Champaign breaks ground on downtown plaza project, aiming for 2025 completion of phase one

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Chicago Construction News staff writer

The City of Champaign held a groundbreaking ceremony July 12, to kick off construction of the first phase of the new Downtown Plaza.

Construction of the Downtown Plaza is a longstanding vision to create a community gathering space in the heart of downtown.The Downtown Plaza will be constructed in two phases.

Phase one of this project encompasses the area at the existing One Main Plaza and modestly expands it to the north. This is the southern part of the plaza (on the left-hand side of the image below). Construction started July 15 and is expected to be completed by 2025.

On July 2, Champaign City Council approved a contract with A&R Mechanical Services and Clark Dietz to build and provide engineering services for Phase I of the Downtown Plaza project.

Construction of Phase Two of the plaza encompasses the majority of the existing parking lot north of the existing One Main Plaza (right-hand side of the image below). Design engineering for Phase Two has begun, and construction could begin in 2026 with a tentative completion in 2027. In 2019, Champaign City Council adopted the Neil Street Plaza Placemaking Plan, which was the culmination of 18 months of public input and outreach.The new Downtown Plaza is expected to expand the appeal of Downtown Champaign to all ages and lifestyles, it will enhance the image of the community, and it will create a new space purposefully built to host special events.

To learn more about the project and to stay updated on construction progress visit engagechampaign.org.

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