Parkland College students will see more housing open up after summer 2012.

An ordinance regarding the development of multi-family residential buildings not far from the community college were approved at Tuesday’s Champaign City Council meeting.

The 111-unit residential development will be located at 1910 and 2002 W. Bradley Ave., just east of Parkland. Six buildings will be constructed, and all but one will be residential. Unit sizes will range from two to four bedrooms.

These apartments are intended to be mostly for Parkland College students. Champaign Mayor Don Gerard said the new development is timed perfectly with expansion plans for the community college. Earlier this summer, a multimillion dollar expansion was granted to Parkland for a new technology center, student services center and fitness center. An additional number of residential buildings, Gerard said, would help accommodate an expected increase in student enrollment.

A pedestrian bridge is part of the ordinance and will be located over the Copper Slough with a gate from the bridge into the development. This bridge will allow for passage to Dodds Park and ultimately, to Parkland.

The site is owned by the Champaign Park District and will be leased to a private developer. The park district currently uses the site for material storage but will eventually relocate.

Conditions that need to be met include the owner of the property’s accommodation of a Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus shelter and its Stopwatch services along Bradley Avenue.

In other business, the Council voted to delay a redistricting deadline by several weeks. Submission deadlines were extended for map alternatives to Sept. 30. A vote will be taken in November. This will provide more time for work on precinct maps using a special software tool.

The purchase of nine multi-function devices from Bundy Business Systems Inc. for $79,823.60 with full maintenance for five years was approved as well. The devices will go to the Police Department, Building Services Department and one of the Champaign fire stations.

This will cost the city approximately $73,134 per year for operation, maintenance and media expenses.

“It looks like we’re going to save a considerable amount based on this contract,” said Paul Faraci, District 5.

Tom Bruno, council member at-large, also brought attention to two post offices on the University campus that are scheduled to close: 302 E. Green St. and the Altgeld Hall post office.

“While the (U.S.) Post Office struggles to figure out a way to make ends meet and lift itself up from oppressive pension burdens, we here locally are about to lose postal services to people without automobiles,” he said.