Local leaders gather to tout $22 million grant for center

2/17/2010 11:55:00 AM
By: Stephanie Pawlowski    

Normal Mayor Chris Koos called it an incredible day for the town. Hundreds of people gathered at the town hall this morning to celebrate the $22 million federal TIGER grant for the Multi Modal Transportation Center in Uptown. Mayor Chris Koos says while the center will physically be in Normal, he says it's a regional facility.

   
Congressman Tim Johnson says this, with high speed rail, will boost Normal's future.

   
Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson says the center will do amazing things for Central Illinois.

   
The first floor of the center will house transportation operations, like rail, busses, and shuttles. The next two floors will house town offices, and the fourth floor will have the new council chambers. There's also an attached 400 car parking deck. Local union labor leader Mike Matejka says to start, the project will generate 300 jobs.

   
The 68,000 square foot facility is a projected $49 million, which town officials say is will be covered with the federal funds, already awarded state funds, and some local match dollars.

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