The Normal Town Council on Tuesday set a date for a public hearing related to a new Tax Increment Financing [TIF] district encompassing more than 200 acres in north Normal.
The item was discussed as part of a brief council meeting held Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday. Mayor Chris Koos was not present; council member Kevin McCarthy conducted the meeting in his absence.
The TIF under consideration includes the area immediately south of Interstate 55 and along the West Raab Road corridor. The Business 51 and West Raab Road TIF Redevelopment Project Area includes about 215 acres and 94 parcels of property of varying zoning uses.
The public hearing was set for Nov. 2. The plan could be adopted as soon as early 2027.
Under a TIF, property tax revenues are frozen at their base value. As redevelopment occurs and property values rise, the additional tax revenue created is reinvested in the designated district. A TIF is therefore used as a way to attract private investment in under-performing areas.
Most of the project area includes aging structures, underutilized parcels and properties showing signs of deterioration, according to the town. A large portion of the public rights-of-way shows signs of deferred maintenance, and the area sees a hefty amount of traffic throughout the day because of its proximity to the interstate exit.
Trail bridge replacement
Also Tuesday, the council awarded a contract of about $1.2 million to Stark Excavating for the Linden Street Pedestrian Bridge project.
Inspections of the bridge in 2024 identified concerns with localized bending, bulging and a fatigue crack in a primary load-bearing part near one end of the structure. The bridge’s side-to-side movements exceed current design standards and it also is shallower than recommended for its 141-foot length.
The Farnsworth Group determined repairs would not provide a sustainable long-term solution for the bridge that carries Constitution Trail over Linden Street. Replacement is therefore necessary, and it will continue to be monitored until then.
The project will remove the existing bridge, replacing it with a prefabricated steel Pratt truss bridge. It will be constructed with weathering steel [steel alloys that form a stable external layer of rust, eliminating the need for painting], to provide both durability and an appearance similar to the existing bridge, according to the plan.
New bike and pedestrian railings and a new LED lighting system are included. LED lighting already exists at the nearby Underwood Park and Connie Link Amphitheater.
Construction is expected in spring 2027, and is expected to be completed in six to eight months. Closing Constitution Trail at the bridge, with an associated detour, will last no more than 60 days.
In a separate agenda item, the council authorized an intergovernmental agreement with Illinois State University for fire protection services.
ISU will pay $720,075 for these services from the town fire department, a 5% increase from the previous year’s agreement. It is effective from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
