CHAMPAIGN — The city of Champaign is on its way to completing construction on the first phase of its new downtown plaza this summer.
The project broke ground last year at the corner of Neil and Washington Street. The city is converting a surface parking lot into a plaza that will have bench swings, new landscaping and a performing arts stage.
“My hopes for the space are just that people come out and utilize it, you know,” said Lacey Rains Lowe, planning manager and staff lead on the project.
Rains Lowe said the plaza will be valuable asset for the community and create an opportunity to showcase the city to newcomers.
“That’s the first thing that you see when you come into downtown,” said Rains Lowe. “Your welcome mat is a surface parking lot, and I personally think we can do better. I think this will create a space that really showcases the best of Champaign.”
Rains Lowe said a majority of the new public amenities will be ready in May, adding that the city hopes to open the stage by late summer.
The second phase of the plaza project, which will include a splash pad, kiosks for small businesses and additional street improvements, is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027.