Fiala’s Brewhouse & Pub will be located at 127 E. Beaufort Street in Uptown Normal. (Drawing provided by the Town of Normal) 

By Howard Packowitz

NORMAL – The Normal Town Council’s use of tax breaks to generate Uptown development won the applause of some community leaders who addressed the council Tuesday night.

Their presentations came before the council voted 5-2 to rebate up to $150,000 in sales and food and beverage taxes to the owners of a brewpub and restaurant at 127 E. Beaufort St.

Eight of the ten speakers praised the council, including Illinois State University Provost Jan Murphy, who said Uptown helps recruit high-quality faculty and top-notch students.

“We hear time and time again from students, from prospective students and their families, about the many attributes of Uptown Normal,” said Murphy.

Other speakers singing the praises of Uptown development were retired Town Council member Cheryl Gaines, Planning Commissioner and local labor leader Mike Matejka, Planning Commissioner and former Council candidate Dave Shields, and Medici General Manager Joe Slane.

Former town council candidate Karl Sila was one of two speakers critical of Uptown tax breaks, raising the ire of Mayor Chris Koos.

“If the council believes that Uptown is such a failure that we won’t be able to get anybody in there for the next five years, and the only way to do that is to bribe them, by all means vote yes,” said Sila.

“Otherwise, we should stop giving taxpayer money away to pick the winners and the losers,” Sila said.

Mayor Koos responded, “I do take personal offense, Mr. Sila, that you refer to our actions as a bribe. That’s pretty strong language.”

Council members Stan Nord and Karyn Smith voted against the redevelopment agreement, which provides tax incentives to help Ryan and Steven Fiala remodel the old Bill’s Key and Lock. That’s next door to D.P Dough, also owned by the Fiala’s.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]