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CHAMPAIGN — Amy Revilla, a longtime resident of the Garden Hills neighborhood, said she feels that northwest Champaign always seems to be “on the back burner.”
However, the vice president of the United Garden Hills Neighborhood Association said she’s glad to see a host of improvements taking shape in her neck of the woods as construction continues on an extensive project that includes stormwater control, park amenities, street improvements and lighting.
Revilla feels that the last two items were especially needed, noting that new sidewalks are important for the safety of children who walk to school or ride the bus, “or anyone else for that matter, because a lot of people in Garden Hills rely on” the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District.
Revilla added that she hopes that the future Hedge Park and the other amenities located around the new detention basins are not marred by vandalism, which is a source of some anxiety for the group.
“We, as the neighborhood association, are really pleased with it,” she said. “I think it’s going to be beautiful, and hopefully it will stay beautiful.”
According to civil engineer Tyler Suits, Phase 2 of the project is about 87 percent complete, and work has continued during the winter “as weather has allowed.” The city expects this phase to be complete by early June, and the estimated cost is about $32.6 million.
“The primary items remaining include the construction of the Hedge Park amenities at Hedge (Road) and Garden Hills Drive, lighting installation, site-wide landscaping and turf restoration,” Suits said.
He added that park amenities will include a basketball court, playground equipment, a splash play area, fitness equipment and a Sutu interactive ball wall.
“The construction of these park amenities is in collaboration with the Champaign Park District for the ongoing maintenance and operation of the park upon the project’s completion,” Suits said.
Phase 2, which is concentrated on the southern half of the neighborhood, also includes the Hedge Road detention basins. These will be surrounded by a roughly 1-mile lighted walking path, Suits said. There will also be two pedestrian bridges over the basins, seating and “overlook areas.”
As for Phase 3 to the north, Suits told The News-Gazette that it has been paused during the winter and is expected to resume in early March. Additionally, there will be work going on near Garden Hills Academy along Cynthia Drive, as well as within Garden Hills Park, once school lets out.
City officials have said that Phase 3 includes new storm sewers and reconstruction of the following streets:
Paula Drive from Mattis Avenue to McKinley Avenue.Cynthia Drive from Paula to just north of Anita Drive.Garden Hills Drive from Paula to the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.Joanne Lane from Paula to the railroad tracks.
Plans also include new sidewalks and lighting along the reconstructed streets.
“Phase 3 is approximately 50 percent complete and should be fully completed by August 2027,” Suits said. “However, the contractor is still ahead of schedule and on track to be substantially complete by the end of 2026, weather dependent.”
According to civil engineer Shannon Beranek, Stark Excavating’s bid for the project came in at a little over $16 million.
The city recently announced that Paula Drive would be closed to traffic at the intersection with Mattis Avenue starting Friday for work on the project.
“There will also be a lane closure along Mattis Avenue to facilitate construction on the east lane of the northbound side of Mattis,” staff said. “There will be intermittent closures on the west lane of the southbound side during daily activities.”
Driveway access for residents and Fire Station No. 5 will be maintained during the closure, as will pedestrian access to all residences.
The closures are due to both the Garden Hills project and work being done by Illinois American Water, staff said.
“There will be upcoming closures from Honeysuckle (Lane) on to the east later on, likely starting in mid-march, but that is still TBD,” Beranek said in an email.
Revilla said that she’s seen a lot of traffic and construction vehicles on her street but added, “It’s a small price to pay to getting this stuff done and hopefully, in the end, getting it done properly.”
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