Research Park Seeks Rezoning to Meet Industry Needs and Capabilities

CHAMPAIGN — In response to dynamic market conditions, the University of Illinois Research Park filed a rezoning application with the City of Champaign to reclassify two properties  currently zoned CO, Commercial Office to the I1, Light Industrial.

The City of Champaign’s Plan Commission will meet on Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. to approve the request and forward it to the City Council.

This reclassification will position UIRP to meet evolving industry needs through future land development, Research Park Executive Director Laura Appenzeller told The (Champaign) News-Gazette.

“We want to be able to have the right type of development for our future to respond to both business attractions that is interested in being part of our tech community here in Champaign-Urbana, but also to be able to support our entrepreneurs,” she said. 

The rezoning request covers two development parcels within the Research Park, encompassing areas east and west of Fourth Street between Hazelwood Drive and Gerty Drive.

“Most of the growth of the research park has been office space and we are seeing a growth of new types of industries,” Appenzeller said. “And increasingly, these small businesses that we’re working with are looking to scale technologies to get closer to manufacturing.”

The rezoning will enable the Research Park to support startups transitioning from incubator spaces to small-scale manufacturing and remove competitive disadvantages to attract new companies.

“It does allow us to be more conducive to flexible users that might be in these new emerging technology areas,” Appenzeller said. “When you’re in multi-state competitions, you’re always trying to make sure that you’re prepared, and that was what led to this.”

At the public hearing on Nov. 20, the commission will then forward its recommendation to the City Council, The City Council is tentatively scheduled to take final action on this rezoning at its Dec. 3 meeting.