By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – The Normal Town Council has approved a redevelopment agreement for phase two of the One Uptown project.

Phase one was the Hyatt Hotel, which opened across from the Uptown Marriott. This phase involves a building which will be connected to the Hyatt. The $14.1 million development will include a ground floor restaurant, office space and 21 apartments.

City Manager Mark Peterson said the town has agreed to lease the office space for 15 years.

“We’ve written the lease in such a way as if some other private comes in and they’re interested in that space for the same terms, we can turn it over,” Peterson said.

The town plans to put the Engineering, Inspections and Planning departments in the space. Peterson added the town renting that space helps make this project viable.

Councilwoman Cheryl Gaines was happy to see the project moving forward.

“The other piece to this is to remember is that this spot, we got stuck with it,” said Gaines. “Somebody came in there and they started the foundations and all of this work was laid out there, and then that wasn’t going to work. So we needed somebody who was willing to come in and make it work.”

Councilman R.C. McBride called it an investment in the community.

“I think this project does two things: It eliminates, maybe, the only sore point that we’ve had throughout the Uptown development to this point,” said McBride. “And it’s the first domino to fall, as somebody mentioned earlier, for Uptown 2.0.”

Normal plans to contribute $2.75 million to the project.

Also on Monday, the council approved upping the town’s water fees by 2 percent and the site plan for the new fire station headquarters on Main Street.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].