Forthcoming parklet in downtown Bloomington will pay tribute to Route 66

Downtown Bloomington, Illinois, by sometime next year will have an interactive parklet that commemorates the city’s ties to Route 66.

City leaders dedicated and previewed the parklet that’s scheduled to be finished by early summer 2022, according to a report by WMBD/WYZZ.

Here’s the station’s video report:

A parklet is a sidewalk extension, usually in parking lanes, that provides more space and amenities for people using the street. Downtown Bloomington’s will feature benches that appear to be made from the backs of 1950s pickup trucks.

“The idea came about of doing a bench, or community interactive space, where it would be a place for photo opportunities, and for the community to enjoy our beautiful downtown,” said Dunlap.
On the corners of East Jefferson Street and North Main Street, Dunlap said the parklet’s location will fit nicely with the city’s other Route 66 commemorations.
“Where this parklet is placed, they’ve got the McLean County Museum of History, which is home to our Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center, and so we’ve got all kinds of these wonderful amenities along with our beautiful architecture in Downtown Bloomington,” said Dunlap.

The Bloomington Pantagraph reported the parklet also will feature a bike rack and planters featuring the Route 66 symbol.

The parklet’s funding comes from a Mid-Illinois Realtors Association placemaking grant of $4,000.

(Screen-capture image from WMBD/WYZZ video for the new parklet benches coming to downtown Bloomington, Illinois)

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