Bloomington advances plans for new community health and wellness center
The Bloomington City Council heard from residents on Tuesday about their vision for a new Community Health and Wellness Center at Creekside Community Center, with community members emphasizing the importance of diversity, equity, and cultural programming in the facility's design.
The city is moving forward with planning for the Creekside Community Health and Wellness Center, a project designed to serve as a gathering place for residents. While no formal vote took place during the meeting, the discussion reflected the city's commitment to incorporating community feedback into the facility's design.
Residents and city officials outlined their priorities for the center during the session. Community members stressed the importance of embedding elements of culture, art, and creativity into the space, while emphasizing values like diversity, equity, and inclusion. One speaker noted: "I really also value diversity, equity, inclusion, what true belonging means in the community, so I would love to see what it looks like to have elements of culture and art and creativity embedded into the community center."
City officials framed the project as part of a broader strategy to strengthen Bloomington. "We are cultivating an enduring a remarkable community where people wanna be, and a center of community, like this community center will be, is an important part of that," one official said. The new center will join other community anchors like the Bloomington Ice Garden and initiatives outlined in the city's Park System Master Plan.
The project is now moving into the schematic design phase, where architects will develop detailed plans based on community input. The project lead told residents: "Next, we're moving into schematic design, where we're really going to be looking for some information from the community as to what they wanna see, where they wanna see it, and how they would picture themselves in the new facility."
Residents can provide input through multiple channels, including listening sessions, community surveys, and two city websites: Bloomington Forward and Let's Talk Bloomington. The city has emphasized that the design process will remain community-driven, with continued opportunities for public participation as plans develop.
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Community Input and Visioning for the Creekside Community Health and Wellness Center
The discussion focused on gathering and incorporating community feedback for the new Community Health and Wellness Center. Key themes included the desire for a center that fosters health, wellness, diversity, equity, inclusion, and provides spaces for cultural activities, art, and creativity. The project is progressing to schematic design, with an emphasis on continued community participation in shaping the facility's layout and amenities.
The vision is really the community's vision. We're here to help the community see its vision through, and so it starts with listening sessions like this.
I really also value diversity, equity, inclusion, what true belonging means in the community, so I would love to see what it looks like to have elements of culture and art and creativity embedded into the community center.
We are cultivating an enduring a remarkable community where people wanna be, and a center of community, like this community center will be, is an important part of that.
Next, we're moving into schematic design, where we're really going to be looking for some information from the community as to what they wanna see, where they wanna see it, and how they would picture themselves in the new facility.
Source document
[0:00] (bright upbeat music)
[0:02] - We are here at Creekside
Community Center.
[0:04] We are here to celebrate the possibilities
[0:06] of what will be here
[0:08] with the Community Health
and Wellness Center.
[0:09] - Here to listen to the seniors,
[0:11] the community in general,
[0:12] about what they need out
of a new community center.
[0:15] - I am up here a lot for
exercise and knitting
[0:20] and Writer's Club and Bloomingtones.
[0:24] I love coming to Creekside
[0:26] and I'm excited about the new building.
[0:28] - Typically, people think
architects come with a vision,
[0:31] that's not really the truth,
[0:32] or at least I don't think it should be.
[0:34] The vision is really
the community's vision.
[0:37] We're here to help the community
see its vision through,
[0:40] and so it starts with
listening sessions like this.
[0:43] There was a community survey,
[0:45] there's been a lot of
engagement activities.
[0:47] All of that information,
you know, comes together
[0:50] to formulate the vision for a project.
[0:52] - I really also value
diversity, equity, inclusion,
[0:54] what true belonging
means in the community,
[0:57] so I would love to see what it looks like
[0:59] to have elements of culture and art
[1:03] and creativity embedded
into the community center.
[1:06] - We're excited when
Creekside was offering
[1:08] the Winter Story Time for my daughter
[1:10] so that she could do that
through the Tod Pod program,
[1:12] that they let them in their,
[1:14] but kind of with that
being the only offering,
[1:17] we were excited to have some input
[1:20] on what else they could have
[1:21] and what could service them
at the community center.
[1:24] - [Attendee] I think it'll be an extension
[1:26] of what we have right now, and
it'll bring people together.
[1:29] - [Attendee] I also believe
that health and wellness
[1:31] is really the cornerstone
of how to build community.
[1:35] - You've heard me say before,
we are cultivating an enduring
[1:37] a remarkable community
where people wanna be,
[1:39] and a center of community,
[1:41] like this community center will be,
[1:43] is an important part of that.
[1:44] In the same way that the
Bloomington Ice Garden
[1:47] is a center of community,
[1:48] and the work going on
there is so important,
[1:50] that the work that we're doing
[1:51] in our Park System Master Plan
[1:52] to create centers of
community in our parks,
[1:55] all these different pieces
that are coming together,
[1:57] that are giving this entire city
[1:59] and the residents of this city
[2:00] places to gather, to
get to know each other,
[2:03] to develop that sense of community.
[2:05] It's just such an important part of it,
[2:06] and this building, I think,
[2:08] is gonna be the anchor of all of that.
[2:09] - Next, we're moving
into schematic design,
[2:11] where we're really going to be looking
[2:12] for some information from the community
[2:14] as to what they wanna see,
where they wanna see it,
[2:17] and how they would picture
themselves in the new facility.
[2:19] - [Planner] And we will
come back, you know,
[2:21] at different intervals to show our work,
[2:24] share where we're heading,
[2:25] and get more feedback from the community.
[2:27] Super important to the
success of the project.
[2:29] - [Alison] As information
becomes available,
[2:30] we just really encourage
people to continue
[2:32] to go to the Bloomington Forward website,
[2:34] as well as our Let's
Talk Bloomington website,
[2:36] where they can provide feedback
[2:37] and see the most up-to-date
information as far as plans,
[2:40] engagement opportunities like this one,
[2:42] and opportunities to share what you think.
[2:44] - [Attendee] I am really excited for it.
[2:45] I can hardly wait till it's done.
[2:47] (bright upbeat music)
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Other Topics from This Document
Community Engagement in Project Design
Role of Community Centers in City-wide Development
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