Campustown (Champaign, Illinois)

Last updated
Campustown
University District
District
Green Street Champaign.jpg
Coordinates: 40°06′36″N88°14′35″W / 40.110°N 88.243°W / 40.110; -88.243
CountryUnited States
State Illinois
County Champaign County
City Champaign
Established1920s [1]
Named for University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Campus
City Council District1, 2
Government
 • City Council MemberWill Kyles,
Michael La Due
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Postal code
61820
Area code 217
Website champaigncenter.com

Campustown is an area within the 1st and 2nd City Council Districts in Champaign, Illinois. Centered on Green Street, the district contains about eight city blocks occupied by various small businesses, restaurants, bars, and apartment buildings which mostly house university students. Campustown is located along the west side of the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign campus.

Contents

Notable landmarks include the Alma Mater, The Tower at Third, the 309 Green high-rise, Legend's Bar & Grill, Kams, Red Lion, and Murphy's Pub. [2]

Master streetscape plan

In 1995, then University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC) Provost Michael Aiken constructed a planning committee, referred to as the Campustown 2000 Task Force, [3] in an effort to revitalize the deteriorating infrastructure in the campustown district. As the committee's chairperson, Aiken hoped to transform the district into a safer, more inviting area for university students and visitors. The committee was composed of representatives from the cities of Champaign, its twin city Urbana, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, the C-U Economic Partnership, land and business owners within campustown, and UIUC. [4]

Since the creation of the district, campustown's main thoroughfare, East Green Street, carried four lanes of vehicular traffic, despite serving a mostly pedestrian-based commercial district for the university. Campustown's deteriorating infrastructure was highlighted when a student was killed by vehicular traffic and during the 2002 NFL season when the Chicago Bears played their home games at Memorial Stadium during the renovation of Soldier Field. [1]

The Campustown 2000 Task Force was instrumental in moving the development of Green Street and the rest of Campustown. This group initiated two efforts, the Campus Area Transformation Study (CATS) and the Campustown Action Plan, that outlined important changes that needed to be made in order to create a safer and more welcoming environment for students and others visiting the location. Coupled with the Campustown Existing Conditions Report, created by the City of Champaign Planning Department between 1996 and 1998, the Champaign City Council was able to approve plans for a seven million dollar project, which was completed in 2003. [3] Green Street was reconstructed from Wright to Fourth Streets and various safety features were added such as new street-lights, railings, large planters, and proper signage. Campustown's speed limit was also reduced to 25 mph (40 km/h) and Green Street was reduced to three lanes of traffic, with the middle lane enabling turn and business deliveries, due to a lack of alleyways. To facilitate the construction of a new Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus stop, Wright Street was converted to a pedestrian mall allowing bus access only between Chalmers and John Streets. Since the creation of the Transit Plaza, it has become the largest bus stop in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area. [1] [5] [6]

The resulting streetscape of Campustown has been very well-received, and is so far considered a resounding success. It achieved a number of the goals set forth in the Campustown Action Plan, most notable Goal II, "Develop an Overall Look for the Campustown Area," and Goal III, "Maintain and Improve Campustown Infrastructure." In order to build on the successes of the Campustown Action Plan, and also further its goals, the City of Champaign developed the University District Streetscape Master Plan in Fall of 2003. This plan not only focuses on the Green Street area, but highlights changes to be made throughout the entire University District. The planned improvements differ by each street, and are broken down into three categories: the Commercial Area, the Transition Area, and the Neighborhood Area. The full plan discusses proposed changes to the infrastructure of each area type, and goes over estimated costs as well as projects that should be prioritized over others [3]

Urban core development

Over the past 10 years, since the completion of the Campustown 2000 project, the Campustown skyline and streetscape has drastically transformed. While the Tower at Third high-rise, which stands 205 ft (62 m), was completed in 1972, another high-rise had not been built in Campustown until after the completion of Campustown 2000. [7] In 2008, two high-rise residential towers opened for residents, 309 Green and Burnham 310. The 2008 Economic Recession nixed plans for another high-rise at 311 Green, which would have been a "sister building" to 309 Green, though the same developers have submitted plans for an 8-story apartment building at Fourth and Green. [8]

Since the start of 2013, construction projects have restarted in campustown. Bankier Apartments has contracted Broeren-Russo Company of Champaign to build their 14-story residential high-rise at 519 East Green. The tower was completed just before the summer of 2014. [9] Under construction are the 22-story 308-312 East Green Street and US$20 million 526 East Green Street mixed residential and commercial buildings.

