Many University students will frequent a popular Green Street destination at least once during their time here, but might not know the history behind the iconic street. Green has a rich and deep history that spans over a century, and each decade brings a new generation of establishments overtaking the old.

However, Green didn’t always have a flourishing social scene. It originally started as a hub for Greek houses and residential homes for faculty.

Green has adapted over time, and some community members say it’s lost the spark that small businesses added to the community. Chain businesses and residential high-rises are filling Green, resulting from the large investment Champaign put into fixing its flood problem.

Boneyard Creek once consistently overflowed and flooded the surrounding streets, including Green. However, in the early 2000s, the City of Champaign invested in restructuring the layout of Green, fixing the flooding issue and creating a more stable environment for property development.

Adviser and professor in FAA Ben LeRoy explained how the investment changed the trajectory of businesses on Green.

“There was then a lot more willingness by private real estate capital to invest in Green Street,” LeRoy said. “A lot of it is driven by this invisible infrastructure story about making sure things stay dry on Green Street.”

Now that the City of Champaign has developed Green’s infrastructure, LeRoy stressed that property owners charge more in rent, leading to larger business chains being the lone market able to afford it.

This has weeded out iconic, culturally significant businesses that had been on Green for decades.

However, not everyone feels the same way about these advancements. Dr. Mahmoud Elrakhawy, a 2015 University alum and professor in Medicine, returned to Champaign-Urbana to work as a surgeon at the Carle Foundation Hospital and teach at the University. 

He had a different opinion of Green when asked about the gradual changes.

“The thing with Green Street is, even if the establishments close, new ones pop up that seem to do — I don’t want to say a better job — but a more efficient or modernized service, so I don’t think I necessarily miss any establishment,” Elrakhawy said.

The high-rises on Green didn’t exist during Elrakhawy’s time at the University, so when he returned to C-U, the change was dramatic to him.

While Green’s infrastructure has surely altered, most are unaware that Green used to have a budding music scene, especially during the ’70s and ’80s when live music was at its peak.

Mabel’s was a prime music club on Green, hosting hundreds of bands and open seven nights a week. Its lineup included groups like The Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana.

The rise of platforms like MTV caused a huge upward trend in live music, which traveled quickly to C-U.

The owner of Mabel’s, Paul Faber, discussed the live music craze in the University’s Storied Magazine.

“Every night you could see a band and the place would be packed,” Faber said. “People were really hungry for live, original music back then. It was just amazing that we could get that quality of acts for that small of a club.”

DJ booths have replaced the vibrant scene, and live music is no longer available on Green.

It’s safe to say that Green will continue to evolve, and it’s fun to predict what hotspot will be the next cultural icon to look back on decades in the future.

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