26 acres of ISU-owned land might soon be up for sale

Posted on July 21, 2021

*Trustees are scheduled to meet Friday at 9 a.m. in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center. (Facebook/Bone Student Center)*

NORMAL – Illinois State University is seeking permission from its governing board to sell almost 26 acres of land northeast of campus that used to be bustling with activity, but is vacant now.

Shelbourne Apartments is at the corner of Shelbourne Drive and Beech Street in Normal, formerly the site of 100 townhouse apartments that used to be home to students with families, graduate students, and international students.

Built in 1971, the university shut down the residences four years ago.

At its meeting Friday morning, ISU’s Board of Trustees is being asked to declare property as surplus, then put it up for sale.

The sale process includes obtaining an appraisal for the fair market value of the property.

Trustees are scheduled to meet Friday at 9 a.m. in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…