Hopewell

Welcome to Hopewell

Hopewell is Bloomington’s next great neighborhood—a charming, community-driven destination rising from the heart of the city. Located on the former IU Health Bloomington Hospital site along West 2nd Street, Hopewell is a City-led project designed to bring more of what makes Bloomington… Bloomington: homes for all, intentional design, green space, and a true sense of belonging.

The name Hopewell honors the site’s legacy of care and community. In 1905, the Local Council of Women transformed a brick home—one belonging to Isaac Hopewell—into Bloomington’s first hospital. Volunteers supported it with canned goods, garden harvests, fundraisers, and heart. That same spirit fuels what we’re building now: a place where people look out for each other,  shape the future block by block, and put down roots.

The Hopewell conversion project will develop in three phases: South, East, and West.

A Community-Driven Path Forward

In June 2025, the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission voted to partner with a nationally recognized multidisciplinary consulting firm, Flintlock LAB, to pursue a more flexible, inclusive, and incremental development model. This new approach ensures that the development remains feasible, aligned with community needs, and representative of Bloomington’s unique character. Key components of the approach include:

• A mix of housing types and price points with homes of all shapes and sizes for all our neighbors—buyers, renters, families, seniors, and everyone in between
• Pre-approved home designs to streamline permitting and reduce costs
• Opportunities for local builders and contractors to participate
• Legal frameworks to support permanently affordable and market-rate homes
• Ongoing community outreach and developer training to build transparency and local capacity

While specific unit types and pricing are still under development, Hopewell is expected to improve market access, address housing supply challenges, support long-term community goals, and, importantly, make it easier to build the kinds of homes Bloomington residents are asking for.

The decision reflects both current economic realities—such as high construction costs and financing barriers—and extensive public feedback, including concerns raised in Housing and Neighborhood Development’s (HAND) Consolidated Plan outreach about the lack of attainable, family-friendly housing in recent years.

Planning and Progress

The 2020 Hopewell Master Plan helped shape the early vision for this site and laid the groundwork for public discussion and site preparation. Elements of that vision, such as green space, walkability, and efficiency, continue to inform Hopewell’s direction.

Although Hopewell is still in its early stages, progress is underway. Public infrastructure planning, adaptive reuse projects, and green space investments are setting the stage for what’s to come.

• Site transfer: In 2021, IU Health transferred ownership of the former hospital site and adjacent parcels to the City of Bloomington for redevelopment in the public interest. The City of Bloomington concluded its purchase of Hopewell in December 2023.
• Plat approval: In land development, platting refers to dividing a tract of land into smaller lots or parcels. The initial plat for Hopewell, approved in 2022, laid out essential easements, public rights-of-way, and street names. This included an extension of Madison Street, the creation of University Street, and key utility connections.
• Khor Building: A former hospital office building reimagined as 38 income-restricted rental homes in partnership with the Bloomington Housing Authority.
• Hopewell Commons: This 1-acre park serves as a central gathering place for the neighborhood, offering accessible open space, native planting, a stage and lawn, ping-pong tables, bollards and electric hookups for events and/or food trucks, and a multi-use pathway that connects to the B-Line trail. Public art is part of this space too, with Undulate, a sculptural work by local artist Jon Racek, breaking ground in late summer 2025.
• 714 South Rogers Street—Proposed Police Headquarters: In January 2025, City officials announced a proposal to convert the former Bloomington Convalescent Center into a new police headquarters. The site is centrally located, transit-accessible, and strongly supported by police staff and union members. In April 2025, the building was approved for $50,000 in due diligence work to assess its potential as a modern, secure public safety facility.

What’s Next?

Much of the development and housing plan for Hopewell is still taking shape, but the goal remains clear: to co-create a neighborhood that balances inspiration with everyday ease and vibrancy with belonging. Future updates will include:

• Site design concepts and architectural renderings
• Housing breakdowns by type and affordability
• Community input opportunities and engagement sessions
• Construction timelines

UPDATES

November 19, 2024: Hopewell Public Offerings may be viewed on the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission's website here.

October 24, 2024: The slide deck from the Hopewell Public Update can be found here. Meeting recording can be found here.

October 17, 2024:  The City of Bloomington will hold a public event to provide an update on the planned Hopewell neighborhood development on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St.

Attendees unable to attend in person can stream the event via Zoom. The event will conclude with a Q&A session, offering the public an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the project.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact comms@bloomington.in.gov or call 812-349-3406.

June 15, 2022: Hopewell Development Steering Committe Update

Signup to Receive Hopewell Updates.

Questions?

If you have questions about this project, contact the Mayor's Office at mayor@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3406.