City of Champaign Neighborhood Services Community Development Projects

City of Champaign Neighborhood Services Community Development Projects

Urban Renewal

Work-in-progress by City of Champaign with documentation about ongoing community development projects, primarily in African-American neighborhoods. See City of Champaign website for most up-to-date information: http://ci.champaign.il.us/departments/neighborhood-services/neighborhood-programs/community-development-projects/

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Bristol Place

The Bristol Park area includes three small neighborhoods; Bristol Place, Garwood Addition, and Shadow Wood Mobile Home Park. The Bristol Park neighborhood lies at the northeast corner of Bradley Avenue and Neil Street. It is enclosed on its eastern edge by the Canadian National railroad tracks that run northeast/southwest and from the north by Interstate 74. The completed Neighborhood Plan will includes four parts: an existing conditions analysis; vision, goals, objectives; land use plan and implementation recommendations. The existing conditions analysis was completed in 2009. Currently, the visions, goals, objectives are drafted and ready for review by City Council. The purpose of the plan is to provide guidance to the City and a future neighborhood group with specific actions on how to improve the neighborhood. It is designed to be a holistic plan that addresses physical issues, such as vacant lots and deteriorating housing stock as well as social issues, such as the need for more activities for children in the neighborhood. In addition, the plan is also intended to be used by the City and the neighborhood group when applying for grants and other funding.

Beardsley Park Plan

Initiated in 1995 and amended in 2000, this plan targets three sub-areas in the Beardsley Park Neighborhood for redevelopment. Community Development Block Grant and Urban Renewal funding has been allocated for the improvement of infrastructure (roadways, curbs and gutters, streetlights, and sidewalks) in two sub-areas. Further redevelopment efforts will include a public services campus and neighborhood commercial developments. Single-family affordable housing development is also included in the plan as a priority for this neighborhood.

CommUnity Matters

In 2007, the City of Champaign, Champaign Park District, Unit 4 School District, Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club, and the United Way created a partnership to begin addressing youth issues identified by neighborhood residents and police officers in the Garden Hills neighborhood.  The CommUnity Matters model is now expanding to other areas to address issues identified by neighborhood residents and associations, frequently involving youth, in the City’s targeted neighborhoods.   This initiative is a partnership with substantial funding from the Community Development Block Grant and Urban Renewal funds at the City of Champaign, as well as significant in-kind staffing and resource contributions from the partner agencies.

December CommUnity Matters Events Calendar

Douglass Square Redevelopment

The Douglass Square redevelopment is located on the north side of Bradley Avenue at the 5th Street intersection (former Burch Village public housing complex). This site is located across the street from the Taylor Thomas Subdivision and near the Oakwood Trace Apartments. The Douglass Square redevelopment, similar to the Taylor Thomas and Oakwood Trace developments, was undertaken by both the City of Champaign and the Housing Authority of Champaign County (HACC). The Burch Village structures were obsolete and had issues with crime and other social disturbances and required more than just refurbishing and/or remodeling. The HACC received HOPE VI demolition funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the removal of the existing structures and the relocation of the residents. Financing for the construction of the new development included Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the State of Illinois, HOME funds from the City of Champaign and the State of Illinois, and Affordable Housing Program funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank-of Chicago. The new development includes 50 units of mixed-income as well as a community space and onsite laundry.

Taylor Thomas Subdivision

The Taylor Thomas Subdivision includes 13 completed single-family homes with two more to be constructed.  Twelve of the 15  homes are subsidized by the City through HOME and Community Development Block Grants to create affordable housing compliant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The site was formerly the location of the Mansard Square Apartments, which were demolished in 1999-2000 to make room for the future development of single-family homes. The subdivision was named after Taylor Thomas, a local educator who served the community in a variety of ways. He was the first director of the Douglass Center, the first honorary commissioner of the Champaign Park District, and one of the first African-Americans to teach in the Urbana School District.

City of Champaign Neighborhood Services

City of Champaign

2010

No

Community Development Projects
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(One upcoming goal will break each project out into its own page, with Narrative, Map, Photos, and Document links.)
Bristol Place

(Need information.)
Beardsley Park Plan

Initiated in 1995 and amended in 2000, this plan targets three sub-areas in the Beardsley Park Neighborhood for redevelopment. Community Development Block Grant and Urban Renewal funding has been allocated for the improvement of infrastructure (roadways, curbs and gutters, streetlights, and sidewalks) in two sub-areas. Further redevelopment efforts will include a public services campus and neighborhood commercial developments. Single-family affordable housing development is also included in the plan as a priority for this neighborhood.
Garden Hills Neighborhood Improvement Initiative

(Need information.)
Joann Dorsey

(Need information.)
Douglass Park Infill

(Need information.)
Douglass Square Redevelopment

The new Douglass Square redevelopment is located on the north side of Bradley Avenue and at the 5th Street intersection where Burch Village was previously located. This site is located across the street from the Taylor Thomas Subdivision and near the Oakwood Trace Apartments. The Douglass Square redevelopment, similar to the Taylor Thomas and Oakwood Trace developments, is being undertaken by both the City of Champaign and the Housing Authority of Champaign County (HACC). The Burch Village structures were obsolete and had issues with crime and other social disturbances and required more than just refurbishing and/or remodeling. The HACC received HOPE VI funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the demolition of the existing structures and the relocation of the residents. Financing for the construction of the new development includes Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the State of Illinois, HOME funds from the City of Champaign and the State of Illinois, Affordable Housing Program funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank, and other sources as needed. The new development will include 50 units of mixed-income as well as a community space, onsite laundry, and a manager’s apartment. With construction scheduled to begin in early 2005, the redevelopment should be completed by July 2006 and occupancy completed by December 2006.
Taylor Thomas Subdivision

The proposed development will contain 15 single-family homes, 12 of which are being subsidized by the City through HOME and Community Development Block Grants to create affordable housing compliant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The site was formerly the location of the Mansard Square Apartments, which were demolished in 1999 and 2000 to make room for the future development of single-family homes. Infrastructure improvements have already been completed and housing construction began in August of 2003. The subdivision was named after Taylor Thomas, a local educator who served the community in a variety of ways. He was the first director of the Douglass Center, the first honorary commissioner of the Champaign Park District, and one of the first African-Americans to teach in the Urbana School District.