Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Bloomington Forward.

Questions about the plan

Bloomington Forward is a long-term community investment plan that will support three major community projects for better health, wellness, athletics and recreation. Those projects are:
New Community Health and Wellness Center: The City will build a new Community Health and Wellness Center to replace the Bloomington Public Health and Creekside Community Center buildings.
Bloomington Ice Garden renovations: The City will renovate Bloomington Ice Garden (BIG), including new refrigeration systems, more space, new roof and other infrastructure work.
Enhancents for Nine Mile Creek Corridor: The City will enhance and protect Moir/Central Parks and the Nine Mile Creek Watershed with restoration of eroded riverbanks, habitat protections, improved trails and additional amenities to support outdoor recreation.
To fund Bloomington Forward, the City Council proposed a sales tax option, which will spread the cost of the project among residents and nonresidents, rather than only Bloomington residents who own property. On Nov. 7, 2023, Bloomington voters approved the half-cent sales tax to finance the projects.
65% of the half-cent sales tax will be generated by nonresidents who purchase goods and services at local businesses, according to an independent analysis by the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality. That means nonresidents will contribute about $101 million for the projects through a sales tax.
For more information about the local option sales tax, visit blm.mn/sales-tax.
The total cost for completing all three projects is estimated to be $159 million.
- The new Community Health and Wellness Center: $101.8 million.
- Bloomington Ice Garden Renovations: $37.2 million.
- Nine Mile Creek Corridor: $20 million.

Questions about the planning process

Guided by community feedback, independent experts and City staff, Bloomington leaders formulated a plan to invest in building a new Community Health and Wellness Center, renovating Bloomington Ice Garden and improving the Nine Mile Creek Corridor.
Feedback from residents continues to shape the plan. City leaders want to hear from you, so please share your questions and ideas.
Bloomington residents played a major role in shaping this investment plan. As part of the City’s park system master planning process, residents expressed a desire to see a greater variety of park amenities, including new park shelter buildings, outdoor gathering spaces, and natural resources.
In 2016, a Community Center Task Force of residents and community stakeholders reviewed and studied the current Creekside Community Center and how it could be improved. The task force concluded that facility was too old to continue serving the city’s growing population and recommended the construction of a new facility to provide the amenities, gathering spaces and activities needed to better serve residents.
In the summer of 2022, the City conducted a scientific survey of residents to gather feedback about their priorities for community investments, including building a new community center, renovating Bloomington Ice Garden, improving parks and recreational facilities and trails, and other initiatives.
In 2017 and 2018, the City of Bloomington explored a partnership with the YMCA for a community center and decided at the time that it was not a good fit. The City has private partners that provide services and large events at Bloomington Ice Garden and Creekside Community Center. The City continues to seek out new partnership opportunities.
The Port Authority owns property in South Loop that it is holding for future development opportunities. Future potential tax revenue on private purchase/development cannot be isolated and dedicated to the Bloomington Forward projects.

Questions about the tax impact

Item The Bloomington City Council concluded that a sales tax was the best choice to finance this investment plan because it will spread the cost of the project among residents and nonresidents who buy goods and services in the city. If the projects were funded through a property tax increase, the cost burden would fall to those who own commercial and residential property.
According to research by the University of Minnesota, 65% of the sales tax in Bloomington will be paid by nonresidents. This means approximately $101 million of the project costs will be paid by nonresidents.
A half-percent sales tax adds a half a penny for every $1 spent. In other words, an additional 5 cents will be added to a $10 purchase or 50 cents for a $100 purchase.
The average cost of the half-percent sales tax for Bloomington residents will be approximately $100 per household each year, or $8.33 per month.
If the projects were funded through property taxes, the property tax bill for a median-value home would increase by $223 per year or $18.60 per month.
The local option sales tax has the same exemptions for purchases as the state sales tax, including groceries, clothing, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, feminine hygiene products and baby products. Sales of motor vehicles and boats are also exempt.
For more information, view this list of taxable items and this list of most nontaxable items from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
Collections of the sales tax will begin April 1, 2024, and the tax will expire in 20 years. If the bonds for the projects are paid off before then, the sales tax expires earlier.
The only way the tax could be extended is with legislative authorization and reapproval by Bloomington voters.
For more information about the local option sales tax, visit blm.mn/sales-tax.
The University of Minnesota analyzed the economic effects of a local sales tax increase in several cities and found little evidence that overall sales growth for businesses would be impacted.
Over the past five years, dozens of cities and counties have adopted local option sales taxes to help pay for a variety of major public projects that benefit the community, including new community centers, jails, libraries, parks and trails, and other public amenities.
In recent years, several metro area cities have approved a local sales tax, including Saint Peter (new fire station), Edina (parks and recreation improvements), Rogers (trail and pedestrian projects and aquatics), West St. Paul (road projects), and Maple Grove (community center).
The City of Bloomington has explored a variety of options to finance the Bloomington Forward projects, including grants and state bonding authority. Last spring, the City requested state bonding dollars for approximately 50% of the costs of the Bloomington Ice Garden and the Public Health building projects. A considerable number of cities, counties and schools also requested state bonding authority this past legislative session. In the end, Bloomington was fortunate to receive $4 million in state funding, but it wasn’t nearly enough to cover the overall cost of $159 million for the three Bloomington Forward projects.
The projects in the Bloomington Forward plan require a stable and long-term funding source to secure the necessary financing to pay for them. That is why the City proposed using a local sales tax in order to complete projects within the next few years, so residents won’t have to wait many years to benefit from them.
The Port Authority’s assets are restricted and are required by contractual obligations to be used within specific tax increment districts and the South Loop Development district. Click here to learn more about the Port Authority’s investments and portfolio.