City of Bloomington Partners with Incremental Development Alliance to Host Small-Scale Development Workshop

The City of Bloomington will partner with the Incremental Development Alliance to bring a Small Scale Development Workshop to Bloomington on Friday, June 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bloomington City Hall, Council Chambers at 401 North Morton Street.

The workshop will focus on how smaller housing and neighborhood-scale development projects work in practice and why they are important to the larger housing system in Bloomington. Topics will include zoning, design, construction, project costs, site selection, financing, and the steps that determine whether a project can move from an idea to construction.

“Bloomington needs more housing choices across our community, and meeting that need requires large projects, public investment, policy work, nonprofit partnerships, and smaller projects led by local developers, property owners, and community partners,” said Anna Killion-Hanson, the director of Housing and Neighborhood Development. “Small-scale development can help add homes, reuse existing buildings and lots, support local businesses, and strengthen neighborhoods over time.”

The City supports bringing this training to Bloomington to ensure the community has a shared understanding of how housing gets built, what makes projects possible, and what barriers can prevent the needed housing from moving forward.

The workshop is intended for residents, property owners, local business owners, builders, developers, lenders, architects, brokers, planners, neighborhood leaders, and civically engaged residents. Participants do not need previous development experience.

Participants will learn:

• How to evaluate whether a small development idea can work
• What project costs and revenue mean for housing production
• Why land, financing, zoning, design, construction, and timing affect what can be built
• How small developers work with lenders, architects, builders, brokers, planners, and local government
• How smaller projects can add housing choices in existing neighborhoods
• How residents and local partners can participate in housing conversations with better information

Professional small-scale developers and Incremental Development Alliance faculty members Jen Acosta of Acosta Real Estate and Development and Marques King of Fabric[K] Design will lead the workshop. Inc Dev faculty bring direct experience with small-scale development and use real project examples, images, and practical explanations to show how smaller projects work, why they matter, what barriers can stop them, and how communities can better support them.

Registration is required, with a limited number of partial and full scholarships available to Bloomington residents at incrementaldevelopment.org/events/bloomington-workshop.

For more information about the workshop, contact Chloe Chapman at [email protected] or 479-305-4807.

The event is hosted in partnership with the Incremental Development Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to training and supporting small-scale developers who strengthen neighborhoods through incremental, community-focused projects. With workshops, boot camps, and ongoing support programs across 33 states, IncDev has trained over 10,000 alumni in the principles and practice of small-scale development.