By Adam Studzinski
NORMAL – Normal’s Town Council received an update Monday night on the town’s Parks and Recreation master plan.
Hitchcock Design Group has been working for the past year to update the plan. It includes the idea of building an indoor recreation facility and a soccer complex within five years. City Manager Mark Peterson said making that happen would be “monumental.”
“They’re expensive facilities. We’ve talked in terms of the soccer complex being $15 million or more,” said Peterson. “Community recreation center, depending on what facilities it includes and amenities, could be $30 to $50 million.”
Peterson said funding the projects is a big question mark.
“That’s a great question and I don’t have an answer for you. You have to borrow the money. We don’t have that kind of money in the checking account,” said Peterson. “You have to issue bonds and borrow the money. The only downside to that is you have to pay it back.”
Peterson added making both facilities happen so quickly probably won’t happen. However, there is overwhelming public support for the projects.
“I think the council is going to do everything that they can do to chart a course that will eventually deliver those,” Peterson said.
The full plan is being made available for the public to view on Normal’s website. The council will likely look to officially adopt the plan in August.
In other business on Monday, the council rejected a bid for a project which would have extended the Constitution Trail on the northeast side. The rejection is the result of the state suspending a $500,000 grant which was to be used to fund the project along with several other park improvements.
Adam Studzinski can be reached at adam.studzinski@cumulus.com.
