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Normal council approves added underpass grant money | Politics

NORMAL — Additional money to cushion the cost of the long-awaited underpass project at Uptown Station was approved by the town council Monday night. 

Trustees approved a joint funding agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for up to $4.88 million for design and construction phases of the project, which looks to provide a safe passageway for pedestrians beneath the Union Pacific Railroad in uptown. 

The project is estimated to cost roughly $23.9 million, with funding for that already committed from federal, state and local sources. Construction is slated to begin in the spring and last 18 to 24 months.

The $4.88 million approved Monday would help cover added costs if they arise.

The project will connect north- and southbound passenger platforms on either side of the tracks for Amtrak riders and be accessible for Constitution Trail users. It also would connect uptown to Uptown South, previously called “Uptown 2.0,” a proposed redevelopment on the south side of the railroad tracks.


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The agreement will provide a reimbursement of up to $1.88 million to the town for expenses incurred during the preliminary design phase. Over $1.3 million has already been spent at this time. 

As for the construction phase, the agreement provides up to $3 million in funding and is part of the 2019 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program approved by the council on July 19, 2021.  

Council members in support of the agreement noted the importance of securing extra grant money to supplement any additional expenses that could be caused by inflation.

“Every soundly developed project is going to have a contingency fund, usually in the neighborhood of 10% of the total cost,” said Trustee Karyn Smith. “This is now giving us larger than that original contingency fund to provide for the possibility that there will be inflationary costs.”

Trustee Stan Nord was the sole dissenting vote and questioned the cost estimate of the project, saying that town staff had already drafted a separate cost estimate of approximately $30 million.


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“There’s a discrepancy in what this project costs,” Nord said. “Do we go by what we’re telling the people’s federal government that the cost is going to be or by what the people’s local government is because I don’t understand why there’s two numbers. Which one’s accurate?” 

City Manager Pam Reece said the $23.9 million estimate is reflected in the town’s adopted budget and the $30 million estimate was made back in April to the Federal Railroad Administration for consideration of additional grant funding. 

“We believe that would be reasonable for us to ask for more money in anticipation of increased project cost,” Reece said. “Has council officially amended the budget? No.”

“The budget as council adopted when (we) entered into the agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration is still the $23.9 million, and that’s what was reflected in the adopted budget.” 

Mayor Chris Koos said the town does not know what this project is going cost until it seeks bids and added it is the council’s responsibility to change the scope of the project and find additional federal or state funding to address any inflationary costs. 


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“The fact is there is no commitment to spend extra dollars,” Koos said. “I think we’re doing this more in a strategic move in case we do face those increased costs.”

“We have not made any decisions on what we’re spending on that building, we’re only estimating what we think is going to happen and staff is only estimating what we think is going to happen.” 

The town also held a digital community meeting and launched a survey on the project earlier this month. 


Aug. 1, 2022



In other action, the council unanimously approved $100,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) COVID-19 pandemic relief funding to the Carle Center for Philanthropy to help fund a mobile health clinic. 

A similar ordinance was passed by the city of Bloomington in June that approved $150,000 in ARPA money to help fund the mobile clinic. 

“There are other things that we already give to that help those who could utilize those services (but) there’s always more,” said Trustee Chemberly Cummings. “I think this is that opportunity for more and giving them more access because the access has been limited.”

Akin to a “doc-in-a-box” on wheels, the mobile clinic will be dedicated to underserved areas of McLean County and will be able to offer almost every health service outside of dental care. 


How McLean County groups, volunteers are fighting to end food insecurity

The clinic is a joint venture supported by Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Tinervin Family Foundation, United Way of McLean County, Laborers International Union of North America, the City of Bloomington and the Town of Normal.

Trustee Kathleen Lorenz left the council chambers during the council’s discussion and vote due to her position as community investment director with United Way. 

The mobile clinic expected to start service during the first quarter of 2023, and an initial capital investment of $700,000 will acquire and equip it.

Photos: Efforts to combat food insecurity in Bloomington-Normal

Midwest Food Bank in Normal

Bananas ready to be distributed from Midwest Food Bank in Normal. 


D. Jack Alkire


Midwest Food Bank in Normal

Midwest Food Bank in Normal

A package of Tender Mercies from Midwest Food Bank (MFB). The microwaveable meal consists of rice and beans and helps fight food insecurity wherever MFB distributes them. 


