By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/04/12/bloomington-normal-crime-map/ The SAFE-T Act went into effect on January 1, 2023. Below is a crime map of Bloomington during the same time period for 2022. Normal is not on this map, they evidently didn’t report crime statistics then the way they are now. https://communitycrimemap.com/map Purple is residential burglary, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is a map of some local crimes. https://communitycrimemap.com/map If you go to that link you can customize what crimes appear. The crimes shown below are since January 1st, 2025. You can also zoom in to specific area. Purple is residential burglary. Brown is theft, doesn’t include shoplifting. Green is motor vehicle […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended the bid opening in Uptown Normal today for building the underpass. The lowest bid was $35+ million, the only other bid was $40+ million. Watch the video. One bidder submitted a HUGE stack of papers, the other didn’t. More details tomorrow.
By: Diane Benjamin The map below was created using a list of vacancies compiled by a citizen. It includes the 1st Floor of 1 Uptown Circle since there is still not an operating business there. Click the link below – each X has a description. Next ask Normal (and Trustees/candidates) what success is. Government buildings […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/bids.aspx?bidID=372 The Subway in the Amtrak Station closed in October. The Town of Normal now thinks they need a new tenant. Subway closed because they didn’t have enough foot traffic to sell food in the volume needed. FYI, I know one of the former owners. I was in the parking garage a […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you still haven’t played with the Local Government Reporting on the Illinois Comptroller’s website, do it now! This is the link to Normal’s reported debt: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/constituent-services/local-government/local-government-warehouse/processsearchresults/?DisplayMode=GETAFR&AFRDesiredData=Indebtedness&Code=064/095/31&CFY=2022&Menu=Yes&PrintIt=No At the beginning of FY 2020 total debt was: $88,090,580 At the end of FY 2020 total debt was: $85,752,874 At the end of FY […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1164&Inline=True Bloomington will hear from Connect Transit tonight concerning their budget. You will hear it’s essential to lose at least $1 million a month. Next the Council will contemplate 4 Council initiatives. Brought by Jamie Mathy who is no longer on the Council. He wanted incentives from the City (your money) to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Is Uptown a success? The successful buildings on the circle so far are government owned, Children’s Discovery Museum and Amtrak/Town offices. The third building still has an empty first floor and the taxpayers are renting the entire second floor for the Town. (Remember when the Council told Pam it was a high […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Pantagraph article on the Normal Town Council meeting: https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-mural-controversy-raises-new-questions-about-disconnect-in-normal/article_9ea2ebcb-99b6-55e9-8798-76e5962bb873.html Excerpt: Did the reporter watch the meeting? A “number of people” were disrupting the meeting. Was the reporter told not to mention the only reason Public Comment was moved is because Stan Nord made a motion to let them speak? It wasn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington has a calendar of events. Meetings are listed, but so are other events like Ice Cream at the Zoo and BCPA events. https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/calendar Missing are the Farmers Markets which actually do get people downtown on Saturday mornings. Also missing are Saturdays on the Square. In case you missed the 2013 extensive […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when the Normal Town Council told Pam Reece to make getting the Town out of the $36,000 a month lease for the 2nd story of 1 Uptown Circle a priority? Remember, that building would have never been built if the Town hadn’t agreed to rent an entire floor. Remember too the […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Ford’s F150 electric battery weighs 1800 pounds: https://jalopnik.com/ford-f-150-lightnings-battery-alone-weighs-as-much-as-a-1846925168?fbclid=IwAR08fR6H4a8DHjuzzpJ_sqKd6V4gazHoDIzIvDlw95456SYxszgtXlbBUkc That is the weight of a Volkswagen Beetle. Is Rivian’s the same? What happens to your car if you get hit by one of these tanks? 1800 pounds is just the battery. 2) The Pantagraph printed a picture of a Rivian employee charging […]