Tallest buildings

Below is a listing of the tallest buildings in Champaign's Campustown district, by height. [10]

RankNameHeight
ft (m) 		FloorsYearStreet addressImage
1309 Green268 (82)242009309 East Green St.
2HERE Champaign267 (81)272015308 East Green St. 308 East Green Construction.jpg
3 Burnham 310 224 (68)182008310 East Springfield Ave. Burnham 310 (2).jpg
4 The Tower at Third 205 (62)211972302 East John St. Tower at Third.jpg
5Skyline Tower169 (52)142014519 East Green St. Skyline Tower Champaign.jpg
6 Illini Tower 166 (51)171967409 East Chalmers St.
7 Bromley Hall 151 (46)141967910 South Third St.
8 Sherman Hall 127 (39)131966909 South Fifth St.
9Park Place Tower108 (33)92003202 East Green St. Park Place Tower.jpg
10Green Street Towers96 (29)82001616 East Green St. Green Street Towers.jpg

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champaign, Illinois</span> City in the United States

Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in the state outside the Chicago metropolitan area. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had 236,000 residents in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urbana, Illinois</span> City in Illinois, United States

Urbana is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had 236,000 residents in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Illinois System</span> Public university system in Illinois

The University of Illinois System is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Illinois consisting of three universities: University of Illinois Chicago, University of Illinois Springfield, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Across its three universities, the University of Illinois System enrolls more than 94,000 students. It had an operating budget of $7.18 billion in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</span> Public university in Illinois, US

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. It is the flagship institution of the University of Illinois system and was established in 1867. With over 53,000 students, the University of Illinois is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area</span> Combined Statistical Area in Illinois, United States

The Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, also known as Champaign–Urbana and Urbana–Champaign as well as Chambana (colloquially), is a metropolitan area in east-central Illinois. As defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the metropolitan area has a population of 236,514 as of the 2022 U.S. Census, which ranks it as the 200th largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. The area is anchored by the principal cities of Champaign and Urbana, and is home to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system.

The Illini Media Company is a nonprofit, student media company based in Champaign, Illinois. The company owns several student-run media outlets associated with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: the general newspaper, the Daily Illini; the entertainment paper, Buzz Magazine; the engineering quarterly, Technograph; the U of I yearbook, the Illio; and the commercial radio station, WPGU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CityPlace, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Ontario, Canada

CityPlace is a neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, within the former Railway Lands. When completed, this area will be the largest residential development ever created in Toronto. The area is bordered by Bathurst Street to the west, Lake Shore Boulevard to the south, and Front Street to the north and Blue Jays Way and Rogers Centre to the east. Cityplace is also a five-to-ten-minute walk from King Street West and Liberty Village and a ten-to-twenty-minute walk from Toronto's financial district. The neighbourhood is also home to the Canoe Landing Park, designed by famed Canadian writer and artist Douglas Coupland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boneyard Creek</span> Creek in Illinois, U.S.

Boneyard Creek is a 3.3-mile-long (5.3 km) waterway that drains much of the cities of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois, United States. It is a tributary of the Saline Branch of the Salt Fork Vermilion River, which is a tributary of the south-flowing Vermilion River and the Wabash River. The creek flows through the northern sections of the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The newsletter of the university's ACM chapter is Banks of the Boneyard, named after the creek.

The Engineering Campus is the colloquial name for the portions of campus surrounding the Bardeen Quadrangle and the Beckman Quadrangle at the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. It is an area of approximately 30 square blocks, roughly bounded by Green Street on the south, Wright Street on the west, University Avenue on the north, and Gregory Street on the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</span>

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is an academic research institution that is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois System. Since its founding in 1867, it has resided and expanded between the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana in the State of Illinois. Some portions are in Urbana Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Theatre (Champaign)</span> Movie theater in Champaign, Illinois, United States

