Bloomington council supports historic designation for square

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Bloomington City Council members have indicated they support the idea of designating the Monroe County Courthouse square a local historic district.

The (Bloomington) Herald-Times reports (http://bit.ly/1HZAqnO ) in a straw poll vote of 9-0 Wednesday council members encouraged the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission to pursue the designation.

City Council member Chris Sturbaum, who also sits on the historic preservation commission, says that while the designation process has sparked some debate over who has jurisdiction over the courthouse, the underlying theme is a desire to preserve the square's historic character.

Assistant city attorney Patty Mulvihill says the county and city are discussing the issue and there may be some compromises through the design guidelines.

City Council will consider the designation for final approval during its meeting on Dec. 2.