By: Diane Benjamin The comments submitted on the underpass project were received by FOIA. https://blnnews.com/2021/04/16/hey-normal/ The comments were overwhelmingly negative with a few submitted in support by the usually Koos allies. The only difference between going ahead with the underpass and the Coliseum, both not supported by residents, is Koos and company got the entire […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is a map of Normal’s Uptown TIF. Look at the right side, see the area west of Oak St that is not in the TIF? That is Chris Koos’ 2 businesses, he rents the space. https://mcleanil.devnetwedge.com/parcel/view/1427308009/2020 Why were his two businesses carved out of the TIF boundaries? Because it would be […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/mike-matejka-normal-election-potholes-vs-progress/article_b11f20fe-e830-5d01-bc84-d912acc37bf5.html Anybody know why the guy who voted to build the Coliseum gets to write a column in the paper? Better yet, why does anybody listen to him when he not only voted against the will of the people but has never apologized for his taxpayer fleece? Of course Mike is campaigning […]
by: Diane Benjamin First a little history. From the Pantagraph How Time Flies 1/21/2020: Have your property taxes gone down? Responsible adults know being able to make the payments is not a good philosophy to live by. If you want to make the neighbors jealous by living in a mansion with two expensive vehicles parked […]
By: Diane Benjamin Trail East is moving forward. Bids are being taken by Bush Development which means the mural will be going away soon. See the plan to move it here: Moving the Mural January 7, 2019 The work was supposed to start by June 1, 2019. This new building is going to be HUGE: […]
By: Diane Benjamin This plaque will be dedicated at 10:00 am Saturday on the Normal Plaza. When City Hall moved years ago they didn’t move the existing plaque with them. The American Legion decided to leave that one and install a new one: I hear Chris Koos and Dan Brady will be making comments. Commander […]
Tale of two cities, of course you know which one is which. How much did each cost? I hope both know! . . . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Since the underpass has already cost a fortune in staff time, studies, and drawings, I need to review how all this money was spent and why. It also need to be explained why the construction cost is astronomical. I’m going to be flipping back and forth between the minutes of the June […]
By: Diane Benjamin $100,000 to move this? What we know: Koos and Company are REALLY upset by the results of the last election The citizens overwhelmingly voted the “Plan” dead Koos and Company think the “Plan” isn’t dead This building will not be saved The Normal voters waited too long to send the message the […]
By: Diane Benjamin These people were in downtown Normal yesterday to confront Rodney Davis: This event was put together by Sonny Garcia (Illinois People’s Action) with very little notice, they claim a total of two dozen eventually showed up. Illinois People’s Action, Democrat Socialists of America, and the group below are all tied together by […]
By: Diane Benjamin We know Bloomington’s Police Review Board (PSCRB) has been in existence for a year, held lots of meetings, prepared information for citizens, and has yet to hear one complaint. Anybody think it was set up as a “feel good” board and never intended to hear complaints? Now we will see if Normal’s Historic […]
Why are Bob and Julie Dobski spending $4 million to build an upscale restaurant when the space at 1 Uptown Circle is still vacant? Too expensive in Uptown? They weren’t the “Right Fit”? The Dobski’s know their patrons don’t want to park in a garage and walk? They wanted to be in Bloomington instead of […]
By: Diane Benjamin In March I posted a story concerning the “luxury” apartments in the new building on Uptown Circle: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/17/more-on-uptown-circle/ At that time Zillow showed 16 apartments for rent. It now shows 14 ranging from $1650 and month to $4200: https://www.zillow.com/b/1-uptown-circle-normal-il-9J8XNH/ Public Comment on items other than the Welcoming Ordinance was at […]
By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 41 http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2891 The Subway located inside Uptown Station isn’t prospering as expected. It might have something to do with the Town not allowing them to have a sign visible from the street so people know they are there. From the discussion last Monday, the Town may allow them to use Sandwich […]
