Indiana Public Media

Bloomington City Council Approves New Ivy Tech Building

By Lacy Nowling
Posted October 31, 2013

The Bloomington City Council approved a $2 million bond for Ivy Tech Community College to acquire a new building.

Bloomington City Council members unanimously voted Wednesday to issue a $2 million bond that will allow Ivy Tech Community College to add another building of classrooms to its campus.

Issuance of the bond, which is through the county’s Westside Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, will allow Ivy Tech to lease the building in Bloomington from the city for 1 dollar a year for ten years.

Ivy Tech will make any needed improvements or updates to the building before it opens its doors in the fall of 2014. The college plans to use the building for health care classes.

State law gives the City Council a vote in this particular matter because it annexed three parcels within the Westside TIF District in the 1990s. The Council’s approval ensures that the city’s interest in the tax revenue from the areas of land is protected.

Monroe County attorney Jeff Cockerill assured the Council that the bond “will not impact the parcels or change the TIF revenue received by the city of Bloomington.”

The bond issuance also required the approval of the Monroe County Redevelopment Commission, which passed the bond in September.

About Ivy Tech Community College

Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana’s largest public post-secondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Ivy Tech serves more than 200,000 students annually and offers associate degrees, certificates, and workforce training in more than 70 programs across Indiana. The College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is committed to providing affordable, high-quality education aligned with the needs of Indiana’s workforce.