Visibly, the Bloomington Cultural District is an arts and educational campus located along East Street between Douglas and Chestnut Streets, bordering the north side of Bloomington’s downtown. The Cultural District will include municipal properties -- the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, the Creativity Center, parking, and a Festival Park, as well as bordering partner institutions including the McLean County Arts Center, Second Presbyterian Church, Illinois State University’s MFA Art Building, and the Old House Society.
Beyond its borders, however, the Cultural District also seeks to be a catalyst and a partner with other arts and educational institutions, extending the benefits of the Cultural District across our metropolitan area.
Planned renovations to the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts are intended to make it a safe, comfortable and flexible regional performing arts center able to serve local artists and audiences as well as international touring acts.
Renovations focus on three core areas:
Updating Stage and Artist Systems - Improving and updating dressing rooms; adding stage storage, a loading dock and freight elevator; replacing aging lighting, rigging and sound systems.
Improving Patron Access and Comfort - Making the building ADA accessible; expanding and remodeling rest rooms; adding a lobby elevator; installing wider, more comfortable theatre seats, a new ticket office and coat room.
Modernizing building systems and improving safety - Installing new heating, air conditioning, electrical, and plumbing systems as well as a new fire sprinkler system to ensure the building meets current codes.
Renovation plans will transform a 32,000 sq. ft. former doctor’s office building into an arts education center serving over 2,000 students each month. It will be the first center of its kind in McLean County and will provide:
+ thirteen new music teaching/practice studios
+ five new performance classrooms
+ three new visual arts classrooms
+ two large multi-use spaces for student art displays and informal performances
+ office space for up to seven area arts organizations
Many organizations have already expressed interest in renting this Center that would be made available to nonprofit arts and educational organizations at subsidized rates.
The Arts Center renovation includes:
+ Installing building systems to protect art collections including humidity controls to
allow display and storage of important works and upgrading its fire protection
system.
+ Repair of the building’s exterior to maintain the building’s historic features and
prevent structural deterioration.
+ Remodeling public rest rooms and kitchen to provide better service, comfort
and ADA access.
The three facilities each need structural renovation, updated equipment, and new systems to be able to sustain and expand their service to our regional publics. The need for additional capacity for each venue is in response to stated needs by the artists, organizations, and the public.
Performance Center - The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is the only performance hall of its kind serving Bloomington/Normal. The 80-year-old facility is currently deteriorating and limited by outdated equipment and limited services as well as access and safety systems that do not meet current codes.
Arts Center - The McLean County Arts Center is the only civic visual arts resource in Bloomington/Normal. Its classrooms, access, rest rooms, and HVAC systems require renovation. The building’s exterior requires repair to avoid structural decay.
Creativity Center - Currently a former doctor’s office building, the Center cannot serve its intended purpose until extensive remodeling transforms it into the regions first and foremost community arts education facility. These additional spaces cannot be accommodated in the Performance Center because of structural limitations.
In addition to improving the three facilities’ capacity to serve the public and expand programs, the Cultural District will benefit McLean County by:
Bringing new arts and entertainment opportunities to Central Illinois - The project will create the only mid-sized (1,000-1,500), fully equipped civic performance building within 50 miles of Bloomington/Normal. In addition to serving regional ensembles, the Cultural District will bring a host of world-class touring artists that previously bypassed our area due to lack of appropriate facilities.
Providing new arts education programs and facilities - The Cultural District’s new programs and facilities will provide art, music, theatre and dance for all ages offsetting the cuts to arts programs at area K-12 schools and offering needed space to enable local arts organizations to expand.
Bringing new dollars and jobs to Bloomington/Normal - The Cultural District will boost our regional economy, sparking businesses, jobs and tourism, by attracting over 100,000 visitors each year to downtown Bloomington.
Creating a new park and festival space for downtown - The project creates needed downtown green space, gardens, and a new site for arts and cultural celebrations.
Including all elements (Performance Center, Arts Center, Creativity Center, new parking and green space), the project will cost $19,475,000 to complete. This includes:
+ Performance Center Renovation $14,875,000
+ Creativity Center $3,300,000
+ Arts Center Renovation $500,000
+ Green Space Development $800,000
The City of Bloomington has provided $14,975,000 through sales tax support, leaving $5 million yet to be funded. In addition to support for the capital project, the City will provide an ongoing annual operating subsidy to the Cultural District’s municipal facilities through year 2025 (renewable) to ensure it can provide consistent, high quality service to its publics. This subsidy will also enable the District to offer discounted rental rates to community non-profit organizations to encourage public use of the Cultural District’s facilities.
