Changes to Campustown welcomed

By Christina Peluso

Over the past few years, the Champaign-Urbana area has seen a tremendous amount of growth. New development has sprouted all over the community and redevelopment has brought new life to old structures. Campustown has become one of those economic hotspots. From new retail to chain restaurants, Green Street and the surrounding areas have morphed into a new and vibrant area.

Since January, Campustown has seen 10 new stores open their doors, including national chains such as Starbucks and Potbelly’s Sandwich Works. This growth does not include businesses that have opened in the last few years or are still in the works. Other notable openings include Qdoba, Niro’s Gyros, Paris Boutique and Solar Tan.

The Green Street refurbishment really made a difference in the area and helped attract new businesses, Champaign City Planner T.J. Blakeman said. At one time, Green Street was four lanes wide, with large, brown brick buildings lining a much smaller sidewalk. In 2000, the city of Champaign spent eight million dollars to expand the sidewalks and make Green Street into the streetscape it is today.

“By cleaning up the area, it encouraged others to dress up their businesses and store fronts as well,” Blakeman said.

Aesthetics are important and an area needs to have character to entice business, said Casey Rooney, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission Economic Development manager.

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“It all goes hand in hand,” he said.

Wayne Hartel, Land Use Evolution and Impact Assessment Mode Project specialist for the University said there are many factors that drive community growth. Hartel’s list included transportation, employment, location and housing vacancy.

Rooney said Campustown is a great area because it focuses on consumer needs. He said he also likes the area because it provides the community with diversity.

“It’s a very cool area for college students. I like what’s going on in Campustown,” he said.

Rooney said that the area is a great recruiting tool. Recruiting can be hard because the town has to impress a wide range of people, he said. For example, one has to impress the new University employee, his or her spouse and the children. Rooney said the one aspect that impresses everyone is the activity of the area.

“That’s what’s neat about it…the vitality,” he said.

Blakeman is excited by the renovations and construction the new businesses have been doing. Even if some of these stores do eventually leave, they are leaving some great business spaces, he said.

City officials are not the only ones happy with the new and improved Campustown. Nolan said Potbelly’s Sandwich Works is very pleased with their location on Green Street.

“College kids respond well to a great sandwich at a fair price. We’re happy to make college kids happy. And we’re very happy with the amount of customers and that they keep coming back,” he said.

East and West Fast Food manager Pratap Patel is also pleased with business. Green Street is the busiest street in Champaign and there are tons of restaurants, he said.

“We’re very happy with our location. Day by day, we increase the business,” Patel said.

Manager of Insomnia Cookies, James Babiarz, said his location is great for walk-ins, has inexpensive rent and is close to campus.

Starbucks store manager Rebecca Brooks said the chain was just looking for the right time to make moving to Champaign a possibility.

“We’re really happy to be here,” she said. “I’m glad to be a part of bringing Starbucks here.”

City officials and business owners alike are excited about the recent growth. The newest additions to Campustown, Noodles & Company and Chipotle, are expected to open their doors on the corner of Sixth and Green streets this October.

The city of Champaign is working with developers to create new housing and commercial space at the site of the old Burnham Hospital at Fourth Street and Springfield Avenue. There is talk of condominiums, retail space and a possible grocery store.

“The University is a driver in this community. We want to attract top-notch faculty and researchers. We want to make this community more livable,” Rooney said. “It’s a bigger deal now than it’s ever been before. The biggest threat to our community is complacency. There’s so much competition in the world. We have to stay on the edge.”