Uptown Normal

The Town of Normal’s original grant application for the Uptown underpass included a long list of benefits—including enhanced safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and even children’s museum visitors—and also a willingness to put millions in local funding toward the project.

Nearly two years after Rivian first arrived in Normal, community members will finally be able to see the company’s first electric vehicles in person.

An analysis of the tax increment financing (TIF) district in Uptown Normal indicates the effort to spark development in the city center begun in 1999 has been a good value for taxpayers, according to a consultant.

The Normal Town Council has approved a development agreement with an Uptown business to create a two-story brewpub and rooftop dining establishment using the old Bill's Key and Lock shop property.

Updated 4:15 p.m. | Illinois State University is officially a tenant of the planned Trail East Building in Uptown Normal.

The identity of the mystery Uptown Normal mural artist who signed over his rights has been revealed – though the legal fight over the public artwork could soon be rendered moot if the Town of Normal fulfills its promise to safely move it.

UPDATED 3:40 p.m. | The Town of Normal says it has obtained a release and waiver from one of the Uptown mural artists—a potentially significant development in the lawsuit over the public artwork.

A federal judge has denied a request for a temporary restraining order to stop demolition at the Trail East site and ordered the mural’s artists and the Town of Normal to return to court for settlement talks.

A federal judge has given both sides more time to try and resolve the legal dispute over the Uptown Normal mural.

A federal judge on Monday said he wants to know more about where the Uptown Normal mural might be moved—and whether it will remain publicly visible—before deciding whether to delay the start of construction at the Trail East site.

The Town of Normal has pushed back against the 13 artists who’ve sued over the Uptown mural, claiming federal copyright law doesn’t protect them because their artwork can be safely moved.

UPDATED 3:40 p.m. | The artists who sued the Town of Normal over their work on the Uptown mural are now asking a judge for a restraining order that would temporarily prevent it from being moved or destroyed.

Thirteen of the artists who created the Uptown Normal mural have filed a federal lawsuit to stop the Town of Normal and a developer from demolishing their work.

Army Ranger Sgt. Josh Rodgers of Normal was on his third tour of Afghanistan before he turned 22. He died in a raid of an ISIS headquarters in Afghanistan two years ago this weekend.

The developer behind the Trail East project said Monday that Afni, an Illinois State University business incubator, and a mystery “multinational technology company” could be among the tenants in the new Uptown Normal building.

UPDATED 9:40 p.m. | A community arts group at Illinois State University plans to renovate and move in to the unfinished ground floor of the College Avenue parking deck in Uptown Normal.

The Normal Town Council granted developer Bush Construction several variances on preliminary design plans for the Trail East building on Uptown Circle.

Designs for the Trail East project submitted to the town of Normal are close to what the developer promised earlier, according to town staff.

McLean County could soon be getting its fifth craft brewery—and its first in Uptown Normal.