By WMBD-TV
NORMAL – Those in Normal will soon be able to go the distance.
COUNTRY Financial and Heartland Community College announced a plan to build a COUNTRY Financial Trail at the college.
Jennifer McDade, external affairs manager for COUNTRY Financial, shared the options the trail gives people.
“The idea that we can return a prairie to its natural state, The idea that we can get people to connect with nature, whether that be fishing, whether that be walking, whether that be bird watching,” she said. “We are honored to do that.”
The trail will be one-mile long and is can be accessed from Constitution Trail by Raab Road, Heartland’s campus or The Corn Crib.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos, who is the owner of Often Running store and an avid runner himself, said the path will be a great place to get some practice in.
“Once people become aware of it, it’s going to be a stopping point,” he said. “If you’re out for a 5k run for relaxation, great place to stop and sit and reflect a little bit and then get back to what you were doing.”
Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille said the path will give those in the community a new way to connect to the college.
“This was how do we take this part of our campus, this resource, and return it back to the community in a meaningful way that they can enjoy, that they can use on a regular basis, and that it can enrich the lives of individuals,” he said.
The trail will cost an estimated $1.4 million which includes a $200,000 state grant for a bike path and at least half coming from government funds and private funds.
Birky Pond will be an epicenter of the trail, with the prairie on the east side of Heartland’s campus being restored.
In a news release, COUNTRY Financial CEO Jim Jacobs speaks on the strong partnership between Heartland and COUNTRY.
“COUNTRY has has a longstanding, successful partnership with Heartland Community College that has led to the development of exceptional talent here in Bloomington-Normal,” he said. “We are excited to build on that success with this additional investment at Heartland, which will create a place where everyone, including the hundreds of COUNTRY employees living here, can gather and connect.”
The trail is expected to start construction in the spring with a swift completion by July 2025.
