August 22, 2025 

Nik Duffle, Director of

Economic Development 

We’re excited to share the second edition of The Business Brief, the Town of Normal’s economic development newsletter. Each month, we highlight projects, partnerships, council updates and opportunities that shape Normal’s business landscape.

This month's issue highlights the Town's partnerships and collaborations with various community organizations, commercial activity and how the Town of Normal remains a competitive community to do business.  

Thank you for reading and for being an important part of our thriving business community.

Monday, Aug. 18, the Normal Town Council unanimously voted to expand the boundaries of the Bloomington-Normal Enterprise Zone. This expansion includes an addition of 342 acres identified for future development and removes 95 acres that had already been developed or is considered unlikely to develop.

The new ordinance has been approved by Gibson City, but still needs approval from Ford County, McLean County and the City of Bloomington before being sent to the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity for final approval. 

Once approved, the expansion positions Normal for continued economic development success by providing more opportunities for available incentives throughout the community. 

About the Enterprise Zone 

The Illinois Enterprise Zone Program is designed to encourage and promote economic growth and revitalization throughout the State of Illinois. The Bloomington-Normal Enterprise Zone is managed by the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council and offers a variety of incentives to business looking to expand in McLean County.

To see if your business qualifies and how to apply, visit the EDC's webpage on Enterprise Zone incentives.

The Mclean County Chamber of Commerce hosted this year's intercity visit with a best practices trip to Cedar Falls & Waterloo, Iowa.

Over three days, community leaders from Bloomington-Normal, including Normal Town Council Members Rory Roberge, Scott Preston and Karyn Smith, along with Economic Development Director Nik Duffle, explored Cedar Valley. They examined impactful community projects, vibrant mixed-use and redeveloped downtown districts and innovative educational and career programs shaping the workforce and Cedar Valley’s future.

The Town of Normal has recently updated its Incentives page on the Economic Development section of its official website. The refreshed content serves as a clear guide for developers and businesses considering projects in the community. It outlines a wide variety of incentives including:

Key considerations for incentive eligibility are now prominently detailed, emphasizing projects that align with the Town’s redevelopment and economic goals, fulfill critical community needs and deliver a reasonable rate of return. All incentives are considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by Town Council. For questions or to learn more about incentives, contact Nik Duffle, Director of Economic Development. 

New traffic signals were installed last week and officially activated on Monday, Aug. 18, marking an important milestone for the intersection improvement project. With the old signals now removed, Rowe Construction has resumed curb, gutter and pavement work around the intersection corners. Upcoming steps include patching, median improvements and pavement milling, followed by joint and crack repairs, asphalt paving and final striping. The project remains on schedule for completion by Oct. 31, 2025.

The Town of Normal continues to experience strong commercial construction activity, reflecting steady investment and confidence in the community’s growth. Key projects from the Town's Open Data Portal highlight last month's building permit activity.