NORMAL - A plan to turn a town-owned house in Underwood Park in to an environmentally friendly showcase has caught the attention of Heartland Community College.

Town Planner Mercy Davison said Julie Elzanati, director of Heartland's Green Institute, is interested in partnering with the town on the project.

"They are looking at it as a prime opportunity for hands-on experience," Davison told the City Council on Monday.

City Manager Mark Peterson said Heartland sees the project as a potential extension of its work-force development mission. The college's students could use the house to study how to apply environmentally friendly technology to the building trades.

The partnership also could open up opportunities for grant money to help pay for the project, he said.

Heartland already is working with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and the U.S. Green Building Council, and both are interested in the proposed "green" house at Underwood Park, Davison said.

The news came when the City Council was considering an agreement with Farr Associates of Chicago to do a feasibility study on an environmentally friendly retrofit of the Underwood House at 900 S. Linden St.

Normal received a $75,000 grant from the Kresege Foundation to help cover the costs of the study, but Farr's work has a $125,000 price tag.

While the town has received $5,000 from the Ecology Action Center - which likely would relocate to the house once the project was completed - and could receive up to $7,500 from the Solid Waste Technical Committee, the town needed to come up with the rest of the cost.

At a work session before the council meeting, members learned the town's proposed six-year capital projects budget does not include any money for the Underwood house because declining revenue and increased costs forced the town to make some cuts. Peterson said a dozen projects were taken out of the budget.

Councilman Jeff Fritzen questioned whether the town should put money in a study if there wasn't any money to follow through. Once he learned about the potential Heartland partnership, he agreed the feasibility study should be completed.

"The green industry is huge," said Councilman Chuck Scott. "It's going to generate jobs and a lot of interest in this community."

Scott said the Underwood house could provide a place for Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University students to earn accreditation.

"I'm more optimistic," said Mayor Chris Koos. "We're on the cutting edge and pushing it. That will get more interest from the industry. I see a real opportunity for the green technology industry with the two universities."