D. Jack Alkire


Bread for Life Co-op

Bread for Life Co-op

The Bread for Life Co-op at Home Sweet Home Ministries is designed like any other grocery store in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Bread for Life Co-op

Bread for Life Co-op

The Bread for Life Co-op has a frozen and refrigerated section like any other grocery store in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Bread for Life Co-op

Bread for Life Co-op

Peggy Ann Milton stocks and arranges baby products at the Bread for Life Co-op in Bloomington. Milton is a member of the co-op. 


D. Jack Alkire


Bread for Life Co-op

Bread for Life Co-op

Fresh produce from local farms is the first thing shoppers see when they enter the Bread for Life Co-op in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Western Avenue Community Center

Western Avenue Community Center

William “Junior” Hosea and Martha Saldana unload boxes of fresh produce from Cook Farm as part of the community supported agriculture program at Western Avenue Community Center. The produce goes to families in west Bloomington’s food desert.


D. Jack Alkire


Western Avenue Community Center

Western Avenue Community Center

Kristen Buhrmann stacks boxes of fresh produce at Western Avenue Community Center for the start of this year’s community supported agriculture program. 


D. Jack Alkire


West Bloomington Revitalization Project

West Bloomington Revitalization Project

A box of fresh produce from Cook Farm as part of West Bloomington Revitalization Project’s community supported agriculture. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden

Sunnyside Community Garden

Caleb Phillips picks lettuce with his apprentices at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest. The garden grows food for families in Bloomington as well as selling produce on Market Wagon. 


D. Jack Alkire


Veggie Oasis

Veggie Oasis

Karla Kossler, left, gathers produce from the downtown Bloomington farmers market for the weekly Veggie Oasis. Chelsea Meiss, right, works at Cook Farm and explained what herbs were and what they were good for. 


D. Jack Alkire


The Table

The Table

Kyan Glenn, center, sells produce from his farm, The Table, at the downtown Bloomington farmers market in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Veggie Oasis

Veggie Oasis

Harrison Lin, right, tells Barb Pankonen, right, about produce at the Veggie Oasis at West Bloomington Revitalization Project on the corner of Allin and Washington streets in Bloomington, Illinois. 


D. Jack Alkire


Midwest Food Bank

Midwest Food Bank

A volunteer operates a forklift at Midwest Food Bank in Normal. 


D. Jack Alkire


Midwest Food Bank

Midwest Food Bank

Pallets of water being held in Midwest Food Bank’s 100,000-square-foot warehouse. 


D. Jack Alkire


Midwest Food Bank

Midwest Food Bank

An 800-pound bag of Apple Jacks that Midwest Food Bank salvaged and turned into weekend “hope packs” for local children during the school year. 


D. Jack Alkire


Midwest Food Bank

Midwest Food Bank

Apple Jacks packed into a “hope pack” for local children during the school year. 


D. Jack Alkire


Midwest Food Bank

Midwest Food Bank

A standard disaster relief pack that Midwest Food Bank packs. 


D. Jack Alkire


Midwest Food Bank

Midwest Food Bank

The refrigerated section at Midwest Food Bank in Normal. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Apprentices and volunteers help weed garden beds at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

An apprentice adds mulch to the asparagus bed at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Caleb Phillips (right) and Jan Turner (left) discuss prices for selling produce from Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest in Bloomington. Turner started the garden with her child Col Connelly as a high school project in 2016.


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

A peach grows at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest in Bloomington. Sunnyside planted peach trees in 2017 and has added cherry and apple trees since. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Caleb Phillips, second from right, helps apprentices remove lettuce at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest lies just south of Cargill Inc. in Bloomington. Sunnyside started in 2016 and has since grown to help feed local communities and train apprentice youth. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Youth apprentice at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Caleb Phillips, left, helps apprentices harvest lettuce last month at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest welcomes youth apprentices on Illinois Street in Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest

Apprentices can work up to 100 hours a summer for $1,000 at Sunnyside Community Garden and Food Forest on the west side of Bloomington. 


D. Jack Alkire


Contact Mateusz Janik at (309) 820-3234. Follow Mateusz on Twitter:@mjanik99

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