by: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal are bankrupting their towns and citizens with Utopian dreams. The difference is Normal spent taxpayer money where people can see it, Bloomington threw money away on a failing Coliseum and heavily subsidized BCPA. The difference is obvious when you look at the Christmas decorations the towns put up. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos was on WJBC this morning. Hear the interview HERE Did you know that Uptown is NEVER going to be finished? Yep, Koos said that. He is running for a 4th term because he isn’t done with his vision. Bloomington-Normal will be paying for a new sports facility if Koos and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tuesday night Uptown Galleries knew protestors were gathering outside. I didn’t count the group but at least 20 people lined both sides of the doors as people left. I saw NO police. Previous debates did have officers present. Why would the Town of Normal allow this group to gather outside the debate […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve talked to some residents of Normal who don’t understand Normal’s desire for an underpass at the Amtrak station. WJBC has a nice picture of where they want to put it – between the Amtrak station and the Children’s Discovery Museum. http://www.wjbc.com/2017/02/06/normal-taking-next-step-toward-possible-uptown-pedestrian-underpass/ Last October Normal spent another $1.4 million to “study” the […]
Buzzing around City Hall, I heard Tari Renner announce the Pantagraph is moving to Uptown Normal. I wonder if they will care that Tari announced the move before they did! That also means, if Renner is re-elected, plans will be announced for taxpayers to subsidize redeveloping the Pantagraph building. You are the monkey-wrench, but only […]
There is yet another meeting tonight – again not on the City Calendar. It is on the Home page of the City website: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=18&recordid=3777&returnURL=%2findex.aspx It is about Hamilton Road. Interested parties should attend. This one starts at 5:00 at Prairie Vista. The only meeting on the calendar is Citizens Beautification. By: Diane Benjamin This meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Start here: Normal’s Public Comment policy. Everything in YELLOW is illegal: It’s always risky to believe news in the Pantagraph, but I’m going to use what they reported. The Town is giving away another property plus loaning $2.75 million to the developer. I wonder if that money was just lying around? Normal […]
By: Diane Benjamin I heard Chris Koos and company went to DC A DAY EARLY for the One Voice trip. Why did they go a day early? To get grants for themselves? The rest of the group DIDN’T know, didn’t that destroy the unity purpose! (ONE VOICE – nope, just a bunch of voices wanting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thanks to a reader who pointed this out to me! Around 1/3 of my stories are tips from readers, I REALLY appreciate it. FY 2016 Adopted Budget Book 1-Budget Overview & General Fundd The below is from Book One Budget Document on the City Website: (including the spelling) http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=8220 Note it’s 2016 […]
by: Diane Benjamin Feeling immaterial to your government in Normal? You should. Somebody should rename it Koosville since he gets anything he wants. The Council doesn’t represent you and debt is not a concern – even though revenue is dropping. Raise taxes – that’s the ticket! Revenues will continue to decrease as government takes more […]
Often elections don’t have a clear choice or show clear differences between the candidates. In Normal you have a clear choice. Most people believe in term limits for politicians, with good reason. When people are elected over and over and over the absolute power they feel is corrupting. We have many obvious examples: Harry Reid, John […]
BLNNews.com has many stories about Normal, Uptown, properties purchased and given away, crony capitalism, and the debt. The below links highlight why change is needed in Normal. The third link has a map of the TIF district. The southern part hasn’t been completed, so the spending, borrowing, and giving away properties will continue under Chris […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal is required to report annually to the State on their TIF districts. The “Uptown” 2012 TIF report can be found here: Uptown tif Basically, creating a TIF district allows the Town to keep the increase in property taxes collected because of redevelopment. This document is 191 pages long, […]
Here’s the short version: The Town of Normal bought a whole bunch of properties. They paid way more than the assessed value or appraised value, if they bothered with an appraisal. Because these now “Town held” properties, which generate NO property taxes, were so expensive, the Assessor assumed all properties were worth a lot more. The new […]
