Earlier this year, the Neil Street Plaza project got a boost from the state of Illinois with a $500,000 Illinois’ Tourism Attractions and Festivals grant. This week, the Champaign City Council formally accepted the grant, and construction will begin this summer.
The new space will extend One Main Plaza, at Neil and Washington streets, and it will be revamped to include these elements:
- A performance stage
- Planters and landscaping
- Swings and benches
- A “Great Lawn” (large grassy area)
- Parking, of course
The seeds of this project were planted a long time ago, so it’s good to see this project finally underway. Hopefully it will be an asset to the culture of Downtown Champaign. Now, about those Lincoln Square parking lots…