The town of Normal rests in the heart of central Illinois, with a population of roughly 50,000 residents. Over the past several years, the town has been making efforts to revitalize its downtown area through new construction projects, remodeling of older buildings, and more modern infrastructure. Recognizing the importance of sustainable development, the Town Council formed the “Green Team” in 2006, to advance Normal’s environmental stewardship initiative. Additionally, the Council passed an ordinance to promote “Environmentally Sensitive Design” in the downtown revitalization projects.

The ordinance requires all new public and private construction of more than 7,500 square feet at the ground level in the Central Business District to attain “Certified” status under the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for New Construction rating system, Version 2.0. By applying the LEED standards, the Town aims to improve the environmental and economic performance of newly constructed buildings. The Town reserves the right to adopt future versions of the LEED standards. Normal’s Children’s Discovery Museum is LEED certified at the Silver level, and has gained statewide and national recognition for its excellence in achieving sustainability. Failure to comply with the ordinance -which includes, among other things, failing to obtain a Certificate of Compliance and failing to comply with conditions set forth in a Conditional Certificate of Compliance - may result in a fine of up to $1,000 per each day of noncompliance.