RANTOUL — The Village of Rantoul is moving forward with projects to improve streets and infrastructure downtown.
The village board voted Tuesday to spend more than $5 million on contracts to authorize new construction around the central business district.
Several streets downtown will be removed and repaved with new curbs and gutters, sidewalks, sewers and light installations. Those include several sections of Sangamon Avenue, Tanner Street, Kentucky Avenue and Garrard Street.
The project also calls for installing a new plaza with small water spray fountains and an outdoor stage. Crews would construct the plaza on a vacant lot at the corner of Sangamon Avenue and Garrard Street.
Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer said the project has been years in the making. He told the board that the project could help revitalize the area and attract new development in Rantoul.
“What you’re focusing on is the central core of our community,” he said. “And in order for there to be private investment, particularly in the downtown area, there needs to be some public investment that makes that inviting.”
Board Trustee Donald Robertson raised concerns about the investment. He asked whether spending money in the downtown area would make it harder to fix other streets in the village.
“We have a lot of taxpayers, and [we’re] only focusing on a small amount of people. I don’t think that’s fair for the rest of the village,” he said.
Eisenhauer argued the project benefits both Rantoul residents and visitors — and that the infrastructure improvements are “sorely needed.”
The project would be paid for with a mix of federal American Rescue Plan dollars, state grant funding and local tax funds among other financial sources.
Officials say the construction in Rantoul is set to begin in April. The construction will be completed in phases to reduce disruptions to business owners and visitors, starting with the new plaza.
The village expects much of the work to be completed by November, with the remaining construction running through the summer of next year.