[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE, AND THIS

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 2.

[0:10] AT MONDAY NIGHT’S MEETING, THE

CITY COUNCIL REVIEWED A DRAFT OF

[0:13] BLOOMINGTON’S NEW COMMERCIAL NODES TOOLKIT —

IT’S A RESOURCE DESIGNED TO HELP REVITALIZE

[0:20] SMALLER RETAIL AREAS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.

SO WHAT ARE “COMMERCIAL NODES?” COMMERCIAL

[0:25] NODES ARE THOSE SMALLER-SCALE RETAIL AREAS THAT

SERVE NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTS LOCALLY. THEY’RE

[0:30] TYPICALLY AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS AND YOU KNOW

THEM WHEN YOU DRIVE PAST THEM. FOR EXAMPLE OLD

[0:36] CEDAR AND OLD SHAKOPEE, 90TH AND PENN, COUNTRYSIDE

CENTER, OR PORTLAND AND AMERICAN. WE ALL SHOP IN

[0:43] THESE AREAS AND THEY CERTAINLY SERVE AN IMPORTANT

ROLE IN OUR LOCAL RETAIL, BUT I THINK WE’D ALL

[0:48] ADMIT THAT MANY OF THESE COMMERCIAL NODES ARE

DATED AND COULD BENEFIT FROM A BIT OF TLC.

[0:54] REDEVELOPING THESE COMMERCIAL NODES HAS BEEN A

TOPIC OF CONVERSATION FOR MORE THAN A DECADE,

[0:58] BUT FRANKLY, THERE ARE CONSIDERABLE CHALLENGES

ASSOCIATED WITH REDEVELOPMENT. A LOT OF THE

[1:03] BUILDINGS IN COMMERCIAL NODES ARE AGING,

FUNCTIONALLY OBSOLETE STRUCTURES THAT DON’T

[1:08] MEET MODERN STANDARDS. REDEVELOPMENT IS VERY

COSTLY AND IN A SOFT DEVELOPMENT MARKET IT’S

[1:14] HARD TO MAKE PROJECTS PENCIL OUT. AND THERE’S THE

REAL POSSIBILITY THAT ANY KIND OF INVESTMENT OR

[1:19] REDEVELOPMENT COULD FORCE OUT EXISTING TENNANTS.

SO IN AN EFFORT TO REALLY GET OUR ARMS AROUND THIS

[1:25] CHALLENGE, BLOOMINGTON’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

STAFF HAS DEVELOPED A MULTI-PART STRATEGY TO

[1:31] MODERNIZE AND SUPPORT INVESTMENT IN

OR REDEVELOPMENT OF KEY COMMERCIAL

[1:36] NODES ACROSS THE CITY WHILE WORKING TO

AVOID DISPLACING EXISTING BUSINESSES.

[1:41] IN DEVELOPING THE COMMERICIAL NODES

TOOLKIT, STAFF REVIEWED EXISTING PROGRAMS,

[1:46] IDENTIFIED OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONSIDERED A

VAREITY OF STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM

[1:51] SUSTAINABILITY OF COMMERCIAL NODES. THE

STRATEGIES RANGE FROM BASIC THINGS LIKE

[1:56] ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH OWNERS AND TENNANTS,

OR RIBBON CUTTINGS WHEN A NEW SHOP OPENS. TO

[2:02] FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE LIKE OUR FACADE IMPROVEMENT

PROGRAM, CREDITS FOR SEWER AVAILBILITY CHARGES,

[2:07] OR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING. OR EVEN BIGGER

POLICY DECISIONS LIKE REZONING OR LANDBANKING.

[2:13] AND WHILE THE WORK MAY SEEM DAUNTING,

THERE ARE SOME VERY GOOD RECENT EXAMPLES

[2:18] OF SUCCESS IN BLOOMINGTON. THE GRAND OPENING AT

WILDERNESS INQUIRY, THE STRIKING TRANSFORMATION

[2:24] THAT THE GRAY BARKOSKY GROUP DID AT 98 AND

NICOLLET, AND OF COURSE THE EXPANSION OF

[2:28] GYROPOLIS ARE GREAT EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN

BE DONE TO REVITALIZE COMMERCIAL NODES.

[2:34] THE COUNCIL GAVE A BIG THUMBS UP TO THE GOALS

AND THE FRAMWORK OF THE COMMERCIAL NODES TOOLKIT.

[2:40] THERE WAS AGREEMENT ON THE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE

WHERE POSSIBLE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME BEING

[2:44] NIMBLE, AND REACTING QUICKLY WHEN NECESSARY. WE

NEED OUR LOCAL RETAIL SPOTS TO REMAIN VIBRANT,

[2:50] ATTRACTIVE, AND WELL-INTEGRATED INTO

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WITH THIS TOOLKIT,

[2:55] BLOOMINGTON CONTINUES ITS WORK TO SUPPORT STRONG

COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND A THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMY.

