Champaign breaks ground on downtown plaza years in the making

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Officials and onlookers took part in the symbolic start to a new plaza in the heart of the city of Champaign Friday evening.

City leaders, community members, and a state senator gathered near the corner of Main and Neil Streets to celebrate the beginning of a downtown plaza with a groundbreaking.

State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) has seen many iterations and visions for the area.

“Late ’70s, early ’80s they had that mall concept and there wasn’t much going on,” Faraci said. “Commerce had been shelved a little bit.”

He said transformations like the new plaza don’t happen overnight.

“Anything good like this takes time. You want to make sure we’re hearing from the community to make sure that we’re doing it right in that regard,” Faraci added. “We want to make sure that parking is available for the businesses.”

Construction on Phase 1 starts next week and half of the plaza will be finished by next summer.

Mayor of Champaign Deborah Feinen said the idea came from a trip where she noticed a park that inspired her.

“I actually was in New York City on a city related thing and was able to walk over to Bryant Park,” she said. “And if you’ve ever been in Bryant Park, it’s set up as a community gathering.”

One main plaza will have landscaping with benches, swings and a stage for performers to plug and play.

“There’s a lot of energy and a lot of commitment by some really great people because those things came together,” Faraci said. “We’re going to see the fruits of our labor over time. It’ll be in phases.”

Planning started in 2017. The late State Senator Scott Bennett played a big part in getting funding for the project.

Feinen said making the plaza all-inclusive was something he was passionate about.

“Accessibility and making sure that everyone has a place at the table, it was incredibly important to Senator Bennett,” she said. “And so, it’s a nice way to honor his legacy.”

The plaza is a big piece of turning downtown into a destination where people come together.
And Feinen said it’ll create a domino effect where businesses and the city’s center grows.

“We knew that we needed this catalyst for downtown and that it would be something that was very beneficial for our community, but also for the businesses in downtown.”

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