City planning staff used a brief study session at the Dec. 18 meeting to introduce student work from a UIUC urban planning studio that examined the Philo Road corridor and to update commissioners on a housing needs assessment that will inform future small area planning.

Staff said the studio, led by instructor Dustin Allred, built from community engagement at the "Philo Road Ahead" event and produced maps, tactical urbanism prototypes, vacancy analyses and economic-development notes that the city can use as outreach materials and to spark stakeholder conversations. The student work included short-, medium- and long-term recommendations designed as conversation starters rather than formal city policy.

On the housing study, staff said the city has engaged RPC for a housing needs assessment. "We just did the kickoff," staff said, and full delivery is slated for early 2026; the study will include outreach and analysis across product types and income levels and will inform any subsequent policy recommendations.

Staff also described near-term efforts to stabilize the corridor, including a void analysis to identify underserved retail opportunities, outreach to commercial brokers, and targeted messaging to counter negative perceptions and encourage business interest. "We do not want Philo Road to be this self storage capital of Central Illinois," staff said, characterizing one local development trend the city seeks to avoid.

The planning division provided a staffing update: a new planner (referred to in the meeting as "Mister C") recently joined from St. Paul, Minnesota; an offer has been extended to a Planner I candidate with historic preservation expertise; and the department plans to post for a principal planner early next year to stabilize staffing.

What’s next: staff said the housing study's findings will be shared with the commission in the spring or early summer and that student work will be presented in more detail at a future commission meeting as the city uses those materials to shape a small area plan for Philo Road.