The R-7 Zoning Update and Meeting

The R-7, University Residential zoning district is intended to provide areas for dormitories and rooming houses near the University of Illinois, and to insure the longevity, architectural character, and use of the existing buildings in the district. While the R-7 district is intended to help preserve unique, older buildings used for student housing, the zoning regulations often make reuse, and in turn, preservation of those buildings more difficult. Housing demand from students has been changing for some time, and it has become more difficult to get students into the old group houses and Greek houses that make up the R-7 district.

In 2019, Landmarks Illinois included Greek Housing at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign on its list of the “Most Endangered” historic places in Illinois. While the R-7 regulations have likely insulated Urbana from old Greek houses being torn down and replaced with new structures, they do not provide a path to preserve these important historic buildings. 

Planning staff have begun exploring potential changes to the zoning regulations that would help ensure the long-term viability of the existing buildings in the district, while also providing more options to reuse the old fraternity, sorority, and rooming houses that make up the district.

More information about the R-7 zoning update project can be found on the City of Urbana website here: https://urbanaillinois.us/r7update. For any questions, and the most current information, please contact Kat Trotter in the Planning Division at krtrotter@urbanaillinois.us or 217-328-8267.

We also welcome you to join us for a (virtual) neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, December 14th at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the draft R-7 zoning alternatives.

Who: Residents of the West Urbana Neighborhood, Urbana Planning staff, and anyone else who is interested in this topic

What: Discussion about zoning regulation alternatives for the R-7 district

Where: Virtual Meeting Online!  (See below) 

When: 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, December 14, 2021 

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Video Meeting Information (note: no external software is required for RingCentral meetings)

Please join using this link: 

    https://v.ringcentral.com/join/975517895?pw=2f93d6d14add8e26ccef6b9099a9...

Meeting ID: 975517895 | Password: V2RBCsfGEF 

Or dial: 650-419-1505

Access Code / Meeting ID: 975517895 | Dial-in password: 8272273433