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" Yes...there are larger corporate headquarters in Bloomington but look at where they are located. They are all in a very suburban environment on the east side of your community. You are not growing white-collar positions in your central city. This lack of population movement in your downtown will make it difficult to emulate what is happening in Champaign. I am just the opposite of the DuPage poster. I grew up in CU, undergrad at ISU and graduate school (Urban and Regional Planning) at UIUC. Now I live in Chicago (city...not burbs). I have a little bit of knowledge behind that which I speak...but was not intending any offense. It is very easy to see that it is almost completely public dollars being pumped into a small area that can not currently and most likely will not in the future be able to sustain itself because there is no growth plan in place. The 'if you build it they will come' model is for movie scripts only. "

" I recently finished studying Urban Planning at ISU and now work for the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). My girlfriend is from Champaign so I spend a lot of time there. There is no reason downtown Bloomington or Uptown Normal could not resemble Champaign's vibrant bar and restaurant scene, similar to Champaign's campustown and downtown mix. The dedication and finances have to be allocated to do so, and it seems Normal is putting more effot into that detail thus far. Champaign does have the Big Ten campus presence, but Bloomington/Normal has more of a professional and corporate demographic. And aside from bars and restaurants, there really isn't all that much in downtown Champaign and they have almost no significant downtown employer (maybe the Gazette). I would say downtown Bloomington is even with downtown Champaign in most retail aspects. The character of buildings in downtown Bloomington is more attractive than those in Champaign. "

" LOL about "Mid-town" being Tobin's and Kroger. "Uptown" is the stupidest name I've ever heard! "

" I grew up in Bloomington-Normal, went to the U of I, and now unfortunately live in DuPage County...let me tell you that DuPage County is NOTHING like McLean County. When people from downstate move to the Chicagoland area it is total culture shock. It is a completely different world up north. Also, I disagree about your mass transit comments regarding Urbana-Champaign...yes, the students use the bus system, but working adults do not. At all. Downtown Champaign is thriving because of the University of Illinois...it is a whole ‘nother ball game than ISU or IWU...the U of I is a major research university and draws in a community that can support things that the community in B-N cannot support. B-N is still much more "small town" than C-U...and crime is significantly less of a problem in B-N than it is in C-U. "

" Well I see some points but I think BN if fairly urban itself. What CU has is the University being a lot larger than ISU and IWU. That is a great thing too, because we do not to rely on the students. As far as business, there are larger corps in Bloomington than CU. The population numbers for BN are larger than CU, so I cannot see why it will not work for Bloomington. If you like Champaign so much....move back! "

" As the comparisons between Uptown Normal and Downtown Bloomington are unfair, so too is bringing Downtown Champaign into the firestorm, as well. The BN and CU communities are similar in size and each are college communities...but that is where the similarities really end. Downtown Champaign is thriving now because the residents and UofI students are craving a more urban-oriented lifestyle. This does not seem to be the case in BN where it more resembles DuPage County than an urban environment. Not only are condos, stores and restaurants opening in Dt Champaign, but high-tech creative business is moving in as well. Literally hundreds of tech workers at companies like Volition and Yahoo living and working downtown, coupled with the visitors and the thousands of people who are funneled though the district on the MTD buses (again...folks in CU actually use urban mass transit) have created a vibrant community...sure there was some assistance from the government...but the demand was there...so it was a good investment. I am not so sure that there is pent-up demand for this kind of existense in BN. It seems folks over there seem to like subdivisions and shopping malls...and that is OK too. "

" Another aspect of this is leadership. Whether you agree with him or not Chris Koos had a vision for Normal and has been determined to implement it. Steve Stockton seems to have no vision, just a managerial style that might work at a corporate behemoth like State Farm but falls short when it comes to leading a city. And I'm sorry, but whatever your feelings about her Mayor Judy had a vision and tried to make something happen. I'd rather see someone try something than have a mayor who has no vision. "

" Both towns could learn a little something from each other.Don't get in over your head. "

" Your mayor is an idiot. "

" This community is a joke. UPtown Normal DOWNtown Bloomington. Normal is stupid, and Bloomington is ridiculous. "

" Be careful want you say Mr Fred Wollrab, you could get "eminent domained" yourself. In other states some properties have been taken at 1/3 the market value. And quite unfortunate for every United States citizen the Kelo Decision allows for eminent domain to take from private interests to give to other private interests, which is just plain wrong. Personally I would hate to see your properties to be eminent domained Fred as you have done a real nice job of rehabbing. Good luck. "

" I think Normal is a joke. The young professionals and college kids go to Bloomington for the indoor football, hockey, and bars. The only thing Normal has is a very small "downtown" kids museum and pending hotel. None of which are really a draw. "

" Downtown Bloomington - 40 blocks, Uptown Normal - 6. Its the difference between an upstairs one-bedroom apartment vs. 4-bedroom house with a full yard. Of course downtown Bloomington is going to be more difficult to improve than Normal. "

" ..the difference is...Normal decided to do it and did it..whether it cost the taxpayers or not .. Bloomington decided to do it -- then formed a committee, then a study, then another commitee, then overpaid some "downtown director"...they have no idea what they are doing.... ..Atleast downtown normal looks nice, appears to be rather steady business and I don't have to worry about getting mugged. Downtown Bloomington is a joke. "

" Mid-town is Kroger and Tobins. "

" I went to ISU when uptown Normal was still downtown Normal. It was thriving then (30+ years ago). It thrived even more when the town voted "wet." I'm still not sure I could find uptown Normal yet, and I'm really not sure what the name change did for the town; other than confusing aging alumni. "

" Downtown Normal has 25,000 college students surrounding it, so does downtown Champaign, which actually has more. You can't fairly compare either city to Bloomington which doesn't have that built in population. "

" were midtown at ? "

" Is redeveloping its downtown the same way Champaign redeveloped theirs. Bloomington's is a hole and will stay that way for the near future. With all the money that comes in from bars I have no idea how a rebirth can't be funded. It's no wonder the One Main Corporation in Champaign chose Normal over Bloomington! "