By: Diane Benjamin
The only reason I went to the bid opening is because I’ve written many story about the underpass. Just SEARCH blnnews.com for even more.
Don’t ever forget the underpass saves walking 50 feet:
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Don’t ever forget Normal could of had a FREE overpass:
See this link: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/05/normal-taxpayers-fleeced-again/
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Don’t ever forget driving a car means you have to sit and wait for trains. The town could have built an underpass for vehicles and pedestrians, that was never considered.
Stan Nord told the Council when he was a Trustee the numbers being used to estimate the cost were out of date. He was ignored. He was also right.
If you watched the bid opening video you saw one company submit a huge stack of paper and the other one didn’t. Of course the huge stack was the high bid: $40,765,000. The small bid totaled $35,158,046.80. https://blnnews.com/2024/11/26/normal-underpass-bid-isnt-close-to-what-council-and-you-were-told/
Below is what the bids supposedly cover. The Town can cut some frills to reduce the costs some but cuts will just be done later. Since the lower bid is much less detailed I expect the frills will be more difficult to locate. https://www.normalil.gov/bids.aspx?bidid=476
From the Community Investment Plan: https://tongis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/2c5f90a066b54d3499dc1c78cedc86a4
From Normal website:
In 2021 the Underpass was expected to cost $23,942,120. https://blnnews.com/2022/05/09/no-surprise-normal-needs-6-million-more-to-build-the-underpass/
Construction costs were $19,232,000. Inflation caused construction costs to escalate to $25,232,000. The cheapest bid received is $10,000,000 higher. The almost $5,000,000 difference is all the pre-construction costs already incurred.
The Normal Town Council has never officially voted to do this project. They have only approved “planning” costs for many years. They won’t have the courage to dump this entire plan. Not included in these costs are the art work in the tunnel, any charges by the railroad for disruptions, and staff time overseeing the construction. There are likely more costs that will appear, meanwhile Normal is cutting budgets.
2015 Pantagraph article: https://pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/normal-council-chooses-preferred-uptown-option/article_19305fd1-adbf-5a13-aaba-742ed47519f0.html
Excerpts:
“If we don’t do an underpass, how does any of this (proposed development option) work?” asked Councilwoman Sonja Reece. “The underpass is a lot of money; it may not be possible.”
Revised figures passed out by Doug Farr on Thursday show the underpass would cost between $12.7 million and $13.4 million, depending on the width.
See the 2021 plan presented to Council here: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19465/Town-Council-Work-Session-_-Uptown-Connector-Update—June-2021-PDF?bidId=
Phase 1 costs – paid by Normal $1.5 million
Phase 2 costs: $3.15 million
Phase 3 costs (includes construction): $19.54 million
The difference between that construction number and the bids isn’t just inflation.
If anyone thinks the total cost won’t continue to escalate – they are delusional.
Since all 3 candidate for the April 1st election for mayor have voted to keep spending money for this project, objecting to this now is campaign rhetoric. Citizens will continue to have no voices on the Council speaking common sense. Citizens no longer have Common Sense candidates to vote for.
Copied my email in 2021 to the Normal Town Council. Only Stan Nord voted against it.
(original 7/19/21 message to Normal Trustees)
Council Trustees:
Sharing information from personal experience on a railroad pedestrian tunnel project from my home town in Minnesota.
A simpler $8-million project, this brief media article reports more than a decade in planning through completion and doubling of the original cost estimates. Please be diligent in assuring the taxpayers of Normal that Town staff have fully evaluated and planned for unexpected complications when considering a much more complex and costly project here in Normal.
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration before voting on this important matter.
https://www.winonapost.com/Article/ArticleID/55477/Who-is-paying-the-extra-cost-for-WSU%E2%80%99s-pedestrian-tunnels
It’s real shame nobody will ever see your stupid comment. It just disappeared! I changed your name too.
You are welcome
Diane
I enjoy comedy! Keep making comments and I will keep deleting them! 😁
I’ve laughed enough for one day. If I don’t get to your next comment quick it’s because I’m cooking.
This proposed construction has to be one of the most ludicrous ways to spend the taxpayer money. Anyone that supports such a project has to be the most mentally challenged individual going and yes the mayor, city manager and council all support it. How the citizens of Normal can sit still for such a waste of taxpayer money is beyond me.
I don’t live in Normal but I live where I have to pay for a stupid coliseum. How sad!!
Local labor is salivating
You would think that they could salivate for an underpass being built under the linden street tracks but that would make way too much sense greed over common sense will always win with demon rats.
This was predictable. If allowed to proceed, the total will grow due to charges from the RR ect. Future citizens will be indentured tax slaves. I feel sad for my grandchildren, but current inflation is bringing it, now for me.
Biden is shoveling billions more before he leaves. Expect more inflation
This so reminds me of the Boston big dig! Let’s face it the city council, mayor king Koos and queen Pam could care less about costs it’s not their money it’s the people of Normal who are paying for this nonsense. 30 million,40 million 50 million it’s not a concern for them. They will just pay it and sacrifice the streets of Normal. Why? Because THEY WANT THIS UNDERPASS! And that’s all that matters.