Lawmakers allot funds for center; Transportation hub would get $4 million

July 22, 2005
By Mary Ann Ford

NORMAL- A planned downtown transportation center could be $4 million closer to reality.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a 2006 appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development and independent agencies on Thursday that includes a $4 million earmark for the Normal center.

The bill also includes $4.87 million for the Central Illinois Regional Airport and $200,000 for Home Sweet Home Ministries. Both are based in Bloomington .

"It's a pretty generous give," said Normal Mayor Chris Koos. "We're a little overwhelmed that they were able to do this."

The bill must be approved by the Senate, then go to a Senate/ House conference committee. The House passed a companion bill on June 30, but it doesn't yet include specific earmarks. The bill that comes out of the conference committee must be approved by the Senate and House before going to President Bush.

Angela Benander of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's office said the bill typically is approved in the fall.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, earmarked the money for the transportation center. It also was supported by Durbin, a fellow Illinois Democrat.

Senators and representatives each are allowed to designate money from the pot of money allocated within the bill for projects in the states and districts.

"They really believe in the project and felt it would really benefit the community and the region," Koos said. "It puts us within striking distance of finishing the project."

The town needs a total of $19.5 million in federal funding for the center planned along Beaufort Street east of Broadway. It has already received $2 million in federal money.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller, a Republican from Morris, and U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson , a Republican from Urbana , have earmarked another $7 million for the center in a pending federal highway bill that currently is stalled in a conference committee.

That bill was supposed to be finished by February 2004. The deadline was extended, and then the bill stalled in the U.S. Senate. The House transportation committee revived the bill in February.

It is now in a conference committee, which has already extended the deadline several times.

"Our hope is that we'll get more funding out of the highway bill," said Normal City Manager Mark Peterson.

The Senate has yet to earmark its projects in the highway bill.

"We're hoping Sen. Durbin and Sen. Obama can add to it and get us closer to the $19.5 million," Peterson said. "We don't expect it all, but hope to get substantially closer and pick up the rest in annual appropriations."

The center, which will serve trains, buses and taxis, will cost $22 million. Another $9 million is needed for accompanying road projects.

The town plans to contribute $4.8 million.

The project is being designed by RATIO SRA of Champaign.

Airport

The earmark for the Central Illinois Regional Airport is the final payment of a five-year $24.3 million commitment from the Federal Aviation Administration for runway and taxiway repair.

According to the plan, the north-south runway would be expanded from 7,000 feet to 8,000 feet long and 100 feet wide to 150 feet. The east-west runway would be reinforced to handle more weight. The two taxiways on the north-south runway also would be expanded, and all taxiways would be strengthened and widened.

With 5 percent local and state matches, the total project cost $26.7 million.

Home Sweet Home

The money for Home Sweet Home would go toward construction of an additional housing facility, according to a news release from Durbin's office. Officials at Home Sweet Home were unavailable for comment late Thursday.