Tech tour: Knowing the neighborhood

Nov. 5--Last week area residents had a chance to board a bus and tour Champaign, Urbana and the University of Illinois to see what's new in the area. If you weren't on the bus for techTour, here's a sampling of what you missed.

Andrea Ruedi, guide for research park portion of tour, says new "I" hotel, conference center and Houlihan's restaurant should be open by Aug. 1, 2008.

Ruedi says Fox Development considering building greenhouse on South Oak Street to accommodate company doing research. Says at least two tenants could move into south end of Anvik building by Jan. 1.

Fox will break ground for retail development at First and Windsor this fall, with anticipated opening date of October 2008. Envisioned similar to Shoppes of Knollwood, the center is expected to include boutique shops, restaurant, bank. Ruedi says Fox is working to get South First Street near Windsor widened.

Champaign Deputy City Manager Craig Rost takes microphone for Champaign portion of trip. Says construction in Champaign will hit record $300 million this year, not including university construction.

Bus passes Jimmy John's corporate office on Fox Drive. Rost calls it "an example of a homegrown business. We're glad he calls this one of his homes." Notes 2,000 people work in Corporate Centre office park.

Quick glimpse of Champaign Public Library construction site. "The old one didn't look so bad until we built the new one behind it," Rost says. New library should open by first of year.

Rost notes Christie Clinic's downtown property is for sale, says there aren't any plans for use of the block.

Bus stops briefly on Hill Street at site of planned 600-space parking structure to accommodate nine-story "M2 on Neil" commercial project.

Rost says city hopes to attract more employers like Precision Graphics and Volition to downtown, but also wants to diversify population base. Says "it's not to our advantage to have everyone living downtown to be a technology geek."

Parking structure could be built in vicinity of Illinois Terminal in a few years, but Rost says it depends on what happens with Christie Clinic property.

Bus passes Burnham 310 project, where five floors of an 18-story residential tower have gone up. Project will also include condominiums and "a more urban version of County Market," Rost says.

Rost credits former UI Chancellor Michael Aiken for recent upgrades in Campustown. Rost says Aiken asked, "How can we have a world-class university when Campustown is the pits?" "He embarrassed us into doing something about it," Rost says.

Urbana Alderwoman Lynne Barnes leads Urbana portion of tour. Barnes, a Carle Foundation vice president, points out site of Mills Breast Cancer Institute and Carle Cancer Center, a $24 million project. Says primary care is moving to new clinics in southwest Champaign and southeast Urbana, making main campus "more of an institute."

Barnes points out site of Carle Heart and Vascular Institute, which at eight floors won't be tallest building on Carle campus, but with 40,000 square feet per floor, will be "a very large building." Rehabilitation unit for stroke and head injury patients to be on top floor. Carle hopes to empty out Rogers Building and perhaps relocate helipad.

11:06 a.m. Carle hopes to build new school for deaf children, from babies to age 6, on Park Street. Barnes says school now has 26 kids, and Carle hopes to grow it to 60. "Families actually move here to bring their kids to the school."

Barnes points out new Starbucks at Main and Vine streets. Says "Urbana pretty much rocks now."

Barnes calls Historic Lincoln Hotel "a little iffy," says she hopes a developer takes it on. Notes Urbana Free Library renovation included a coffeeshop "an added perk, no pun intended."

Florida Avenue will be extended east to meet up with Illinois 130. Barnes says it's "key for traffic flow" for new Menards store, which probably won't be done until 2009. New Meijer store at Philo and Windsor roads slated to be done in 2008.

Chris Creek residential and retail development anchors north end of Philo Road. Meijer store and The Pines shopping center anchor south end. "Now we've got to fill in between," Barnes says as bus passes former Jerry's IGA.

Bus passes a round barn, one of three along St. Mary's Road. Despite South Farms moving south, UI Research Park Director Scott Pickard says, "I'm confident that in our lifetime, we'll never see that removed."

Bus pauses at Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility, which incorporates round barn motif. Facility offers six heated hitting bays and video equipment to analyze swings. Pickard speculates EnterpriseWorks East, a modest facility to the south, may have to come down.

During stop near Ubben Basketball Facility, Pickard says when Michael Jordan came to town earlier in the week, students took photos of Jordan getting into his Ferrari and put them on the Internet.

Pickard points out site at Oak and St. Mary's, where the Blue Waters "petascale" computer is to be housed. National Science Foundation gave UI $208 million to build "next fastest computer in the world," he says.

Campus tour resumes after lunch break at EnterpriseWorks. Pickard says UI had right of first refusal for now-vacant Motorola building in research park, but "took a pass on it the first time around." Says companies could find building attractive now that new hotel and conference center are going up across the street.

Pickard notes massive renovation project at Memorial Stadium, says there are "a record number of tower cranes in the community, a reflection of what's going on."

Fraternities and sororities face dramatic transition. "A lot of these buildings were built in the '20s," Pickard says. Stringent fire and safety requirements go into effect in 2009. He says many properties will be rebuilt "apartment style" with attempts to make them look like fraternities.

Pickard calls Siebel Center for Computer Science "the coolest building on campus," with lights that come on as you enter a room, "a fabulous video messages wall" and a tabulation of startup companies established by alumni.

Pickard deems Alice Campbell Alumni Center "most beautiful building inside and out." When bus passes Gregory Place and still-being-built Gregory Place 2, he says, "This whole area has sort of a village feel to it."

Bus backs up, turns around so passengers can see new Institute for Genomic Biology on Gregory Drive. Institute can house about 400 researchers.

As bus heads back to EnterpriseWorks, Pickard points out Irwin Indoor Football Practice Facility, says it accommodates soccer and baseball practice in addition to football. Tour concludes six minutes ahead of schedule.

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