Urbanane – In February 2005, the city council of Urbana approved a strategy to revitalize the business district of Philo Road following closures such as Jewel, Jerry’s Iga and Kmart.
Deshawn Williams was sworn in as mayor of Urbana on May 5.
Twenty years later, the improvement of the region remains a priority for city officials – including the new mayor Deshawn Williams, who often talked about the business district during campaign events.
“We must (have) a rebirth, bring life back to the region,” he said. “There has been a moment that Philo Road was one of the main focal points in the city.”
In addition to the previous challenges, the corridor was struck by a series of large closures in the past year, notably Burger King, Walgreens, CVS and, more recently, Family Dollar.
“When those who are closed, it is certainly worrying,” said Nathan Montgomery, co-founder and executive director of non-profit salt and light, which is located in the Sunnycrest Center along Philo Road. “… Clearly, they choose not to invest in this part of the community, and it’s really difficult to resume.”
A panel pointing to the business district is displayed at the intersection of Philo Road and Washington Street in Urbana.
The alderman James Quisenberry, who has lived in the region since 1989, said that Philo Road was “a trade center” upon his arrival. Its decrease over the years can be due, in part, to the relocation of Illinois 130, he said.
State Highway used Windsor Road and continued on Philo Road, said the Illinois Ministry of Transport Ministry Paul Wappel. However, the State decided to modify the route and signed a jurisdictional transfer agreement with the city in 1986.
An old map of the county of Champaign shows the old Chemin de l’Illinois route 130, at the time when he launched Windsor and Philo.
Quisenberry said that change may have contributed to the loss of major channels due to a drop in the number of trafficking, which can influence where brands choose to settle.
“It took a long time, but it was this gradual decline in commercial investment or recognized national investment in this corridor,” said Quisenberry. “And things that have followed are not the same kind of businesses that generate traffic that help each other.”
The intersection of Philo Road and avenue Colorado in Urbana.
Williams also said that the corridor had not changed overnight and that the reconstruction of his vitality would take time.
He plans to underline community awareness in the context of his strategy and wants to understand what types of businesses are necessary – not just want – in this area.
Williams plans to meet the town hall, workshops and an advisory committee including owners of local businesses, residents and city officials. He also expects to carry out a market analysis soon.
Montgomery said he would like to see the accent on investment in small businesses and help them grow.
CVs closed along Philo Road in Urbana on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
“I think they are more likely to invest in the community,” he said, adding that it seems that companies are often more concerned with their results.
In addition to his long -term strategy, Williams said that there were “low fruits” in terms of infrastructure improvement that he planned to implement in the short term to help the corridor. This includes fixing sidewalks and adding street lighting.
He also wants to focus on highlighting the positive aspects of the region and the opportunities he presents.
“There is a strong residential area on each side of Philo Road,” said Quisenberry.
He said other forces include Meijer’s investment in his location in Philo and Windsor in recent years and Sola Gratia Farm in the east.
The Burger King closed along Philo Road in Urbana on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Leslie Myers, co -owner of Shear Impression, said that the show had gone from North Cunningham avenue to the Sunnycrest Center seven years ago, because the location provided more parking lot and was “more than one family area” rather than being right next to the Interstate.
She added that it is a united community with local business owners who turn to each other.
One of the reasons why Dakota and Jeff Thomas-Wilhelm have chosen to locate the Good Judy’s Espresso and Bagel Bar in the Pines, near Windsor and Philo, was the potential they saw in the region due to several new developments in nearby housing.
“We are proud to be part of the community, but it is discouraging to see so many key buildings-in particular those who once housed anchor stores-seated empty,” they told the News-Gazette in an email. “This reminds us of the decline of traditional shopping centers: once the anchors are leaving, pedestrian traffic and energy tend to follow.
“There are also some buildings of apartments that seem abandoned, which adds to the feeling of negligence. We would like to see these spaces brought back to life. ”
Williams and Quisenberry both expressed their concern about the owners of this field who failed to maintain their properties.
“It is a long -term understanding that if there is no investment in (maintenance) and keeping these properties in place, you end up with other problems that arise from this, such as increased crime,” said Quisenberry. “And we saw it.”
According to urbana police, the Corridor Philo Road saw 50 cases of violent crimes and 108 crimes of property in 2024.
In 2023, there were 57 violent crimes and 96 crimes of property.
On June 1, there had been 21 violent crimes and 13 crimes of goods this year. This includes homicide and 20 cases involving a battery or assault and intimidation.
Chef Larry D. Boone said that he remained “prudently optimistic” as to the future of the community engagement program he proposed as a three-year pilot, with offices located in a substation of the South Philo Road region.
He said Philo Road had been identified as a possible launch site according to the level of crime in the region, which presents “key opportunities for community construction, increased visibility of the police and more in -depth collaboration with local stakeholders”.
“I think there is sometimes a false idea when the police of community engagement is placed in certain districts,” said Williams. “But as long as we make sure that we focus on awareness -raising and we really make sure that we provide a resource for community people, I think that can be an advantage.”
Whether the department of Boone receives or not the funding necessary to start the pilot remains to be seen, the municipal council should vote on the budget for the financial year 2026 on Monday.
Although the budget proposed by Williams understands funding to support the program, not all aldermen are favorable to it.
Quisenberry supports the community commitment program, although he believes that locating it along Philo Road is not “essential”, because commitment activities occur throughout the community.
Myers thinks that adding a community commitment office on Philo Road is a “wonderful idea”.
“A, they would be closer if something should happen,” she said. “B, it can show people that officers are not bad people. We just give them a bad rap. They have to do their job. It is not their fault if people do bad things.”
The Walgreens closed along Philo Road in Urbana.
She also appreciates the current efforts of the ministry to check the show and visit customers.
The owners of Goody’s said that they agree that community engagement is important, but added that it must be “part of a wider strategy” which includes incentives to small businesses, a library appendix, community spaces and other components that “bring people together and promote a feeling of pride”.
“The biggest challenge is the lack of things to do,” wrote the Thomas-Wilhelms in an e-mail response.
“Beyond Meijer, salt and light and a few restaurants, there is not much to attract people. The region has the impression of missing a feeling of charm or identity-something that gives the impression of being a destination rather than a simple pass-Through.”
The family dollar now closed along Philo Road in Urbana.
Williams has also said that this area of Urbana could use entertainment and cultural events, as well as an awareness center for young people.
“We just have to bring a certain excitement to the region,” he said. “I think that once we have done this and we have taken the attention in this area, put our eyes back on this space in a positive light, I think it will help to reverse the steam.”