The City of Bloomington is providing 78% of the funding for capital improvements and is the ongoing administrator of the Cultural District, providing annual support for District personnel and operations. As well, the Cultural District staff are City employees.
Timing - Work has begun, but these facilities cannot be completed and serve the public without additional support.
Supporting our youth and their education - These new facilities and programs will expand arts education for youth, offsetting school cutbacks in these programs.
Supporting local artists - Your support will equip facilities that will enable local talents to shine, from young dancers to the Illinois Symphony, and allow our area arts organizations to continue and grow.
New arts and entertainment opportunities - Only with additional support can we equip the Performance Center to bring an expanded palette of the world’s finest artists to Bloomington/Normal.
Improving downtown - Your investment in this arts campus and new Festival Park enhances downtown Bloomington. With its completion and influx of visitors, the District will spur downtown jobs, businesses and tourism.
The Cultural District will benefit area businesses and employers by:
+ Providing a new palette of entertainment and arts, making Bloomington/Normal more attractive to relocating employees (especially young adults) and relocating businesses
+ Revitalizing downtown by attracting 170,000 visitors annually
+ Increasing tourism
+ Expanding arts education for families and children of workers
The campaign for the Bloomington Cultural District is seeking the area wide support of industry, businesses, corporations, financial institutions, foundations, organizations, friends and supporters of cultural institutions.
Volunteers from Bloomington/Normal and the surrounding area will make personal calls to secure gifts and pledges. All solicitors will have made their own contributions before asking others to do so.
Yes. The Illinois Prairie Community Foundation will serve as the receiver of funds for the campaign for the Bloomington Cultural District. The Illinois Prairie Community Foundation is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization. The State of Illinois and the federal government encourage voluntary support of such organizations through liberal deduction allowances. All gifts to the campaign are tax deductible within state and federal laws.
All donors to the campaign will be recognized publicly through local and/or area media campaigns. The listing or public posting of donors will not include gift amounts. Donors choosing to give $1,000 or more, whether the gift is undesignated or designated, will be recognized in a permanent donor recognition system within the Performance Center. While we encourage donors to accept acknowledgment for their gifts, we respect the wishes of those who choose to remain anonymous.
The goal of $5 million is too high to be reached with out-of-pocket cash gifts. By establishing a three- to five-year pledge period, donors will be able to maximize their generosity to the campaign. They can also benefit from income tax laws written to encourage gifts to non-profit institutions like the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation.
Only you can answer that question. We ask that you consider the importance of having cultural and arts facilities like the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts and the Creativity Center available to this generation and future generations and make your gift accordingly.
Yes! The campaign will accept gifts of stocks, bonds, insurance policies, real estate, personal property, grain, livestock production, or any item that may be converted to cash. In light of changes in tax law, donors are advised to talk to their tax advisors to achieve maximum tax benefits.
The campaign appreciates donors beginning their pledge payments in a timely manner; however, the exact date is up to you. Indicate your preference on the pledge card.
Only if your personal representative elects it to be. Many donors consider creating a trust or making a bequest in their wills to fulfill their intentions should something unforeseen occur.
On behalf of the campaign for the Bloomington Cultural District, please make your check payable to the "Community Foundation-Cultural District Fund."
By all means. The campaign is predominately staffed by volunteers. We need and would appreciate your help. Please call Bruce Marquis at (309) 434-2787.
Bloomington Cultural District Office: Due to the renovation of the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, the Bloomington Cultural District has relocated its offices to 107 E. Chestnut Street in Bloomington, one block north of the Performance Center. The offices are on the first floor of the former doctor’s office building which the District plans to convert into an arts education center in 2007. Enter from the parking lot on the corner of Locust and East Streets, and you'll find our office immediately on your right.
Mail address: Bloomington Cultural District
107 East Chestnut Street
Bloomington IL 61701-3032
Telephone: (309) 434-2787
Fax: (309) 434-2791
Staff e-mail:
Bruce Marquis, Executive Director: bmarquis@artsblooming.org
Joel Aalberts, Marketing & Communications Director: jaalberts@artsblooming.org
Kevin Dial, Finance & Administration Director: kdial@artsblooming.org
Brandy Maloney, Support Staff: bmaloney@artsblooming.org
Carly Shank, Director of Community Engagement: cshank@artsblooming.org
Rodney Stickrod, Technical Director: rstickrod@artsblooming.org
Jocelyn Whikehart, Campaign Coordinator: jgwhikehart@artsblooming.org
David Young, Facilities Manager: dyoung@artsblooming.org