The Virginia Theatre is a live performance and movie theatre in downtown Champaign, Illinois. It has been providing theatrical and cinematic entertainment to the Champaign-Urbana community since its doors opened in 1921. Each year, the Virginia Theatre is host to movies from film reels, plays from various acting troupes, concerts, and Ebertfest, presented by the UIUC College of Media. It is currently owned by the Champaign Park District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altgeld Hall</span> Educational building in University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Altgeld Hall, located at 1409 West Green Street in Urbana, Illinois on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus, was built in 1896–97 and was designed by Nathan Ricker and James M. White of the university's architecture department in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Planning for the building began during the Illinois governorship of John Peter Altgeld. The building was originally the University Library, and received major additions in 1914, 1919, 1926, and 1956. From 1927 to 1955 it was used by the College of Law, and from 1955 on by the Department of Mathematics and the Mathematics Library. The University Chime in the bell tower – which marks the hours, half hours, and quarter hours and plays a ten-minute concert every school day from 12:50–1:00 p.m. – was installed in 1920. The building was officially named "Altgeld Hall" in 1941. Altgeld Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 17, 1970.

The Illinois Newspaper Project (INP) began as part of the United States Newspaper Program (USNP), a cooperative effort between the states and the federal government designed to catalog and preserve on microfilm the nation's historic newspaper heritage. The USNP was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and administered by the Library of Congress, who are currently funding the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), of which the INP is also a part.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engineering Hall, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</span>

Engineering Hall is an administrative building at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. It is located in the south end of the Bardeen Quadrangle on Green Street in Urbana, Illinois, facing the Illini Union. Engineering Hall serves all disciplines within the UIUC College of Engineering and is well known for representing the school's colors with its orange bricks and blue roof. In addition to many offices and conference rooms, Engineering Hall also includes two computer labs and four lecture halls. Engineering Hall also houses many engineering-based student organizations in its offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business Instructional Facility</span> Academics in Illinois , United States

The Gies College of Business Instructional Facility (BIF) is a state-of-the-art business facility designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects located on the Champaign campus at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (UIUC).

Burnham 310 is a skyscraper in Champaign, Illinois, United States. Construction was started in December 2006 and completed in September 2008 after months of planning, development and delayed construction. Originally, the city block at 310 East Springfield Avenue had been occupied by the area's first hospital. The establishment of the Burnham City Hospital was proposed in 1935, the same year as the Champaign City Building. Under the Public Works Administration program, which was established as part of the New Deal of 1933 during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term, both building proposals qualified for federal grant funding.

NCSA Brown Dog is a research project to develop a method for easily accessing historic research data stored in order to maintain the long-term viability of large bodies of scientific research. It is supported by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) that is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champaign-Decatur CSA</span> CSA in Illinois, United States

The Champaign-Decatur CSA, also known as East Central Illinois CSA, is a combined statistical area in the U.S. State of Illinois. It is the 104th largest combined statistical area in the U.S. It is composed of four counties, Champaign, Ford, Piatt and Macon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University Library</span> Library system of the University of Illinois

The University Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign comprises a network of physical and digital libraries. It provides resources and services to the university's students, faculty, staff, and the broader academic community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Lorraine Greene</span> American architect

Beverly Lorraine Greene, was an American architect. According to architectural editor Dreck Spurlock Wilson, she was "believed to have been the first African-American female licensed as an architect in the United States." She was registered as an architect in Illinois in 1942.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ryan, Michelle. "Campustown Streetscape, Champaign, Illinois". Landscapeonline.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Tony (May 11, 2012). "The Draft And The Deep-dish Delight". Illinois Alumni Magazine. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "University District Master Streetscape Plan". City of Champaign. 2004-10-22. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  4. ↑ "'Campustown 2000' subcommittee identifies safety issues and makes recommendations". Inside Illinois, For Faculty and Staff. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign News Bureau. September 19, 1996. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Champaign City Council approves Campustown redevelopment project and new traffic circulation plan". Inside Illinois, For Faculty and Staff. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign News Bureau. October 4, 2001. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Starbucks to open at Illini Union Bookstore in March". The Daily Illini. January 27, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Emporis Tower at Third Page". Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ↑ Dodson, Don. "Apartment project trimmed back". The News-Gazette.
  9. ↑ Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (PDF) (Report). Finance Department City of Champaign. 30 June 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Champaign | Buildings". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved 2022-05-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.