City of Bloomington Issues BEAD Strategic Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2008

For additional information, contact:
Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349-3534

Bloomington, IN - At a news conference today, Mayor Mark Kruzan announced the release of the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) strategic plan. The plan will guide the district's development for the next 10 years.

"I am extremely proud of all the work that has gone into the creation of BEAD since its early planning stages in 2006," Kruzan said. "I especially appreciate the hard work and expertise of Miah Michaelsen, who spearheaded the plan's development, and I applaud the dedicated work of the more than 50 individuals who served on the planning committee. This plan is truly a community creation."

At the news conference, Kruzan was joined by Michaelsen; Lewis Ricci, Executive Director, Indiana Arts Commission; Susan Sandberg, President, Bloomington Common Council; Les Coyne, Chair, City of Bloomington Community Arts Commission; Mike McAfee, Executive Director, Bloomington/Monroe County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Talisha Coppock, Executive Director, Downtown Bloomington, Inc.; and Marci Widen, President, Bloomington Area Arts Council Board of Trustees.

Highlights of the plan include the identification of three key action areas for BEAD development:

• Keep Bloomington Bloomington! - Create a place that safeguards, enhances and celebrates what is special about Bloomington.
• Get People Here - Create a place that encourages engagement by community, visitors, small business and the creative, cultural and entertainment sectors.
• Keep People Here - Create a place that provides creative and economic growth opportunities for the creative, cultural and small business sectors and offers intrinsic value to community stakeholders.

Also contained in the plan are strategic implementation priorities and a glimpse of BEAD and Bloomington's creative and cultural community in the year 2018.

Implementation of the plan has already begun.

"We have several of the plan's recommendations already in motion," Michaelsen said. "And with BEAD's advisory committee scheduled for its first meeting at the end of this month, we anticipate announcing additional initiatives very quickly."

A copy of the strategic plan is available on the City's web site at www.bloomington.in.gov/bead. For more information, please contact Michaelsen at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov.

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