History of the Redevelopment Plan
History
In the spring of 1999, it was becoming apparent to the Town Council that, although still a quaint and viable area, Uptown Normal was showing signs of age - it had been almost 20 years since any major capital improvements had been done, some of the buildings were showing signs of neglect, and the area was just not realizing its potential.
The Council worked with the City Manager to assess the uptown and to provide some thoughts on addressing its shortcomings. The Council and City Manager decided that the extent of deterioration and under-use of the uptown required citizen input and professional assistance. Requests for Proposals were sent to several consultants whose specialty was uptown renovation. Farr Associates, of Chicago, was selected as the uptown plan consultant based on their experience with similar projects. The Town and Farr Associates began working to draw the community together to devise an acceptable redevelopment plan.
It is important to note that a decision was made on November 20, 2006 by the Town Council to change the name of "Downtown Normal" to "Uptown Normal." This decision was made with input from businesses and the community, and it is an important part of the renewal project. For more information, please click here.
The Process
With the help of Farr Associates, the Town hosted several public opinion meetings to guide the plan.
- "SWOT" (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis: provided public comment on the existing uptown and redevelopment visions
- Image Preference Survey: Citizens were asked to rate the images of the existing uptown.
- Uptown Market Study: by Gibbs Associates, a nationally known retail consulting firm familiar with other communities whose downtowns were adjacent to major universities.
- 3-day Charrette to form Uptown Plan: A committee was appointed by the Mayor took the results of the SWOT, Image Preference Survey, market study, and other basics of uptown renewal planning and put them together to form a draft plan. The committee consisted of Council members, several Town staff, Illinois State University representatives, property owners and businesspersons from the uptown, and other community representatives. The result was the Uptown Plan, adopted by Council as their guide for the renewal of Uptown Normal.
- 68 public meetings on the Uptown Plan and its components
- Public comment on the Uptown Plan through email comments, or filling out comment cards at the Uptown Renewal Office located at 108 Beaufort St., Normal.
- 50+ interviews of the Uptown businesses
Illinois State University Connection
With more than 20,000 students and 3,400 faculty and staff adjacent to the uptown, Illinois State University provides opportunities unavailable to most other downtowns. The University has partnered with the Town throughout the development of this plan. The University’s Campus Master Plan acknowledges Town and Gown cooperation and cites the uptown renewal as a major aspect of the University’s desire to integrate itself into the surrounding community. A University presence in the renewed uptown is almost certain - whether academic space, offices or involvement in the hotel/conference facility, Illinois State University shares the Town’s vision of a great uptown serving a great university.