Bloomington advances Nine Mile Creek park renewal project
The Bloomington City Council received an update Wednesday on the Nine Mile Creek Corridor Renewal Project, a natural area restoration effort that will reshape how residents access and enjoy the creek and surrounding parks. The project is moving into detailed design phases, with community members set to see specific plans this spring.
Renae Clark, the city's Assistant Director of Parks and Park Projects, presented the latest progress on the initiative, which aims to restore natural areas while improving public access to nature. "The project is a natural area restoration project that also focuses on preserving, restoring, and enhancing the public's access to nature, which is so cherished and enjoyed by residents of Bloomington," Clark said.
A significant decision emerged from community and city council discussions in December: bike trails will not be built in Moir Park or Central Park, as they were determined to be infeasible for those locations. This conclusion came after technical assessments and community engagement throughout 2024.
The project is now entering the schematic design phase, where detailed plans will be developed. Clark outlined specific improvements planned for Moir Park, including a new picnic shelter, playground, enhanced natural areas, trail loops, and improvements to the disc golf course. The city will share detailed designs with the community in March.
Future work on the broader project includes creek management and upland restoration across the Nine Mile Creek Corridor. The council took no formal vote on Wednesday, as this was an informational update rather than an action item requiring official approval.
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Nine Mile Creek Corridor Renewal Project Update
Renae Clark provided a comprehensive update on the Nine Mile Creek Corridor Renewal Project. She outlined the project's dual focus on natural area restoration and enhancing public access, referencing technical assessments and community engagement from 2024. A key development was the December 2024 conclusion, in collaboration with the community and city council, that bike trails are not feasible for Moir and Central Park. The project is now advancing into the schematic design phase, with detailed designs to be shared with the community in March. Future work includes creek management, upland restoration, and specific enhancements for Moir Park, such as a new picnic shelter, playground, and improvements to the disc golf course.
The project is a natural area restoration project that also focuses on preserving, restoring, and enhancing the public's access to nature, which is so cherished and enjoyed by residents of Bloomington.
And in December, with the community and city council, concluded a bike trail and bikes in Moir and Central Park is not feasible and will not be included as part of the design.
Finally, we are developing a concept plan with Moir Park that will include a new picnic shelter, playground, enhanced natural areas, trail loops, and some improvements to the disc golf course.
Source document
[0:00] (bright music)
(water gushing)
[0:03] - I'm Renae Clark,
[0:04] assistant director of
Parks and Park Projects
[0:06] for Parks and Recreation in Bloomington
[0:08] and one of the project leads
[0:10] for the Nine Mile Creek
Corridor Renewal Project.
[0:13] The project is a natural
area restoration project
[0:17] that also focuses on preserving,
[0:19] restoring, and enhancing the
public's access to nature,
[0:23] which is so cherished and enjoyed
[0:25] by residents of Bloomington.
[0:26] It's been a while since
the end of December
[0:29] when the community last
heard what we were up to.
[0:31] In 2024, we connected with the community
[0:35] to learn what's important to
them in Moir and Central Park.
[0:39] We did technical assessments,
[0:40] including a topographic survey,
[0:42] natural resource assessments
looking at the wetlands
[0:45] and uplands, and initial
planning in Moir Park.
[0:48] We spent a lotta time exploring
[0:50] the potential for bikes
working technically
[0:53] with the design team
and with the community.
[0:55] And in December, with the
community and city council,
[0:58] concluded a bike trail and
bikes in Moir and Central Park
[1:02] is not feasible and will not be included
[1:04] as part of the design.
[1:05] We're now moving forward on more
[1:08] of the technical design aspects
[1:10] that we will include going into
the schematic design phase,
[1:13] which is just getting started.
[1:15] The schematic design is the first phase
[1:17] of the design where real
details start to come on paper
[1:21] that we will share with
the community in March.
[1:23] This design will be
proceeding throughout 2025,
[1:26] and there'll be continuous checkpoints
[1:29] at design development and final design.
[1:32] Some of those assessments
and further scoping include
[1:36] what we will do with
Nine Mile Creek itself,
[1:38] from the acute restoration activities
[1:41] to the longer-term management strategies
[1:44] of the design, addressing erosion,
[1:46] addressing constraints as it relates
[1:48] to the creek valley walls
and existing infrastructure,
[1:51] and then upstream influence
on how high water gets,
[1:55] how fast water flows through the creek,
[1:57] how we manage that resource
[1:59] for conditions today and in the future.
[2:02] We're also then exploring
[2:04] the areas upland connected to the creek,
[2:07] establishing the target plant
communities for restoration.
[2:11] The scope of what we're able to include
[2:13] in this project, phasing,
[2:15] long-term operations, and maintenance.
[2:17] Finally, we are developing a
concept plan with Moir Park
[2:21] that will include a new picnic shelter,
[2:24] playground, enhanced natural areas,
[2:26] trail loops, and some improvements
to the disc golf course.
[2:30] Project updates on process, schedule,
[2:33] and continued community
engagement opportunities
[2:36] will be available at
bloomingtonforward.org.
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