Business and Economy

The union representing buildings, grounds, and dining services workers at Illinois State University said it will strike Wednesday if there is no contract agreement by then.

The state has announced a $5 million grant for the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District [BNWRD] that is intended to stimulate business development on the west side of the Twin Cities.

Bloomington City Manager Jeff Jurgens said he's pleased with the redevelopment of the former Pantagraph print building on West Jefferson Street. The building has reopened with the 8 Bit Arcade, a retro-style video game and pinball arcade and bar on the main floor.

The Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council has named an interim chief executive officer. Tyler Cravens will hold the position while the council conducts a national search for someone to succeed Patrick Hoban.

McLean County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston said she disagrees, in part, with Twin City mayors Dan Brady and Chris Koos who have criticized the performance of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. Johnston said she thinks the EDC has delivered a lot of bang for the buck.

Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady acknowledged in a WGLT interview the city has already begun to go its own way in project advocacy. Brady has been critical of the annual One Voice collective community lobbying trip to Washington. The city sent its delegation a day early this year to push its own projects.

The head of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council has submitted his resignation. Patrick Hoban led the EDC for six years. This opens the door to a broader discussion of the role of the EDC in the Twin Cities.

A startup robotics company owned by Rivian and founded by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has secured $500 million in startup capital. Mind Robotics announced an investment by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz. The firm wants to build AI-powered industrial robots.

The City of Bloomington is stepping into what promises to be a thorny issue: rules about signs. City Manager Jeff Jurgens said the city hasn't revised the sign code since the 1970s.

State Farm is announcing the largest dividend in company history, a $5 billion giveback to auto policyholders. CEO Jon Farney told reporters the dividend works out to an average of $100 per vehicle for 49 million vehicles.