Community voices urging non-violence echoed from the Champaign City Chambers at Tuesday evening’s city council meeting.

Public comment pertaining to recent gun violence spoke from the same vein. Champaign’s problems and consequential needs were articulated among a ubiquitous desire for peace: positive role models and thinking, as well as constructive and affordable activities for the community’s youth were all mentioned at different points throughout the varied public comment.

Even Urbana residents expressed their concerns and called for an end to the recent gun violence. Five shootings have happened in Champaign since June 7, most recently last Monday night.

Monday morning, after the news conference at Champaign City Chambers, council member Will Kyles, District 1, mentioned economic development as a solution to some of Champaign’s obstacles.

“One of the things that we are going to do long term is work on the unemployment situation,” Kyles said. 

Tuesday, he called Champaign’s Summer Youth Employment Program “something to be celebrated.” The program provides work experience for Champaign’s youth and is the result of cooperation between the City of Champaign and Unit 4 Schools.

A prayer was held Saturday morning in Douglass Park. Kyles called the event as “an opportunity to show solidarity in the community.” Kyles, however, also noted that this event, while an additional, positive step toward peaceful interactions in the city, is “a short-term solution.”

Council member Michael La Due, District 2, said Douglass Branch Library offers a possible fix for some of Champaign’s struggles. He specifically addressed the extent to which the city provides and funds activities for youth and other community members.

“I’ve heard rumbles from highly placed people in the park district. The park district owns the actual building and land where the Douglass Branch is,” La Due said, referring to the library, “that they would like to explore the possibility of expanding and developing jointly, programs with Champaign Public Library.”

He noted his efforts to create stronger lines of communication with those associated with the University as another way to strengthen opportunities for youth and community.

“I think we need to brainstorm and establish stronger and better coalitions that include the University, whose institutional rhetoric is eloquent about outreach, but they’re not always there,” La Due said. “I think there’s good will, there’s good faith; I think there are people at the University who care to put substance behind that rhetoric even beyond what they already do. I think the Douglass Branch Library can prove itself in ways that it has not yet had an opportunity to, to be so invaluable in helping with the difficulties faced by young men.”

Karen Foster, council member at large, acknowledged the comments about gun violence. She recalled the recent events as a “shame,” but also commented on the positivity that she has seen with the police and community coming together.

Champaign Mayor Don Gerard also thanked the community for its unity in light of recent occurrences.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the council unanimously passed the application for the approximately $3.5 million loan that would help enact the $7.5 million Phase I of the redevelopment plan for Bristol Park.  Aspects of Phase I include obtaining property, change of location for residents, demolishing, as well as maintenance of Bristol Place.

The loan for the Bristol Park Neighborhood plan pushes the project one step further. The estimated $7.5 million investment of Phase I of the plan will unravel only after being approved by the Chicago Housing and Urban Development Field office’s underwriter, then a Project Review Panel, and finally the secretary of HUD.

The plan seeks redevelopment of the Bristol Park region of Champaign found north of Bradley Avenue to Interstate 74 and east of Neil Street to the Canadian National Railroad tracks. This region encompasses three other sections including Bristol Place subdivision, Garwood area addition and the Shadow Wood Mobile Home Park.

For Phase II, neighborhood programs manager Kerri Spear said,  there is a hope that a third-party developer will take over the redevelopment project. According to the city’s desired future actions, said third party — as chosen by the city and housing authority — would ideally step in to aid with development by 2014 or 2015.

Though there was some doubt-driven discussion among council members regarding the potential problems Champaign could face if a third-party developer does not step in, the application was accepted without any formal objection.

Katie can be reached at [email protected].