Historic-preservation panel urges reuse of Urbana Civic Center as MTD transit plan proceeds
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Summary
Historic Preservation Commission members told the Committee of the Whole the Civic Center is eligible for the National Register and urged the city to explore adaptive reuse so a future MTD downtown transit center can be integrated with, not replace, the building.
The Urbana Historic Preservation Commission urged the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday to consider adaptive reuse of the closed Urbana Civic Center rather than clearing the site for a new transit facility.
"Historic preservation is a form of adaptive reuse," said David Hayes, vice chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, in a presentation that reviewed student design studies showing ways to keep the building’s mid-century modern structure while accommodating a transit hub. Hayes noted a state review during the NEPA process found the Civic Center eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The commission told council members that students and preservationists found the building largely intact and recommended design solutions ranging from selective removal of an annex to raising the roof or integrating new multi-story elements so the Civic Center could serve both civic and transit functions. "We would love to see as much of this building reused as possible," one commissioner said.
Public Works officials and MTD representatives delivered counterpoint cost and operational details. Public Works estimated deferred maintenance and capital needs discovered at closure totaled roughly $750,000 to $1,000,000 in 2018 dollars and said the roof requires a full tear-off and replacement; facilities staff reported that operating the building in 2018 required a 70 percent higher rental rate to be self-sustaining.
MTD external affairs director Ashley McLaughlin said the transit agency has not purchased the property, has paused its planning while preservation questions are resolved, and that its NEPA review treated the site as a vacant parcel when the agency began design work. McLaughlin said the agency previously used a consultant estimate of about $31 million for a similarly sized transit/public-use facility, and that MTD would need to follow federal procurement and funding processes before committing to design changes.
Several council members raised practical questions about cost, ownership and funding. "We're not interested in stumbling blocks," Hayes said, urging collaboration: "We're here tonight as part of that." Council members and staff asked Public Works to provide specifics on TIF allocations and demolition cost estimates so council can weigh demolition versus restoration and potential public–private partnerships.
The city did not take a vote. Council members asked staff to return with more cost estimates, the status of TIF funding that had been set aside for potential demolition, and clearer options for how a transit center and preservation advocates might proceed together.
