buildout is planned to precede home construction.
Commissioners asked about estimated costs and the project burn rate. The staff member said they did not yet have a firm dollar figure for the water-main replacement and would provide approximate costs before returning for authorization to proceed with additional work. Staff committed to provide a time frame and cost estimate for any future contract amendments.
The commission did not take a separate vote on the update; staff said they would return with a formal request to file the primary plat and any contract changes arising from survey or additional design work.
