Housing

Another large housing development — with over 250 apartments and row houses — is planned for Normal on a prime piece of real estate near the Collie Ridge subdivision.

Bloomington-Normal may need a different approach to stimulate housing construction. The community first quantified the need for housing in a study a year ago and updated it in June to an estimated 7,500 units.

The union that represents Normal’s firefighters says the community’s housing shortage has worsened an already difficult time to recruit.

Normal leaders say the town continues to experience strong economic growth on the heels of the previous year’s pandemic recovery.

Bloomington-Normal’s housing market is, at the moment, ruthless. There’s not enough supply and way too much demand, pushing up prices and rents. Now, a group is exploring an idea that’s relatively new to the Twin Cities: a community land trust.

Residents of White Place northeast of downtown say a proposed nine-unit rental home would be a safety hazard and should be subject to a zoning hearing since it was vacant for over a year.

The Uptown South plan will help shape space for business, housing, parks and public space in the area. Mayor Chris Koos hopes the plan’s sustainability goals will have a positive environmental impact.

A plan to build nearly 800 apartments and townhomes near Rivian Motors is moving forward, after the Bloomington City Council on Monday approved an annexation agreement for the project.

Most solar panel projects in Normal have been roof mounted so far but there is potential for more ground mounted units like the one the council approved this week for Grace Church on Hovey Avenue.

The five-page report examines the status of affordable housing available via the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, ultimately calling it "imperative that local leaders and stakeholders preserve and maintain LIHTC units to sustain housing for McLean County’s most marginalized residents."