The site of the old Bristol Place neighborhood on Bradley Avenue and Market Street in Champaign was demolished in March of 2018. The neighborhood was riddled with crime, was a blight that could not be eradicated without rebuilding the area from scratch, the Bristol Park board stated.

Two homes at 907 and 909 East Main St. were demolished to create more open space to expand Victory Park, located at 1000 E.…

Anschick’s First Neighborhood Association disbanded in September without a replacement neighborhood association, leaving a group of residents without representation within the community. These residents live in single-family homes, most occupied by one or two people on average, according to the U.S. Census in 2010. As a working-class area, homes are moderately kept and there is little crime in the area in comparison to other parts of the city.

In the past 6 months, there have been 56 violent crimes, most of which were assault and domestic violence-related offenses. Urbana police reports also show a plethora of break-ins and domestic violence. While Dibenedetto acknowledges that violence is an issue, she says that efforts have been made in the community to decrease violence in all forms, including a new name change.

A brand-new apartment on the 300 block of W. Washington St. was built in 2019 right where a vintage Victorian home once stood and residents say it doesn’t match the neighborhood.

O’Rourke, a 77-year-old health education expert with a passion for communities, founded the South Willis Neighborhood Group 35 years ago and has been running it ever since.