Underpass

The mayor of Normal is answering criticism of the town council decision's to move ahead with the Uptown underpass project despite steep price increases and a larger town share of the $40.3 million cost.

The Uptown underpass project, first proposed 10 years ago, was approved Monday night by the Normal Town Council with a sunset provision on tax increases needed to complete financing.

Some Uptown business owners are criticizing a proposal to raise food and beverage and hotel-motel taxes in Normal. They’re also not happy about an accelerated timeline to a council vote on Monday — just three business days after the proposal became public.

To get the decade-old Uptown underpass project over the finish line will require increases in food and beverage and hotel-motel taxes. That staff recommendation emerged at a special town council meeting on Wednesday evening.

The Town of Normal is still in watch and wait mode as the Trump administration aggressively cuts programs and federal agency staff.

There will be no movement on E-scooter regulations in the Town of Normal in the immediate future.

The bids for the long-awaited underpass project beneath the railroad tracks in Uptown Normal have come back. The low bid is $35.16 million.

The Uptown Station Amtrak stop in Normal is the second busiest in the state with 10 passenger trains a day coming through on the Chicago-to-St. Louis corridor.

An independent federal agency will provide the Town of Normal with grant funding to support the design and installation of a mural in the forthcoming Uptown Connector/Underpass tunnel.

The Normal Town Council approved several measures Monday having to do with the pedestrian underpass project at the train station in Uptown.