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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 5.

[0:10] AT OUR MEETING THIS WEEK, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD

A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT OFFICE BUILDINGS IN

[0:15] BLOOMINGTON. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE DISCUSSION

FOCUSED ON WHAT THE CITY COULD OR SHOULD DO TO

[0:21] FACILITATE CONVERTING OFFICES INTO

A DIFFERENT USE, LIKE RESIDENTIAL.

[0:26] SOME QUICK BACKGROUND AND WE’LL START WITH A

QUIZ: ANY IDEA HOW MANY OFFICE BUILDINGS THERE

[0:31] ARE IN BLOOMINGTON? IF YOU GUESSED 107, YOU’RE

A PRETTY GOOD GUESSER. 107 OFFICE BUILDINGS,

[0:38] GENERALLY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY BUT

CONCENTRATED ON 494 AND ON LYNDALE AVENUE.

[0:44] YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD THAT OFFICE VACANCY RATES

ARE HIGH IN SOME AREAS WHICH IS DUE TO CHANGING

[0:48] WORK PATTERNS – PEOPLE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC

THAT WORKING FROM HOME IS A GOOD OPTION – AND AS A

[0:54] RESULT A LOT OF COMPANIES ARE ECONOMIZING WHEN

IT COMES TO OFFICE SPACE. HERE IN BLOOMINGTON,

[0:59] OUR OFFICE VACANCY RATE IS ABOUT 15 AND A

HALF PERCENT. LOWER THAN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS,

[1:05] BUT HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE

TWIN CITIES AND OTHER SUBURBS.

[1:08] WITH THE HELP OF STAFF, THE COUNCIL TALKED OUR WAY

THROUGH THE PROS AND CONS OF CONVERTING SOME OF

[1:13] THAT OFFICE SPACE INTO SOME OTHER USE. ON THE

PLUS SIDE, CONVERTING OFFICE INTO RESIDENTAIL

[1:19] COULD PROVIDE MORE HOUSING OPTIONS INCLUDING

OPTIONS RELATED TO THE CO-LIVING DISUCSSION WE

[1:24] HAD LAST WEEK. CONVERSIONS CAN BREATHE NEW LIFE

INTO TIRED OR UNDERUTILIZED BUILDINGS AND TO THE

[1:30] SURROUNDING AREA. REUSE CAN HELP SPUR ADDITIONAL

REDEVELOPMENT IN AN AREA AND IN MANY CASES,

[1:36] REUSE IS A BETTER OPTION THAN A TEAR DOWN. THERE

IS ALSO A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESSFUL OFFICE TO

[1:42] RESIDENTAIL CONVERSTIONS IN MANY CITIES, AND

I’VE HAD AT LEAST ONE CONVERSATION WITH AN

[1:47] OFFICE OWNER WHO WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER

HOW THEY CAN CONVERT HERE IN BLOOMINGTON.

[1:51] ON THE FLIP SIDE, CONVERSIONS COME WITH

CHALLENGES. OLDER BUILDINGS MAY HAVE DEEP FLOOR

[1:56] PLANS, OUTDATED SYSTEMS, AND DESIGN LIMITATIONS

THAT MAKE RESIDENTIAL USE MORE DIFFICULT.

[2:02] ADDITIONALLY, CURRENT CITY POLICIES AND CODES MAY

NOT ALWAYS BE IDEAL FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.

[2:08] AND ALSO, THE SWEET SPOT FOR OFFICE VACANCY RATES

IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE AND TEN PERCENT SO

[2:16] BLOOMINGTON IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM BEING

IN BETTER POSITION FROM A VACANCY PERSPECTIVE.

[2:21] AND AS A COUPLE OF COUNCILMEMBERS POINTED OUT,

IT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC IF WE ENCOURAGED OFFICE

[2:26] CONVERSIONS, AND THEN RAN INTO A SHORTAGE

OF OFFICE SPACE A FEW YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.

[2:31] THE BOTTOM LINE; THE COUNCIL ASKED CITY STAFF TO

CONTINUE LOOKING AT THIS, TO DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL

[2:37] MATERIALS, AND CONSIDER STREAMLINING SOME

POLICIES TO MAKE CONVERSIONS MORE DOABLE.

[2:43] WHILE NOT EVERY BUILDING WILL BE A FIT, THE

CITY IS PREPARING TO HELP PROPERTY OWNERS AND

[2:47] DEVELOPERS EXPLORE CONVERSION OPPORTUNITIES

AS THE MARKET EVOLVES. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR

[2:52] A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS LATER THIS YEAR.

THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL DRINKING WATER WEEK,

[2:57] CELEBRATED FROM MAY 4 TO MAY 10, 2025. FOR MORE

THAN 40 YEARS THE AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

[3:04] HAS USED DRINKING WATER WEEK AS AN OPPORTUNITY

TO RECOGNIZE THE VITAL ROLE WATER PLAYS IN OUR

[3:09] LIVES AND TO APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF

CLEAN, RELIABLE WATER IN OUR COMMUNITY.

