City hosting Feb. 12 public event on Hopewell, small-scale development approach

Written from press release

BLOOMINGTON — February 5, 2026

The City of Bloomington will host a free public learning event Feb. 12 focused on the Hopewell development and what city officials describe as a new approach to neighborhood growth aimed at creating more attainable housing near downtown.

The event, “Cultivating Neighborhoods & the Small-Scale Development Movement,” is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 in the Council Chambers at Bloomington City Hall, 401 N. Morton St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., seating is first-come, first-served, and registration is required. The city said time will be reserved for questions and discussion.

Hopewell is planned for the former IU Health Bloomington Hospital site, and city officials said the project offers a rare opportunity to test “small-scale, incremental development” at a major site near downtown. After declining conventional development proposals in June 2025, the city partnered with Flintlock LAB to develop an alternative framework that includes pre-approved building designs to streamline permitting, participation by local builders and vendors, a mix of attainable and market-rate housing, and training pathways for small-scale developers, including residents.

The Feb. 12 lecture will be led by Eric Kronberg, an Incremental Development Alliance faculty member and principal of Kronberg Urbanists + Architects. The city said the presentation will cover the principles of small-scale development, how they’re being applied at Hopewell, and how the model could shape future housing and neighborhood efforts citywide.

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