Normal Town Council

The new version of the proposed Trail East and West development project in Uptown Normal would be primarily residential housing on the north side of the traffic circle straddling Constitution Trail. And a controversial mural on a building in the project footprint would likely be torn down.

The Normal Town Council has a new code of ethics, and though it’s mostly symbolic, the resident who proposed the idea says it is needed in today’s political climate.

There are still a lot of details to work through with a prospective contractor on the Uptown Normal underpass project for another revised bid, and with state, federal, and railroad partners. City Manager Pam Reece has more to say in a WGLT interview.

The Normal Town Council approved a new operating and capital investment budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The $233.5 million budget represents a 10% increase over last year.

There are further signs of a thaw in the shared sales tax dispute between the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal on one side and McLean County government on the other. The county board has approved a three month suspension of paying sales tax money from the city and town.

The updated tentative price to build the Uptown underpass project in Normal is about $33.7 million. That is above the roughly $32 million bid approved in November. The previous winning bidder withdrew over concerns about timing and its ability to meet the cost.

The decade-old Underpass project in Uptown Normal has had another hitch. The contractor, Millstone-Weber, said it can't meet the requirements and construction timeline and has pulled out.

Parents of students at Glenn Elementary School have taken their pleas to keep the school as it is to the Normal Town Council. Ideally, they would like to see the council release a statement of support for their cause.

FlixBus joins Peoria Charter, Greyhound and Jefferson Lines as roadway transit providers at the station.

Last year, many Bloomington-Normal residents saw their electric bills jump 40% in some cases, even after the municipalities teamed together with other Illinois governments. And there are signs the summer could produce some volatile electric rates again.