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Kentucky Firm Still In Touch With City On Downtown Hotel

Commonwealth Hotels

The Kentucky-based company which floated a $52 million dollar downtown Bloomington hotel and conference center proposal that was quickly turned down by city officials may still be included in a different project.

Mayor Tari Renner said during Sound Ideas the door hasn't been completely closed on Commonwealth Hotels.

"There are some other ideas that have been thrown around that still involve Commonwealth. So we are still examining this. This is absolutely a critical block," Renner said about the block that includes the Front 'N Center and Commerce Bank buildings.

Renner said, however there is currently no proposal from Commonwealth, only that talks with the firm continue.

"If, what we could do is say, 'alright Commonwealth developer, you build the whole thing--the hotel, conference center, restaurants, parking garage. And when it's all done, we will agree to buy the parking garage from you at whatever price as long as the increased TIF (Tax Increment Financing district) funds pay our bond.' Then there is no risk to the city upfront," said Renner.

Commonwealth was a partner in East Peoria Developer Jeff Giebelhausen's project to renovate the dilapidated Front 'N Center and nearby Commerce Bank buildings. After the city decided against it last month, Giebelhausen said he was moving forward with plans to renovate the Front 'N Center building into a limited-service hotel. Renner said downtown consultant SB Friedman will release a report next week spelling out reasons for denying Commonwealth's original plan.

Renner appeared to walk back a comment he made to GLT News last month, that a limited-service hotel would amount to "rooms being rented by the hour, which would be disastrous" for downtown.

He said, "to some degree, I'm being flippant, but a limited-service hotel is not going to be the game-changer  that our downtown plan and our downtown vision calls for, period."

During the interview, Renner also discussed the city council's approval of classifying e-cigarettes as tobacco and thereby prohibiting their use inside city-owned buildings, such as the Coliseum and the Bloomington Center for Performing Arts. He said the devices aren't likely to be banned at private, indoor establishments or city-owned outdoor gathering spaces such as parks or golf courses because he said they ultimately don't pose as much of a health risk as tobacco smoke.

Renner also defended his decision to reconstitute the Liquor Commission as primarily a mayor-only entity, with a second appointee who would serve as a deputy. He said the more than eight decades-old State Liquor Control Act allows him to serve in that capacity, and in fact, brings Bloomington in line with other central Illinois cities.

Willis is a Bloomington, IL, native. During his senior year at Bloomington High School, he finished third in the "Radio Speaking" division of the state speech contest, the only year he competed.
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