By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – The Town of Normal is being forced to reject a bid for a project which would have extended the Constitution Trail on the northeast side.

The reason, according to City Manager Mark Peterson, is Normal was supposed to be receiving a $500,000 capital grant from the state. However, that’s been put on hold.

“We had been told previously by DCEO (Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity) that it was not suspended. A lot of other programs were suspended, but it they’d made it clear that one was not suspended,” said Peterson. “Well, things changed.”

The grant was to be used for miscellaneous parks projects. Peterson said it was just days before the town was to receive bids for the trail project that the town was informed it would not be getting the grant.

“We went ahead and received the bids. They were opened on Tuesday. We only received one bidder and it was higher than the engineers estimate,” he said.

The Town Council will vote on rejecting the bid, which was for $297,000, on Monday.

“This was an extension that would run behind Grove (Elementary) School and would extend all the way up to Normal Community High School,” Peterson said.

Peterson was not sure if the town will be getting the grant back. He added a number of other park improvements are being put off as a result of the grant’s suspension.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].