Pave Paradise To Put Up A Parking Deck?

University officials are threatening eminent domain to acquire a Champaign local landmark to demolish and make way for a 900-space parking deck.

1 minute read

February 20, 2005, 5:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


They are number 1 in men's basketball, but how about historic preservation? The University of Illinois intends to exercise eminent domain on a 27-unit historic apartment building which occupies a single residential lot on the edge of campus, to proceed with construction of a parking deck, but leave a surface parking lot on the same block untouched. The Georgian, built in 1925 and owned by the same local family since 1950, just made it through the local hoops to gain local landmark status from the Champaign City Council last week, but the University served the property owners with an offer on the building during the landmarking process, noting eminent domain procedures would be filed.

Thanks to Alice Novak

Friday, February 18, 2005 in News-Gazette

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A construction crew working on SunZia.

How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on

The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.

30 minutes ago - Grist

A rendering of the basketball court, a green court under a blue sky.

MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court

The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.

1 hour ago - Gothamist

A crowd of people bathed in pink light in front of a stage.

Non-stop party: Chicago voters weigh permanent festival grounds

A stable place for bleachers, stages and drainage may streamline the setup and teardown of large events.

2 hours ago - Block Club Chicago