By HOI ABC
NORMAL – A developer is scaling back plans for a major addition to Uptown Normal, and in doing so is willing to end a controversy by allowing a popular mural to stay at the site.
The Normal Town Council is being asked to approve Bush Construction’s scaled-down version of Trail East, to be located on East Beaufort Street, and partially funded by tax increment financing dollars from the town government.
The building – featuring retail, a food court, residential, and office space – has been reduced from five to four stories, as a report from town staff says one of the commercial tenants has backed out.
“The economy, overall market conditions and other conditions beyond developer control has affected progress on the Trail East Project,” the staff’s report said.
The mural, once the subject of a legal battle in federal court, won’t be demolished or moved to another site. It will stay where it’s at and incorporated into the new building.
What was a $30 million dollar building is reduced to $28.6 million, so the development will receive a maximum of $6 million in tax increment financing dollars instead of $8.43 million.
“If the project does not generate the anticipated property values or retail sales, then the incentive to the developer is reduced,” the staff’s report said.
If the town council approves the amended redevelopment agreement, construction of Trail East would begin October 15.
