On September 19, 2012, members of the Bristol Park Neighborhood Steering Committee Kevin Jackson, Stacey Tutt, Rev. Dr. Eugene Barnes, and moderator Dr. Andrew Greenlee, participated in a panel discussion entitled: “Starting Over: Rebuilding Champaign’s Bristol Place Neighborhood from the Ground Up.” This was the opening workshop for the 2012 Illinois Planning Conference held at the Hilton Garden Inn. The discussion centered on why a complete redevelopment of the Bristol Place neighborhood was necessary for the neighborhood itself, as well as the City of Champaign as a whole. The role of the Steering Committee and efforts to engage the residents of the neighborhood were outlined. The session ended with a question and answer session that addressed such concerns as code enforcement, financing, gentrification issues, and relocation of the residents. The session was well attended and was beneficial to gather feedback from the statewide Planning community.
