Economic Development

The draft of a new McLean County Land Use Plan suggests future growth will largely happen on the fringes of Bloomington and Normal.

A proposed solar farm in McLean County would be the largest in the county at 300 megawatts of power. Deriva Energy, based out of North Carolina, would develop the Dawson Solar project located nine miles southeast of Bloomington-Normal.

An Illinois Wesleyan University physics professor says the Trump administration's effort to choke off the supply of international students at U.S. universities is unwise. The administration is taking a hard line on visa approvals for international students, particularly those from China.

The Town of Normal wants a homeless encampment removed by the end of the month.

The cost of child care in McLean County is now the fourth highest in the state, according to data compiled by the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council.

The owner of the former State Farm building in downtown Bloomington is moving ahead with a $68 million redevelopment, including a renovation of the building into 183 residential units, plus ground-floor retail and a destination restaurant on the 13th floor.

Economic development officials in Bloomington-Normal sometimes express frustration at their inability to gain consensus on the importance of addressing a housing shortage. Here's how the skeptics' argument goes.

28 Bloomington-Normal leaders head to Washington, D.C., this week, hoping to secure up to $22.75 million for four area infrastructure projects.

The housing shortage in Bloomington-Normal is one of several factors that, if unchecked, could lead to economic stagnation, according to the agency charged with spurring the economy in the Twin Cities. There are signs it's already sapping growth.

There’s a new financing tool available in McLean County that could help nibble away at the size of the housing shortage in Bloomington Normal. It's called the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program or C-PACE.