CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Despite efforts from a select group of congregants, the Champaign City Plan Commission voted to deny recommending a historical landmark designation for University Place Christian Church. The building, now in the process of being demolished, is in the heart of Campustown.Â
A congregant applied for historical landmark status for the church in efforts to prevent the demolition of the building after it had been sold by the Board of Trustees to Fairlawn Real Estate to redevelop as an apartment building.
However, Eric Freyfogle, the chair of the Board of Trustees, said they opposed the proposed designation.
"Our building, we concluded, is ill-suited for conversion to any nonresidential use given our location, adjacent traffic flows, sparse parking, and the burdens of upkeep,"Â Freyfogle said.Â
City staff recommended that the Planning Commission deny the request even though the application for historical status met two of the requirements to be declared a historical landmark.
However, there were other criteria the commission felt outweighed the satisfactory elements, mainly that the purchaser of the property has the right to continue forward with demolition since the property had already been sold.Â
The City Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the board not pursue historic landmark designation.
The congregation at UniPlace Church will now hold services at the University YMCA.
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