A major sewer construction project by the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District [BNWRD] is moving forward now that a tent encampment in Normal has dispersed.
Multiple agencies worked for months to relocate the encampment residents off Center Street in Normal, one of them being Home Sweet Home Ministries [HSHM].
“In the 11th hour, late Thursday, early Friday, there was another site located somewhat nearby that got some approval, at least from BNWRD,” HSHM Community Outreach Director Steve Tassio said. “It was their property, and they offered to step up and try to give some space for people to go temporarily.”
Many encampment residents moved to the approved BNWRD property, others got into housing, and others are staying with family and friends, according to Tassio.
Some tents and debris still remain, but Tassio said any remaining tents are from people who have already relocated. A cleaning crew will come by the area to remove anything left on the former encampment property.
One of the final remaining residents at the encampment was Louis Ray Starr.
“Louis, specifically, has been there for a while. That's been his home,” Tassio said. “And so leaving the location comes with all types of fear and complications with his belongings and trying to figure out what's necessary in this new location.”
Tassio said he does not assume anyone will return to the former encampment location now that BNWRD has started removing the coverage of the treeline.
Sewer repair
BNWRD is in the process of removing the trees in the area to get a better look at the sewer.
“We are hoping to get in rather quickly to do some immediate repairs to the area, and then by the end of summer, we're hoping to complete the entire project,” BNWRD executive director Tim Ervin said.
When the treeline and shrubbery are cleared, Ervin said residents will see increased activity in the area, but very little of it will be on the street.
“A majority of the work is done at manholes,” Ervin said. “We do expect that there will be some open trenches around the AutoZone detention basin, but we're still determining the extent of that.”
Detention basins are areas that are designed to temporarily hold stormwater runoff to help prevent flooding and erosion.
Ervin said the sewers in that area of Normal were built along Sugar Creek in the 1890s.
“These are double-lined brick sewers, and they are showing their wear after over 100 years of use,” Ervin said.
Before the treeline started getting removed, BNWRD was working closely with HSHM to relocate the encampment residents who were living on the property.
“It was rather easy working with Home Sweet Home,” Ervin said. “They're a great partner, and they did a lot of the heavy lifting.”
Above and beyond
Tassio said BNWRD has gone to great lengths to prepare the encampment residents for the move.
“They gave us up-to-date details as much as they [could] about updates because they cared,” Tassio said. “They put signs up because they cared. They didn't just immediately call the police and have people kicked out when they could have, technically, because they care.”
Tassio said Ervin and his crew have been very dignifying to the encampment residents and thinking of them as neighbors.
“Which, to me, even verbally, is going above and beyond in some way that I really appreciate,” Tassio said.
The encampment residents who did not find alternative housing will continue to stay at the newly allocated BNWRD property for the foreseeable future.
Tassio said he hopes it is temporary until the proposed shelter village, The Bridge, gets built.
