The Town of Normal's Historic Preservation Commission will decide whether or not to approve demolition of three Uptown Normal buildings at its next meeting.
The agenda for the 3 p.m. June 17 meeting includes three public hearings for the demolition of 102 and 104 W. North St., and 104 E. Beaufort St.
The buildings were purchased by the town in 2006 in anticipation of a development project on either side of the Constitution Trail that runs through Uptown Normal, according to the commission's report on the properties.
The votes are part of a broader plan to redevelop the northern part of Uptown Circle. The preservation commission's report indicated the Town Council will vote on a redevelopment agreement at its upcoming Monday meeting. An agenda for the June 15 council meeting was not yet posted on the town's website Thursday morning.
The plan as described in the commission report calls for constructing buildings with "a mix of retail and restaurant space," plus residential housing.
Two of the properties are easily recognizable because of their colorful murals and facades. In 2019, artists behind a mural on the Beaufort Street building sued federally to block the mural's destruction.
That case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it could be refiled.
The east side of 102 W. North St. features colorful artwork, though commission pictures show wear and tear on the brick facade in and around the painting. The commission approved demolition of the building in 2025, but that approval expired before work began.
According to the commission's report, all three properties have sat vacant for years.
Little historical information could be found about 102 W. North St., but the commission believes it was built around 1900. It has occasionally been used as retail and office space in the last 15 years.
More is known about 104 W. North St. and 104 E. Beaufort St. The North Street property was built sometime in the 1890s and housed a bakery and kitchen.
The Beaufort Street property was built in either 1894 or 1895, housing a flour and feed store as well as a small cigar factory. More recently, it has held retail space on the first floor and an apartment on the second. The Beaufort Street building has been vacant since 2017.
The Historic Preservation Commission will meet at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17 in Multipurpose Room 409 at City Hall.
