The Town of Normal has launched another effort to fill a piece of prime real estate in Uptown.
First, there was the Trail East proposal for a five-story, mixed use building, then it became four stories. Then it never happened. That was in 2021. Then came the Trail East and West mixed-use development straddling Constitution Boulevard. That stalled in 2023.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos said another developer is interested in the site, but the town's existing TIF district is too short term.
“We are working with some developers and the existing TIF increment just isn’t enough to close the gap to make the projects work, so that’s the reason for extending,” Koos said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
A TIF district directs any new taxes generated by an increase in property values back into redevelopment of the area. The current district is already halfway through its lifespan. Koos thinks creating a new TIF there would lead to a better outcome than the two previous deals that never happened.
“Things have change [to be] a little bit more favorable. They are still not what we would call the best of all worlds in terms of building multifamily housing in this community or any community in the United States,” Koos said. “It’s still very tough to do, but we think this will help move that project across the finish line."
Koos said the project currently envisioned would be mostly residential with some commercial. The town also wants to include in the new TIF some areas to the immediate north near the College Avenue parking garage and near the town's water treatment plant. Koos said those areas are also seeing interest.
The TIF means taxing bodies, including Unit 5 schools, have to wait a long time before they would benefit from the growth. Koos said they've all been receptive so far.
“In our conversations with them going forward, we are all on the same page at this point,” he said.
The town council on Monday approved setting a public hearing on the proposed TIF. That's expected to happen in November.
Records management
Koos said the town's move to break with McLean County on a new police records system is not a sign of broken trust with the county. The town, county and City of Bloomington have been engaged in a public dispute over how the county has been managing sales tax dollars the city and town have been collecting for mental health and public safety. Records management has itself been a point of contention.
The mayor said he hopes the town's $8 million contract with Axon approved Monday will help the town's records integrate better with other police agencies in the county.
“I wouldn’t put Axon in that mix. I think people are being very pragmatic at looking at how it works and what’s working and what’s not working, and I think that’s driving the decisions around records management and inter-operability,” Koos said.
Koos said he hopes the county also will sign with Axon when its contract with its records company expires. The county's current records system has been fraught with problems, according to Bloomington and Normal.
Koos said McLean County government still needs to address concerns raised in a 2024 consultant’s report about problems with the county's records management systems.
The report said the county lacks a strong project management and communication and that has eroded trust.
“I think that accurately describes the situation, and I think all three parties are aware of this as an issue,” Koos said.
County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston said the county took the report to heart and is working to address the concerns of the city and town.
“Knowing how unhappy the city and the town were in that meeting, it became a priority very quickly for me to make sure their voices are included as we consider the future of that records management system,” Johnston said.
Koos said he thinks the county is making a good-faith effort to resolve those issues.
