Site cleanup and soil work are part of the environmental work required to develop a new eight-building apartment complex on the site of the former C.S. Johnson factory in Champaign.

For two decades, the long-vacant factory has sat largely untouched. Until recent years, there wasn’t much discussion about the nearly 10-acre site in west Champaign. 

In the past few months, the almost century-old factory, which was an automated concrete batching plant, has been completely torn down. But developers said more environmental work is ahead before construction can begin on the new apartments.

The property is owned by Community Property Management, a private real estate group. After years of vacancy and environmental concerns, the City of Champaign approved rezoning the land for multifamily housing on Aug. 5 of this past year. 

According to the city’s agreement with the company, the company plans to construct eight three-story apartment buildings containing 228 units.

In the agreement, city planners cited the need for developers to address the lot’s “brownfield status.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a brownfield as an abandoned or underused property where contamination complicates reuse. 

Dan Saphiere, an associate planner for the city, said the brownfield conditions, such as the soil contamination, asbestos and deteriorating infrastructure, played a big role in establishing the Springfield and Mattis Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. 

“The real issue with the soil is not so much the contamination, but its inability to support multifamily development on top of it,” Saphiere said. “That’s considered site preparation … and that’s the major issue with the soil, not so much the chromium contamination.” 

As part of the development agreement, the city approved $6.6 million in TIF incentives to reimburse the company for eligible costs related to demolition, site preparation and utility work.  

City planning staff said those construction-related expenses account for most of the TIF-eligible work. Saphiere said the property owners already demolished all buildings on the site and started excavation for the stormwater detention basin that will serve the development. 

“Most of it is going towards the demolition of the almost century-old factory that was there,” Saphiere said. “A lot of it is going toward the engineering and design work to address utility easements and relocation that affect more than a thousand households in western Champaign.” 

A city cost summary attached in the development agreement document includes $459,322 for grading and soil work. 

Other major costs listed in the document include $556,500 for demolition, $446,209 for storm sewer improvements and $1.37 million for concrete pavement to serve as an engineered barrier between the soil and building foundations. 

Smaller amounts are also allocated for asbestos abatement, environmental management and design engineering, which brings the estimated total to $6.6 million in eligible costs. 

The reimbursement is in a pay-as-you-go format, which means Community Property Management must submit proof of completed work before receiving any funds for the remediation costs from the TIF district. 

Tax district to help redevelop other properties

The site’s history starts in 1931 when University of Illinois graduate and civil engineer Charles S. Johnson built the factory on what used to be an open prairie.  Johnson, who was a pioneer in the construction and concrete industry, developed the world’s first automated concrete batching plant, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

By the turn of the century, industrial needs changed, production slowed and ultimately ownership changed. In 2005, the factory shut down, which left behind a massive empty factory and surrounding lot.   

Because the site was still classified as commercial industrial property, it fell outside of city rules that regulated building vacancies, allowing it to sit unattended for almost 20 years. While owning the lot, Community Property Management used the vacant building primarily for storage. 

One of the biggest steps toward beginning this project came this past year, when the city council approved rezoning the property for multifamily use.  

This followed the creation of the Springfield and Mattis TIF district in January, which will last for 23 years. The district spans over 200 acres in west Champaign, including the long-vacant C.S. Johnson factory site and several other run-down industrial properties.  

City officials said that these funds could potentially be used to help redevelop other buildings, which would allow future property tax revenue generated within the district to be reinvested into cleanup, demolition and infrastructure improvements. 

“It’s estimated that this project will increase the site’s property value enough to pay for the agreement and then add approximately $8 to 9 million to the TIF Fund,” Saphiere said.

Once the agreement expires or is fully repaid, the increased property tax revenue will continue flowing into the TIF fund. This money will support other public improvements, such as streets, sewers and utilities, or assist future redevelopment projects in the area. 

If all goes as planned, the once-abandoned site will give rise to roughly 230 new apartments, along with upgraded sidewalks and public infrastructure the city deemed necessary for the area’s renewal.

As of now, the tentative plan is to have some units open for lease by the end of 2026, and the full project done by 2027, according to developers.