Downtown Plaza Construction

Construction of the new Downtown Plaza is progressing nicely and weather has been cooperative. The sidewalk along the building is re-opening. Beginning on Monday, October 28th, the area shown below in lavender will be closed to pedestrian traffic. Anthem will have access from the south (Main Street) during this time, but not from the north (parking lot). Big Grove Tavern and One Main will have access only from the south during this time. By the end of the week, that section should be reopened. The contractor is working to keep these closure times as short as possible and we appreciate your patience.

This week, construction work focused on sidewalk pouring and the completion of water main replacement. The Neil Street crosswalk has reopened, and pedestrians can now pass through the south end of the plaza. Early next week, the area highlighted in blue will be poured, allowing the temporary removal of construction fencing near the building. Starting Tuesday, October 22, the contractor will begin sidewalk removal and replacement in the orange area, restricting pedestrian traffic for the remainder of the week. Access to Big Grove Tavern and the One Main entrance will be available from the south via Main Street, with work expected to be completed by Friday, October 25.

Here’s the latest update on the Downtown Plaza construction progress: Last week, the contractor poured a large portion of the new sidewalk, with about 80% set to receive a light sandblast finish early this week. This process may be loud and messy, so the contractor is working to minimize any inconvenience. Paving will shift closer to the building this week, beginning at the south end, and temporarily moving north-south pedestrian traffic closer to the building. Concrete bases for new light poles and the perimeters of future landscape beds are also being poured this week. Water main work is almost complete, and Illinois American Water (ILAW) will be in touch with individual customers to schedule brief service interruptions for switching to the new main. For water-related questions, please reach out to the ILAW project manager, Eric LaReau (eric.lareau@amwater.com). For more details, you can watch Lacey Rains' October 2 presentation to the Plan Commission or check out the Study Session Report for updates on the Downtown Plaza and other nearby projects.

Cooperative weather has allowed our construction crews to make steady progress on Downtown Plaza construction. Last week, the contractor poured walls for landscape planters near the south end of the site. They also poured the first section of sidewalk (picture below).

The Neil Street lane closure allowed the contractor to pour new curbs at the two Neil Street ramp locations. The ramps are scheduled to be built this week. The contractor will continue forming and pouring walls for landscape beds and pouring more sidewalk along the Big Grove Tavern dining area.

Water main materials should arrive this week, allowing Illinois American Water (ILAW) to begin the water main replacement. Any service interruptions will be coordinated/scheduled with individual property owners by ILAW or their contractor. If you have specific questions related to water main work and service interruptions, please contact the project manager for ILAW on this project, Eric LaReau (Eric.LaReau@amwater.com).

Last week, the contractor installed sections of the site's underdrain system and completed demolition, storm sewer work, and grading at the south end of the site. This week, they will begin working on the landscape planters. Weather permitting, they will also place an aggregate base course to prepare for the first of many concrete sidewalk pours.

On Monday (9/30), the contractor will saw the existing concrete adjacent to the construction fencing near Big Grove's dining area. This operation will be noisy and dusty, but the work is expected to take less than an hour.

From Tuesday (10/1) to Thursday (10/3), one lane of Neil Street, between Hill Street and Main Street, will be closed as the contractor works on the curb and sidewalk ramp near the south end of the site.

Illinois American Water (ILAW) will soon begin the water main replacement. Any service interruptions will be scheduled and coordinated with individual property owners by ILAW or their contractor. For specific questions about the water main work or service interruptions, please contact ILAW Project Manager Eric LaReau at Eric.LaReau@amwater.com.

Work continues on Phase 1 of the Downtown Plaza. The below photo was taken the morning of September 20 from the Hyatt parking deck. For a more comprehensive overview of the Downtown Plaza construction timeline, consider attending the City of Champaign Plan Commission meeting at 102 N Neil Street at 4pm on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

It has been one week since work began on the area highlighted in blue below. The contractor has nearly finished all of the demolition work and will be concentrating on the remaining storm sewer and electrical work in that area. Once that is complete, they can begin the work of constructing curbs, planter walls and pavement. The crosswalk on the Neil Street side will remain closed, but the Main Street and Hill Street crossings remain open. Work on this phase is estimated to take four to five more weeks to complete.

Illinois American Water (ILAW) is preparing to begin work on the water main replacement within the Plaza as early as next week. ILAW will construct the new water main parallel to the old. Per ILAW, the only service interruption would be 1-2 hours when each service is changed over to the new main; that would take place about 5-10 days after water main work begins and would be coordinated/scheduled with individual property owners by ILAW or their contractor. As more information becomes available to the City we will pass it along, however, if you have specific questions related to water main work and service interruptions, please contact the project manager for ILAW on this project, Eric LaReau (Eric.LaReau@amwater.com).

On Monday, September 16, work will start in the area highlighted in blue below. The northern limit of this work is just to the south of the well. Construction fencing will shift slightly to the east and extend further south to be just west of the One Main canopy. Due to space constraints, north-south pedestrians should walk alongside the One Main building during this stage of construction. The sidewalk ramp crossing Main Street will remain open. This phase of construction work is estimated to conclude within five to six weeks.

