Eastland Mall in Bloomington is losing two major retailers in Macy’s and The Limited after their parent companies last week announced store closings nationwide. (Photo courtesy of VBN.org)

McLean County

It’s official: Rivian purchases shuttered Mitsubishi site  

As expected, Detroit-based automaker Rivian Automotive has purchased the dormant Mitsubishi plant in Normal. Rumblings of a potential deal surfaced in early December and were completed the first week of January.

Terms of the purchase price were not disclosed. Based on preliminary details, Rivian anticipates manufacturing its line of electric cars in Normal and employ about 1,000 persons when plant operations reach full capacity by 2024. Rivian, founded in 2009, has research locations in Detroit and San Francisco and currently employs about 100 persons at the dual sites.

The company said its entry into Normal will come with a $175 million investment into the plant site, which closed down nearly a year ago when Mitsubishi officially halted its operations as part of a retreat of its North American operations.

Bloomington Macy’s among 68 closing across U.S.  

Macy’s will close its Eastland Mall store by the end of the year, company officials have announced. The Bloomington store was named last week to a list of 68 locations slated for closure this year across the country. In the midst of slumping sales, Macy’s executives last year warned the retailer would shutter upward of 100 stores as part of a series of cost-cutting efforts. Many of the stores are considered financial under-performers, executives said, though some closings are based on other factors, including the value of real estate.

A firm closing date has not yet been disclosed on the Eastland Mall location, though officials have indicated it will likely occur toward the end of the year. The Bloomington store is 154,000 square feet and opened in 1999. It employs 55 persons.  

Free ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions coming to county museum   

The McLean County Museum of History, in conjunction with the Collaborative Solutions Institute and Illinois Wesleyan University, have announced a series of educational-themed Lunch and Learn sessions at the museum, 200 N. Main St., Bloomington.

All sessions are free, and participants are welcome to bring their own lunch. The schedule for upcoming sessions, each beginning at 12:10 p.m., within the series include:

• Jan. 12 — “Science Fiction Made into Science Reality”
• Feb. 9 — “Attraction to Crime and Criminals: Exploring People’s Interest in Crime Stories and Attraction to Prisoners”
• March 9 — “Designing a Better Future”
• April 13 — “When Downtown Became a Problem”
• May 4 — “Assessing the First 100 Days of the Trump Presidency”
• May 11—“The End is Near: Waste Management in a Post-Landfill World”

Bloomington

Foul play ruled out in death in Walmart parking lot

Although a number of questions still loom amid an intensive investigation, foul play has been ruled out in a person’s death outside a Walmart store at 2225 W. Market St. A deceased person, whose gender, age and other identifying details were not revealed at press deadline, was found inside a pickup truck parked outside the store about 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4. Later in the day, county coroner Kathy Davis said foul play was ruled out as a cause of the person’s death.

Venerable women’s clothing store leaves Eastland Mall

The Limited, a women’s clothing store that has been a staple at shopping malls across the U.S., has announced it is pulling up stakes from Central Illinois. The company’s four regional stores in Bloomington, Champaign, Forsyth and Springfield closed Saturday, Jan. 7, as part of a broader restructuring that could result in a bankruptcy declaration.

The Limited has lumbered under debt in recent years and struggled against the headwinds of other competitive forces, including online shopping.

City announces next session of citizen’s academy

The city of Bloomington is accepting applications for the upcoming spring 2017 session of Bloomington 101, a program aimed at giving community members an overview of local government. The program gives participants a bird’s eye view of many aspects of local government, including the police, fire, finance and parks and recreation departments.

The next session will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, from March 23 to May 25. Participation is free and open to anyone age 16 and up, though classes generally are capped at 20 persons. To be considered, participants must commit to attending at least eight of the 10 sessions. For information or to apply, visit the city’s website, www.cityblm.org, or contact communications manager Nora Dukowitz at ndukowitz@cityblm.org.

Normal

Peoria man facing charges in Normal kidnapping case

Numerous charges have been filed against Peoria resident Danny Smith Jr., 28, on accusations he kidnapped two men from a Normal home and murdered one.

The charges against Smith include five counts of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated kidnapping and additional felony counts, for a range of related offenses, including burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle and armed robbery.

Smith is accused of forcing Maunds Bryant, 41, from his home in the 100 block of West Raab Road in Normal during the evening hours of Thursday, Dec. 22. Bryant and his stepfather were reportedly kidnapped from their home at gunpoint and were placed in a vehicle belonging to a woman living in the same Normal home.

She was neither injured nor kidnapped, but reportedly did not call police. Bryant’s stepfather escaped and called police, who found Bryant unresponsive in Smith’s home in Peoria.  

Bloomington firm to resurface Division Street  

Bloomington-based Rowe Construction Co. will oversee a resurfacing and sidewalk improvement project along Division Street as part of a plan set in motion by the Normal Town Council on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The project carries a $190,600 price tag, and $170,000 of the cost will be funded through federal community development block grant funding. The project will run along Division Street, between Lee and Adelaide streets, and is expected to take place later this year when construction season resumes.

–McLean County News Briefs–