In a sign of that investment, leaders within the West Bloomington Revitalization Project held a first-ever street party known as West Bloomington Fest on June 30.

As with most upstart efforts, the West Bloomington Revitalization Project started with an ambitious, yet simple, mission statement when the first seeds were planted a decade ago.

The early organizers aspired to put a section of Bloomington oftentimes associated with negatives in a positive spotlight. Along the way, programs were established in the hopes of serving residents’ needs.

As time went on, WBRP grew progressively from an independent offshoot of a task force in 2008 to incorporating as a nonprofit organization in 2010.

The project’s continued upward momentum in the years since became so pronounced during this year’s decade anniversary that a visible sign of its expansion transpired recently.

In late June, WBRP moved from cramped rented storefront space to a larger standalone facility at 724 W. Washington St.

Armando Baez, who holds the title of WBRP’s project leader, recently discussed with Chronicle Media what the milestone means for the organization, and where he hopes the groundswell of support goes in the years ahead.

While Bloomington’s West Side has other community organizations serving similar purposes, Baez said WBRP functions differently, in part because of how it came into existence.

“Since we started more at the grassroots level, growing into a nonprofit, we’ve been able to do some things that are really creative and innovative,” Baez said. “We’re able to explore and experiment.”

Because it is not bound by state and federal grant stipulations, Baez said WBRP also has the autonomy to make tweaks on its own accord — as its leaders see fit.

Case in point: Last month, in the midst of the celebrating the 10-year milestone and move to new digs, WBRP’s leaders rolled out a new bike co-op program that is a recalibration of a prior, similar effort.

“We have volunteers who work on (used) bikes and fix them up, so they’re all ready to go,” Baez said. “It’s turned out to be a hugely popular program.’

In its current iteration, the project offers nine distinct programs to residents. Baez said each one grew into its own through a mix of hearing surrounding residents’ needs and fostering volunteers’ ideas on how the organization can grow.

“The best way I can describe how we’ve grown is very organic,” Baez said. “We’re a very open organization. If somebody approaches us with an idea — I think we’ve always been very open to what they have to say.”

WBRP’s programs run the gamut and include efforts aimed at making Bloomington’s West Side a better place to live, work and play. Offerings include a home repair program and ongoing street beautification efforts.

Nutrition also has been a focal point, as evidenced by such efforts as the community gardens and the veggie oasis, which is designed to increase the amount of fresh produce available in the area.

In a sign of that investment, leaders within the West Bloomington Revitalization Project held a first-ever street party known as West Bloomington Fest on June 30.

WBRP’s move into its larger facility carries a deeper meaning beyond the physical relocation from one site to the next, Baez said.

“It’s a sign that we’re fully invested in this community,” he said. “We’re not going anywhere.”

In a sign of that investment, Baez and other leaders within WBRP held a first-ever street party known as West Bloomington Fest on June 30.

In addition to offering music, other entertainment and food, the fest event included an open house and gave the community a chance to peek inside the new facility.

At the moment, Baez said no additional specific large-scale changes are on the horizon for WBRP, though he said he anticipates a continued evolution.

“There have been some questions of ‘Where do we want to take this organization?’” Baez said. “There are some growing pains right now. But it’s all really good stuff. There’s a lot of passion here.”

–Bloomington Grassroots organization approaches decade milestone with new hopes for the future–