Illinois American Water (ILAW) is working on obtaining Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) permits to build a new water main through the plaza project soon (the water main comes from the south and turns to Neil Street, it is even with the breezeway crosswalk across Neil Street). If successful in obtaining their permit, this new water main would replace the existing water main that has had issues during construction. ILAW would build the new water main parallel to the old one. Per ILAW, the only service interruption would be 1-2 hours when each service is changed over to the new main; that would take place about 5-10 days after water main work begins and would be coordinated/scheduled with individual property owners by ILAW or their contractor. The City we will pass information along as it becomes available. If you have specific questions related to water main work and service interruptions, please contact the project manager for ILAW on this project, Eric LaReau (Eric.LaReau@amwater.com).

We are now one month into construction! If you haven't noticed the giant pit where One Main Plaza used to be, consider checking it out when stopping for food or drinks at Neil Street Blues, Sticky Rice, Smith Burger, Big Grove, Ladro Enoteca, or The Space! Beyond just the hole in the ground, you'll also be able to see updated renderings of the space once Phase 1 construction finishes (included below).

That's not the only update, though! The construction team has been working with nearby business owners to mitigate construction's impact to their business. This has led to a curb cut and crosswalk installation across Neil Street south of Hill Street for better access to the parking lot for Neil St. Blues. The City cut a curb to the parking lot in front of Smith Burger to accommodate their request for a sidewalk cafe that could expand into the parking spaces in front of their business. Perhaps the most noticeable change, however, is a parklet the City commissioned which extends the sidewalk in front of Big Grove along Main Street so they can expand their sidewalk cafe. This expansion features playful art like hopscotch and painted slip covers over concrete barriers to protect pedestrians and beautify the local streetscape.

On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, Champaign City Council authorized the City Manager to execute a contract with A&R Mechanical Services and Clark Dietz to build and provide engineering services for Phase I of the Downtown Plaza project. A&R, a business headquartered in Urbana, Illinois, plans to use minority- or women-owned subcontractors for 19% of the work. Phase 1 construction is scheduled to begin on July 15, 2024 and conclude before May 2, 2025. To mitigate impacts to neighboring businesses, work along buildings and within licensed outdoor cafe areas will be delayed to September 15, 2024. To offset the loss of dining spots after September 15, City staff have met with local business owners and plan to add outdoor dining space along Main Street just south of Big Grove Tavern.

This first phase of the project will redesign and modestly expand One Main Plaza northward to include landscaping with bench seating, movable furniture, bench swings, and a permanent performing arts stage. If you are interested in this project and downtown's future, please join us for a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday July 12th at 4:30 p.m. on the northeast corner of Main Street and Neil Street. Light refreshments will be provided.

Read the Council Bill here or watch a recording of the July 2, 2024 City Council meeting here.

See this item as reported by the News-Gazette and WCIA.

On May 21, 2024, City Council unanimously voted to accept a $12 million grant from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to fully fund the Downtown Plaza's construction. This grant will primarily be used towards Phase 2 construction costs and engineering services.

Phase 2 of the Downtown Plaza consists of several components:

• Surface Parking Lot. The surface parking lot at Neil and Washington will be transformed into a public plaza accessible to people of all ages and lifestyles. Raised planter beds with integrated seating include shade trees to provide canopy and cool the space. A pop jet fountain would occupy the center of the plaza, enclosed by two small business kiosks and a public lawn. The two kiosks will host local start-up retailers allowing them to showcase their products. The public lawn would feature grass for lounging, picnics, and public programming. Bench swing seating, movable seating beneath trees, and nature play structures for children would surround these features. Tall canopy trees would be planted along Neil to shade pedestrians, allow views of businesses on the plaza, and separate the plaza space from traffic on Neil Street. Bicycle parking would be added along Neil and Washington to accommodate active transportation.
  A rendering of the downtown plaza public lawn

  
  

• Shared Street. A single southbound shared vehicle/pedestrian lane along building fronts on the historic Hickory Street Right of Way will provide access for cars from Washington Street. The shared lane is curbless and demarcated with bollards to prevent vehicles from entering the main plaza areas. The lane allows for ADA accessible parking in front of businesses, while also facilitating special event set-up. Access to this lane would be controlled so the entire space could close to automobile traffic. Because it is curbless, or at-grade with the plaza, pedestrians would not need to negotiate curbs or ramps when using the area, improving accessibility. Design features are being considered (shown as transparent panels below) to illustrate Champaign history.
  A rendering of the curbless street, with panels that could showcase local culture and history

  
  

• Lot South of Orpheum. The lot south of The Orpheum Theater will provide access to the public parking lot on Fremont Street and in the public parking lot at Walnut and Washington Streets. This entrance to the plaza will accommodate art, shade structures, seating and, plantings. It could also be used as a space for smaller events. It will provide a welcoming gateway to the plaza and nearby businesses.
• Traffic Interventions.Funding will also allow for partial reconstruction of the streets adjacent to the Downtown Plaza – Phase 2. Washington Street and Neil Street will include additional on-street parking spaces. The intersection of Hill and Neil Streets will be reconstructed as a raised intersection or speed table, which will extend the main pedestrian entrance into the Downtown Plaza to the west side of Hill Street. This will improve access to the Hill Street Parking Deck and the planned future hotel. This design ensures that pedestrians are not required to find a ramp or step down from a curb to cross Neil Street into the plaza. It will also force traffic to slow down when entering Downtown.
  A rendering of the full Downtown Plaza, facing south from Neil and Washington

  
  

For more information on this project, please view the Report to Council (CB 2024-078) or a recording (video) of the May 21, 2024 regularly scheduled City Council meeting.