URBANA —The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (RPC) has purchased a new building to house its administrative offices.
The commission coordinates economic and transportation planning, grant funding and social services among various governmental entities in the county. It is spending about $2.3 million to purchase a new facility at 2107 S. Neil Street in Champaign.
The organization is moving after 27 years of leasing office space at the Brookens Administrative Center in Urbana. The lease is set to expire in January, according to RPC Chief Executive Officer Dalitso Sulamoyo.
“By us owning our own facility, we’ll be able to put more of our resources towards programs and services that we provide, and hopefully we could put more resources towards paying competitive wages to our staff,” said Sulamoyo.
According to an RPC news release, the new building will have about 50 offices with meeting spaces and energy efficient lighting.
The Brookens Center previously housed most county offices before they shifted to the Bennett Administrative Center. The county is currently hoping to sell the facility.
Sulamoyo said the shift in location should have no impact on the RPC’s ability to serve residents, noting it will still retain locations all across the county. He said the purchase comes with no cost to taxpayers.
“It’s an investment that the Regional Planning Commission is making that will hopefully, you know, ensure that we’re able to be still a viable entity in the next coming years,” he said.
The RPC hopes to move into the new building by the end of October.