The Champaign City Council held its weekly meeting on Tuesday, focusing on honorary street name requests from Champaign constituents.
The first request was that Taylor Street, located between Market Street and Walnut Street, be named as “Mark Rubel Way.”
Mark Rubel was a musician in the Champaign community. He founded Pogo Studio in 1995, which operated on Taylor Street continuously until 2013. The studio was praised as a beacon of creativity.
Rubel was also an audio engineer and a college instructor. Pogo Studio doubled as a classroom for the courses he taught with Parkland College.
Rubel passed away on March 8, 2024.
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The second request was that Bradley Avenue, located between Prospect Avenue and Willis Avenue, be renamed to Charles Nash Sr. Way.
Charles Nash Sr. was a pastor for over forty years in Champaign. He organized the New Hope Academy for at-risk youth in the area.
Nash Sr. implemented numerous programs within the Champaign community, including the Outreach Ministry for the Homeless and Battered Women, educational programs such as GED preparation, family seminars, career development counseling and financial planning aid. Most of these programs were housed at the New Hope Church of God in Christ, located on Bradley Avenue.
Nash Sr. passed away on July 27, 2023.
Members of both families and the public came forward to speak after the council’s presentation of the honorary street designation requests.
Both motions for the requests were passed by the council.
The council will vote again on the honorary street name designations in a future council meeting where the items will appear on an agenda.
The council meeting concluded with public and council input sessions.
