Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Bloomington, IN (2026)
2 verified zoning overlays & bonuses rules for Bloomington, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Density Bonus Law
Bloomington's Unified Development Ordinance lets a residential project that qualifies as Tier 1 or Tier 2 affordable housing build higher than its zoning district's baseline height limit: one extra floor, up to twelve feet, for Tier 1, or two extra floors, up to twenty-four feet, for Tier 2, plus a ten-percent bump in impervious surface coverage for Tier 2 projects.
Bloomington Affordable Housing Height Bonus
Few RestrictionsBloomington Municipal Code § 20.04.110(c)(5)(B)
(B)Primary Structure Height. ... ii.Tier 1 Projects. Projects that meet the tier 1 affordability standards may increase the primary structure height by one floor of building height, not to exceed twelve feet, beyond the maximum primary structure height established for the zoning district where the project is located, as identified in Section 20.04.020 (Dimensional Standards).iii.Tier 2 Projects...
Downtown Design Guide
In the City of Bloomington, the Unified Development Ordinance's Mixed-Use Downtown (MD) district is split into Downtown Character Overlays with their own design rules, under BMC § 20.02.030(g). In the Courthouse Square overlay (MD-CS), buildings must sit within 0 to 5 feet of the street and cover at least 90% of that build-to line with the building facade.
Bloomington Downtown Character Overlay Design Rules
Some RestrictionsBloomington Municipal Code § 20.02.030(g)(4)
(g)MD: Mixed-Use Downtown.(1)Purpose. The MD district is intended to protect and enhance the character of the central business district, to guide new development and redevelopment activities in the downtown area, and to promote a mix of moderate- to high-density development with active street edges. The zoning district is divided into six different Downtown Character Overlays and permitted size...