BLOOMINGTON – Construction on the new Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Bloomington’s far east is progressing, with the location slated to open at the end of August.
Amanda Norton, spokesperson for the Louisville, Ky. Based restaurant chain, said construction crews suffered delays due to extreme rains last month, but are still on track for open before fall.
The restaurant is located between the former Toys R Us store and Olive Garden in the Bloomington Commons shopping center, 1701 E. Empire St., also home to Barnes & Noble, H&R Block, and Schnucks.
A hiring center to fill restaurant positions is open in the UPS store, and available jobs are listed at careers.texasroadhouse.com.
The project has been underway since late 2019, when a site plan for the restaurant was first approved by planning officials. Bloomington City Council approved the plan in February 2020, allowing the 17.9-acre site to be subdivided for the building.
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A total of $ 2,251,394 in building permits and other building permits for the new restaurant was issued in early March 2021.
“We’ve been watching Bloomington for a long time and finally found the right place – high visibility and heavy traffic,” Norton said. “It’s a great city and community.
The restaurant chain has additional locations in Champaign, East Peoria, Forsyth and Springfield.
See the new Illinois laws that came into effect on July 1
665 tickets
The Democrat-controlled Illinois General Assembly approved 665 bills this legislative session, with the vast majority awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature.
But, Pritzker signed 42 bills. A handful of them will come into effect on January 1, 2022, but most have entered into force upon signature or will take effect on Thursday.
Here are some notable new laws in effect now or Thursday that Illinoisans should know about.
CAPITOLE NEWS ILLINOIS
Electoral reform
With the pandemic-related delays in the U.S. census redistribution numbers, lawmakers have postponed the state’s 2022 primary elections from March 15 to June 28. The legislation also makes election day a public holiday, requires every county to have at least one universal voting center, and allows people to be added to a permanent mail-ballot list. (SB825)
Photo by Jose M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune
Vote by mail
Some pandemic-induced changes to voting for the 2020 general election, such as postal voting and curbside filing, will now be permanent features of future elections. (House bill 1871)
State legislative redistribution
As they’re tasked with doing every 10 years, lawmakers approved new district boundaries for the Illinois House and Senate. Maps drawn by Democrats, who used the U.S. community survey of the U.S. census instead of waiting for decennial census figures to arrive later this year, have been challenged in court by Republicans and some other groups. (HB2777)
Photo by Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune
Illinois Supreme Court Redistribution
The Illinois Supreme Court’s seven-person district boundaries were successfully redrawn for the first time since the 1960s. (SB642)
Photo from Capitol News Illinois
Police reform
There has not been a more controversial bill that passed this year than House Bill 3653, also known as the SAFE-T Act, which passed during the Duck Session. lame in January. The provisions ending the cash bond and requiring all police officers to wear body cameras will not come into effect until 2023 and 2025, respectively. But from Thursday, the police will have to rescue the wounded, intervene when a fellow officer uses excessive force and limit their use of force. It also offers more stringent guidelines for the decertification of officers and would allow people to file anonymous complaints of police misconduct. (HB3653)
Payday loans
Lenders are now prohibited from charging more than 36% annual percentage rate on consumer loans. The average rate in Illinois was nearly 300% before the law was signed. (SB1792)
Vaccine lottery
The state’s fiscal year 2022 budget includes $ 10 million for a “vaccine lottery.” All Illinois residents vaccinated before July 1 will automatically be entered into the contest. It includes $ 7 million in cash prizes for vaccinated adults, ranging from $ 100,000 to $ 1 million, and $ 3 million in scholarships for vaccinated youth. (SB2800)
Photo by Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune
COVID-19 emergency housing
Created guidelines for distributing over $ 1 billion in federal stimulus funds for COVID-related housing assistance. Also creates automatic sealing of evictions during the pandemic. (SB2877)
Pre-trial interest
Victims of personal injury and wrongful death will be entitled to collect interest from defendants from the time a lawsuit is filed. It aims to encourage the settlement of these cases. He was supported by trial lawyers and opposed by business groups. (SB72)
Casino work
All Illinois casino applicants are now required to enter into a project-work agreement when seeking a new or renewed license. (SB1360)
Compensation for victims of crime
Provides that a victim’s criminal history or crime status does not automatically preclude compensation for that victim or their family. Extends the period for the applicant to submit the requested information to 45 days instead of 30 days and provides that a final reward must not exceed $ 45,000, compared to $ 27,000, for a crime committed on August 7, 2022 or after. (HB3295)
Electronic signature
Provides that a contract, recording or signature cannot be denied legal effect or enforceability simply because it is in electronic form or an electronic recording was used in its formation. Provides that if a law requires that a recording be in writing, an electronic recording complies with the law. (SB2176)
Contact Timothy Eggert at (309) 820-3276. Follow him on Twitter: @TimothyMEggert
