By: Diane Benjamin
See this story for the source or the below: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/09/no-surprise-normal-needs-6-million-more-to-build-the-underpass/
The cost to build an underpass that only pedestrians and bikers can use continues to increase. Note the $6,000,000 increase due to inflation was estimated in April 2022. How much over $6 million is it now? Since inflation is still ridiculously high, has another $6 million been added yet?
Don’t forget, this project is to save 50 Feet:
Tuesday night the “professional staff” will talk about the Community Investment Plan. Costs for the underpass are included for 2023 and 2024: https://tongis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/4f41ead227e440dda1ca5ca85bdbdddb
Compare the number on the right with the pics above before and after inflation..
$23,951,775 is really close to the pre-inflation number estimated in 2022.
Even if the 2023 and 2024 spending are added together, they are short of the April 2022 estimated cost after inflation:
$3,147,720 + $23,951,775 = $27,099,495
April 2022 Total cost: $29,942,120
The Town of Normal is short $2,842,625.
That number is before additional inflation!
(Maybe that’s what they already spent)
There is no additional spending in the plan after 2024. Inflation will have the cost of this underpass (vehicles can’t use) well over $30,000,000.
I hope everyone enjoys waiting for trains to clear the tracks on College and Linden. Obviously the “professional staffers” don’t think you are important enough for an underpass.
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The talk regarding an underpass started a few years back after the death of a person crossing the tracks. Then came the second reason to gain access to the library by people south of the tracks. Has the usage of the library dropped? Did it ever drop? Who determined the library would get a greater usage if underpass was constructed. Where there complaints by citizens regarding a better way to cross the tracks?
Enquiring minds want to know, it is our money after all.
So what I’m hearing is that the mayor and company refused the free overpass that was offered as part of the train station construction and chose instead to put lives at risk for well more than a decade.
My understanding is that book circulation is down, above and beyond virus hysteria impacts. But I was at the library yesterday and most of the tables were occupied, so it’s getting usage.
you have mark peterson plaza now you get kris koos underpass, isn’t that special!
The library is moving so the second reason is more.
The library is literally an excuse for the underpass. It was completely left out of The Plan until it was mentioned they needed start preliminary planning to expand (or rebuild or move) and there was an adverbial ‘oops’ because it had been boxed in by other pet projects and political favors. Other, arguably better locations were looked at but downtown south was selected in part because it best hid that the powers that be don’t give a rat’s rumpus about the library other than as an avenue for ulterior political motives.
Side note – I’m probably preaching to the choir, but in case you didn’t know or forgot, Charles Sila was on the library board when the last expansion occurred circa 2000. They asked for and got a temporary tax hike to cover the costs – Then They Promptly Rolled It Back. If you like that kind of behavior, be sure to vote Charles Sila for Town Collector and Karl Sila for Town Council, and pass the word!
The price keeps going up. More $$$$$$$$ on the tax payers back. And the only Trustee who cares about the tax payer is Stan Nord.