NORMAL - Changing some of the materials used in uptown streetscape projects and using town workers for some of the installation would cut $640,573 from the project.

On Monday, City Council members will decide if that's enough of a savings to continue to include a $1.1 million water feature in the plans. The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 100 E. Phoenix Ave.

The council also will consider a redevelopment plan that would bring a five-story mixed-use building at the corner of Main and Osage streets. The proposed development by Tartan Realty Group of Chicago would include retail on the first floor and apartments on the top four floors.

The uptown streetscape discussion began at the June 16 council meeting. The council awarded Stark Excavating Inc. a $9.7 million contract for uptown road work, landscaping, street lights and the water feature but also agreed to work with Stark in an attempt to lower the costs of some of the work. That discussion has taken place the last four weeks.

The town only budgeted $7.2 million for the work but has just over $1.3 million from savings from other uptown projects and a $275,000 Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant it also could put towards the work.

That still leaves a $388,644 shortfall for the entire project, which includes the water feature planned in the roundabout at the center of East and West Beaufort Street, North Street and Constitution Boulevard.

When the issue was first discussed, council members Adam Nielsen, Jeff Fritzen and Jason Chambers wanted to award Stark an $8.6 million contract for all the work except the water feature.

Council members Sonja Reece, Chuck Scott and Cheryl Gaines and Mayor Chris Koos favored trying to reduce the total projects costs with perhaps saving enough money to be able to include the water feature.

Meanwhile, the council also will consider giving Tartan Realty up to $2.5 million in tax increment financing money for the project at Main and Osage - an area recently approved as a tax increment financing district. In a TIF district, any increase in property tax revenue is diverted to a fund to help pay redevelopment costs. The amount of tax dollars taxing bodies get from the district would be frozen for the life of the TIF, about 23 years.

Tartan expects to spend $9.1 million for the project, including buying property. Besides buying land for the building, the company bought property along Kingsley Street for parking.