[3:00] ALSO THIS WEEK, BLOOMINGTON’S SUSTAINABILITY

EFFORTS WERE HONORED WITH A 2025 BLAZING STAR

[3:06] AWARD FROM CONSERVATION MINNESOTA. THIS

AWARD RECOGNIZES EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP

[3:11] IN LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION AND CELEBRATES

COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO INSPIRE OTHERS

[3:17] TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THEY LOVE.

THE CITY’S SUSTAINABILITY TEAM RECEIVED THE

[3:22] AWARD FOR ITS TIME OF SALE ENERGY DISCLOSURE

PROGRAM, WHICH HELPS HOME BUYERS MAKE INFORMED

[3:27] DECISIONS BY PROVIDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

RATINGS WHEN HOMES ARE LISTED FOR SALE.

[3:32] THIS POLICY ENCOURAGES COST-EFFECTIVE ENERGY

IMPROVEMENTS, REDUCES GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS,

[3:37] AND SUPPORTS BLOOMINGTON’S CLIMATE ACTION GOALS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SUSTAINABILITY TEAM FOR

[3:43] LEADING BY EXAMPLE AND MAKING BLOOMINGTON

A CLEANER, MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT COMMUNITY!

[3:48] AND FINALLY TODAY, I KNOW THE SOLSTICE IS

STILL A COUPLE OF WEEKS OFF, BUT THE CALENDAR

[3:53] HAS FLIPPED TO JUNE WHICH MEANS IT’S SUMMER

IN BLOOMINGTON. AND THAT MEANS THERE ARE ALL

[3:58] KINDS OF ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS TO GET YOU OUTSIDE

AND ENJOYING ALL THAT BLOOMINGTON HAS TO OFFER.

[4:03] THIS SATURDAY IS OPENING DAY FOR THE BLOOMINGTON

FARMERS MARKET AND OF COURSE THAT MEANS FRESH,

[4:08] LOCAL PRODUCE, ARTISAN GOODS,

LIVE MUSIC, FOOD TRUCKS, AND MORE.

[4:13] ALSO THIS SATURDAY IS BLOOMINGTON’S ANNUAL KITES

AND BITES FESTIVAL AT VALLEY VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL.

[4:18] GET THERE EARLY FOR YOUR FREE KITE – OR YOU

CAN CERTAINLY BRING YOUR OWN – AND TO ENJOY

[4:22] THE PLETHORA OF FOOD TRUCKS AND THE

MUSIC OF THE ROCKIN’ HOLLYWOODS.

[4:26] SPEAKING OF VALLEY VIEW, THE ANNUAL JUNETEENTH

CELEBRATION TAKES PLACE THERE ON SATURDAY,

[4:31] JUNE 21 FROM NOON TO 5:30 PM. JUNETEENTH MARKS

THE END OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES AND

[4:37] STANDS AS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF RESILIENCE,

FREEDOM, AND THE ONGOING PURSUIT OF EQUITY.

[4:42] THE CELEBRATION WILL INCLUDE LIVE MUSIC AND

PERFORMANCES FROM LOCAL ARTISTS, INSPIRING

[4:47] SPEAKERS AND STORYTELLING, FAMILY-FRIENDLY

ACTIVITIES, GAMES, AND CRAFTS, AND FREE FOOD.

[4:53] SUNDAY, JUNE 22 IS BLOOMINGTON’S FIFTH ANNUAL

PRIDE CELEBRATION RIGHT HERE AT CIVIC PLAZA.

[4:58] PRIDE CELEBRATES OUR LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY WITH

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN, MUSIC, PERFORMANCES,

[5:05] AND ART. THE CELEBRATION STARTS AT 1 P.M.

VISIT BLOOMINGTONPRIDEMN.ORG FOR MORE INFO.

[5:09] AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR FULL SCHEDULE OF ARTS

IN THE PARKS EVENTS — INCLUDING OUTDOOR CONCERTS,

[5:14] THE MIDWEEK MUSIC AND MARKET, AND POP-UP

PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. CHECK THE LINK

[5:19] ON YOUR SCREEN TO FIND SOMETHING HAPPENING ALMOST

EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK AS PART OF THIS SERIES.

[5:25] THIS IS JUST A SMALL SAMPLING OF EVENTS

TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER IN

[5:28] BLOOMINGTON. VISIT BLM.MN/EVENTS TO SEE THE

FULL LIST OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND TOWN.

[5:36] THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE. THANKS

[5:38] FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL NEXT

TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!