Business is Booming in Bloomington and Normal’s Historic Downtowns
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Sky-reaching cranes‚ earth-moving equipment and detour arrows – all signal the changing landscape in McLean County.
Much of the construction is taking place in Bloomington and Normal’s historic downtown areas.
The $3.5 million Children’s Discovery Museum of Central Illinois opened at its new location in downtown Normal in late November 2004. Assistant City Manager Pam Reece says the museum is a great example of Normal’s commitment to “turn downtown green.”
“The museum was constructed with recycled materials‚” Reece says. “It has a white‚ reflective roof and an energy-efficient HVAC system.”
Solar panels on the museum will generate energy to pump water through a canal‚ part of a filtering system in the center of a nearby traffic roundabout.
The Bank of Illinois is “going green” as well. It plans to replace its headquarters on College Avenue in 2005 with an energy-efficient structure.
The driver for revitalizing downtown Normal is an eight-story Marriott Hotel and Conference Center near the Illinois State University campus‚ which is being developed by independent lodging operator‚ John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc.
“Downtown is a destination‚” Reece says. “There’s the library and museum for families‚ the Normal Theater‚ shops and new nightlife venues for all ages.”
On Normal’s east side‚ Cullinan Properties expects to open the Shoppes at College Hills in late 2005.
The firm is reinventing a former mall‚ turning it into an open-air lifestyle center.
Cullinan President Jeff Giebelhausen says the $30 million project will have “extensive landscaping‚ live entertainment‚ dining and top names in specialty retailing.” Existing anchors Target‚ Hobby Lobby and Von Maur department store are staying open during construction.
“Downtown Bloomington is under full-bore construction‚” City Manager Tom Hamilton says. He is referring to two major projects that he calls “anchors‚ similar to a shopping mall … that will bring in hundreds of thousands of people a year who may never have come downtown otherwise.”
The Bloomington Arena is rising on the southwest edge of downtown‚ to be accompanied by a recreational ice rink and garage. A partnership is in place to manage the 7‚000-seat arena‚ which will host ice shows‚ popular entertainers‚ athletic contests and trade shows. An East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team will take the ice in fall 2006‚ and local investors are negotiating to bring an arena football franchise to town.
“We’ll have something for everyone‚” Hamilton says.
Marty Vanags‚ executive director of the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area‚ agrees‚ saying cultural and other amenities are key to economic development. “To attract or retain young people‚ in particular‚ you have to have what they want.”
On the north end of the city center‚ renovation has begun on the renamed Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (formerly known as the Scottish Rite Temple)‚ which Bloomington Cultural District Executive Director Bruce Marquis describes as‚ “a wonderfully restored facility with the architectural detail of the cherished past and modern features needed by performers and audiences.” Construction will pause in spring 2005 so the popular American Passion Play may go on.
A street winding in front of and alongside the performing arts center is being turned into a festival park‚ adding a green outdoor performance space downtown. It will serve as a landscaped promenade to the McLean County Arts Center‚ which is also slated for renewal.
The district will also renovate an office building for the Creativity Center‚ an educational resource for the visual and performing arts. Marquis says the entire project‚ costing just under $20 million‚ is a public-private partnership.
The fruits of all this labor in both center cities will be unveiled to eager audiences in spring 2006.
Story by Gretchen Monti
Photo by Antony Boshier
