Normal has approved a plan for Uptown South after discussion surrounding the development being restricted to using all all-electric energy.
Also City Manager Pam Reece explains how Uptown 1.0 isn’t finished yet, neither is the underpass. However, the first floor that has been vacant will be filled by a new restaurant.
No Gas for the development
The Uptown South Master plan bans natural gas.
Council members Scott Preston, Kathleen Lorenz and Andy Byars objected to the Uptown South Plan ban on natural gas for the project.
The other council members were in the favor of electricity-only. Karyn Smith wanted it left in the plan as “aspirational”.
“It is not the town’s place to be pushing that kind of agenda,” said Preston. “Not a single resident in town came forth in the public process and said they want all electric. That was something that the consultant, that I voted against last time, out of California, came in and him and his contractors put in this plan. It’s not something that came from our community.”
Chris Koos, the mayor, said that being “economically” feasible for the developer is no longer important because climate change requires immediate attention.
“I for one think that putting something specific, about to do or not to do, running gas or requiring electric, is a step too far in the plan,” said Lorenz. “It’s very expensive these days to build and the fewer restrictions and requirements that we put on developers, especially now, the better.”
This would make Normal the first municipality to try and pull something like this off, an all-electric development of this size.
But can Normal pull this off legally? Will they be met with lawsuits like the one in California?
This case where the California Restaurant Association sued Berkeley, California over an ordinance making natural gas pipelines illegal to install in one building.
The court found Berkeley, California violated the Energy Policy and Conservation Act because the ordinance indirectly regulates appliances that use natural gas.
“States and localities can’t skirt the text of broad preemption provisions by doing indirectly what Congress says they can’t do directly,” said the judge in that case.
Preston and Lorenz did not mention this case nor the legality of banning natural gas for the development.
An amendment put forth by Preston and seconded by Lorenz to remove the recommendations banning gas and requiring electric failed on a 4-3 vote.
Both Preston and Lorenz said the rule against gas and for electric was a deal breaker for them regarding their ability to support the Uptown South plan.
However the plan was approved by the council on a 5-2 vote, Byars switched sides.
What projects are pending and what does Uptown South all entail?
Uptown South is the area south of the railroad tracks near City Hall that consists of about eight acres of land. It is defined as the area bounded by the train tracks on the northwest, South Linden Street on the east, East Irving Street on the south and Broadway on the west.
“This is the culmination of several years of putting this plan together,” said City Manager Pam Reece. “We had an outside consultant work on it, the same consultant that worked on the original ‘Downtown Renewal Plan,’ which became the ‘Uptown Renewal Plan’ when we changed its title.”
The next step will be for town staff to go through the recommendations to start gathering information as to what measures need to be taken to actually codify anything.
Farr Associates was the consultant on the project.
According to Doug Farr’s plan, the Town of Normal already owns 3.5 of the 5 building currently in the study area. It is anticipated that these 4 buildings (3 Town-owned and 1 partially Town-owned) will be evacuated, with their current inhabitant and uses relocated, freeing up the land for redevelopment. Below are the buildings he is talking about in the plan:
- Old Train Station
- Wild Country
- A 3 Unit apartment building – Town doesn’t own it yet
- Dental office – the Town owns half of the building
- Police Station/Parks and Rec
“Freeing up the land” means the police and parks and rec need to relocate, it’s unclear at this time where.
Meanwhile discussions are continuing between Normal and the developer for Trail East and Trail West.
“We are continuing to work with the developer to bring both projects to the finish line,” said Reece.
Normal has just under 10 vacancies in the Uptown area (Uptown 1.0)…Trail East and West haven’t been built out and there’s an entire first floor above a parking garage has not been built out…but it looks like finally the first floor space will be filled.
Hacienda Leon is hoping to open their second restaurant at One Uptown on the Circle within the next month or so. Hacienda Leon is a family-friendly restaurant owned by Martin Leon that allows customers to immerse themselves culturally through food, art and decor.
Normal is still working on the underpass project. “In the next month or two if everything goes well we are hoping to have a project ready for bid,” said Reece.