[3:14] WE ALL KNOW THAT HIGH-QUALITY DRINKING WATER IS

NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL FOR PUBLIC HEALTH BUT ALSO FOR

[3:19] OVERALL COMMUNITY WELL-BEING AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.

SAFE WATER SUPPORTS BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS,

[3:26] STRENGTHENS OUR SCHOOLS AND HEALTHCARE

SYSTEMS, AND ENHANCES OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

[3:30] GREAT TASTING WATER IS ALSO A POINT OF

PRIDE IN BLOOMINGTON. ACCORDING TO OUR

[3:35] ANNUAL RESIDENT SURVEY, DRINKING WATER IS THE

HIGHEST RATED PUBLIC SERVICE THE CITY PROVIDES

[3:41] AND LATE LAST YEAR THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON WAS

AWARDED “BEST IN GLASS” IN A TAP WATER TASTE TEST

[3:46] HOSTED BY THE MINNESOTA SECTION OF THE AMERICAN

WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME

[3:52] BLOOMINGTON HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR HAVING THE

BEST TASTING TAP WATER IN THE STATE. NEXT MONTH,

[3:58] BLOOMINGTON WILL REPRESENT MINNESOTA AND WILL

PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL COMPETITION IN DENVER.

[4:03] HATS OFF TO OUR WATER UTILITY

STAFF FOR THIER OUTSTANDING WORK.

[4:07] AND FINALLY, WE LEARNED THIS WEEK THAT ONCE

AGAIN THIS YEAR BLOOMINGTON WAS RECOGNIZED

[4:12] BY LIVABILITY.COM AS ONE OF THE TOP 100 BEST

PLACES TO LIVE IN THE U.S. THIS IS THE THIRD

[4:19] STRAIGHT YEAR BLOOMINGTON HAS MADE THE LIST,

AND THIS YEAR WE CHECKED IN AT NUMBER 20 – UP

[4:24] ONE SPOT FROM LAST YEAR AND AGAIN THE

HIGHEST RATED MINNESOTA CITY ON THE LIST.

[4:30] LIVABILITY.COM HIGHLIGHTED BLOOMINGTON'S ABUNDANT

PARKS AND OUTDOOR SPACES, STRONG EDUCATION SYSTEM,

[4:36] AND THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMY AS KEY REASONS

FOR THE RECOGNITION. THE CITY'S DIVERSITY,

[4:41] COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY, AND

PROXIMITY TO THE MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL

[4:45] METRO AREA WERE ALSO NOTED AS FACTORS THAT

MAKE BLOOMINGTON A GREAT PLACE TO CALL HOME.

[4:50] WE’VE ALL SEEN THESE TYPES OF RANKINGS ONLINE

FOR EVERYTHING FROM MOST LIVABLE CITIES TO

[4:55] SCARIEST ROLLER COASTERS IN THE WORLD, AND AS

A RULE, TAKE THEM FOR WHAT THEY’RE WORTH. BUT

[5:00] LIVIABILITY.COM SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES ON WHAT

MAKES SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED CITIES GREAT PLACES

[5:06] TO LIVE. FOR THIS RANKING THEY LOOKED AT CITIES

WITH POPULATIONS BETWEEN 75,000 AND 500,000.

[5:13] LIVABILITY CONSIDERS THAT SIZE TO BE THE SWEET

SPOT IN SIZE FOR RESIDENTS TO GET PLUGGED IN,

[5:19] FIND THEIR PEOPLE AND FEEL AT HOME FAST.

THE WEBSITE ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR THAT AFFORDABILITY

[5:24] IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS OF LIVING IN

A SMALLER CITY. THAT’S WHY THEY ONLY CONSIDER

[5:28] CITIES WITH A MEDIAN HOME VALUE OF $500,000 OR

LESS. THEY ALSO ANALYZE AVERAGE RENT AND HOME

[5:34] PRICES RELATIVE TO INCOME IN EACH CITY, AS WELL AS

OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE COST OF LIVING.

[5:41] THEY REALLY EMPHASIZE AFFORDABILITY WHICH IS

SOMETHING WE ALSO EMPHASIZE HERE IN BLOOMINGTON.

[5:46] THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY HAS WORKED HARD OVER THE

PAST SEVERAL YEARS TO CULTIVATE AN ENDURING AND

[5:51] REMARKABLE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO

BE AND IT’S GRATIFYING TO SEE BLOOMINGTON

[5:56] RECEIVE MUCH DESERVED RECOGNITION. THANK

YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR SUPPORT OF

[6:01] THE WORK UNDERWAY HERE. LET’S KEEP WORKING.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.

[6:07] THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL

NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!