MONDAY December 2, 2019
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 149 Issue 27
Renovations enter new design phase BY ALIZA MAJID STAFF WRITER
The University is in the process of creating various designs for the upcoming renovations in Altgeld Hall and a complete reconstruction of Illini Hall. “We have the two departments in our college, mathematics and statistics, which are two of our most rapidly growing departments in the college,” said Derek Fultz, director of facilities in the College of LAS administration. “They are housed in Illini Hall and Altgeld Hall mostly and teach most of their classes in those two buildings, and those buildings need desperate renovation.” The new designs would open up larger spaces for collaborative work to occur as opposed to the limited space the departments currently have. Since the buildings are old, there will be various installa-
tions to improve the overall structure. Illini Hall went through much exam- ination to determine if it should be demolished during the initial stages of preparation, as the
University had to determine its historical value. Illini Hall was not as impactful as Altgeld Hall, which has significant historical value because of the bell towers as well the overall location of the building. “ It doesn’t lend itself to suiting the needs of the departments without ex tensive renovation, l i ke tear ever y t h i ng out of it essentially and the foundation has had some issues over the last few years,” Fultz said. “So that would have required a large investment.”
The newly reconstructed Illini Hall building will have a state-of-the-art data science center as part of the Champaign-Urbana hub of the Illinois Innovation Network. “There’s going to be a f loor dedicated to data science, and as part of that, I’m sure you’re sort of thinking of something about the Digital Transformation Institute, which is a sort of the vision is to use data science, positive new transform society and solving people’s impediment,” said Rayadurgam Srikant, professor of Engineering. The highlight of Illini Hall’s reconstruction will be the data science center because of the future impact it will have, with various projects that may develop as a result of this space being created. The overall design plans will also include new lecture halls, offices for staff and faculty, classSEE DESIGN | 3A
BRIGIDA DOCKUS THE DAILY ILLINI
A bike rides along a sidewalk in Champaign on Oct. 31. The Urbana City Council has made efforts to increase the areas where they enforce snow plowing; however, the group has been criticized by the community for not making the operation mandatory citywide.
Urbana snow removal efforts face backlash areas after receiving complaints. While the council has made efforts to increase the areas in which they enforce snow plowing and shoveling, many are still upset the operation is not mandatory citywide. Bill Brown, member of the Urbana City Council and chair of the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, said it is too difficult at the moment to aim for city-wide enforcement, as there is not sufficient staff for the job. “We have about 20 people in public works that drive snowplows to clear the
BY HEATHER ROBINSON STAFF WRITER
As temperatures start to drop this year and the Champaign-Urbana area experience ice and snow, residents begin to discuss the possible dangers of winter weather conditions on the streets and sidewalks. Some people take to social media to talk about concerns for the safety of pedestrians during such conditions, specifically those who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Mary Griffith, University alumna and graduate student in the School of Social Work, uses a
MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI
Local jail inmates endure detrimental conditions
“It is crucial to have (snow and ice) cleared and salted for people with disabilities who utilize the ramps and crosswalks.” MARY GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY ALUMNA
BY DIANA ANGHEL STAFF WRITER
County officials are bringing more attention to the failing and out-of-date conditions of Champaign County’s jails. The downtown jail’s old construction has led to severe deterioration: electronic locks to doors opening seemingly randomly, leaks from the roof, cockroach infestations and a lack of recreational space. Leah Taylor, member of the Facilities Committee on the county board, said she visited the downtown facility two months ago. “It’s honestly something out of a horror movie,” Taylor said. There are two jails in Champaign County: the downtown facility, which opened in 1980, and the Satellite Jail, which is located in Urbana and opened in the mid 1990s, according to county Sheriff Dustin Heuerman. The downtown facility building is facing more damage, but both are said to lack in rehabilitative programs and recreational spaces that allow inmates to exercise and de-stress with activities. “Besides a growing county and different corrections philosophy now than in the past, the county hasn’t put a focus on maintaining infrastructure over the years,” Heuerman said in an email. According to Mike Ingram, also a member of the Facilities Committee, the downtown jail does not meet Economic Development Administration compliance, a government-set standard for public facilities. Government warnings have been issued to the
AKI AKHAURI THE DAILY ILLINI
The sign for Champaign County Jail stands on South Lierman Avenue in Urbana on Nov. 24. The downtown facility building is facing more severe deterioration, but both jails in Champaign County are said to be lacking in rehabilitative programs and recreational spaces.
county, he said. In September, the county received an estimate from architectural firm Reifsteck Reid for a plan to renovate the facilities and address the lack of recreational space. The approximated cost the firm gave was $47 million. Heuerman said this estimate would include building a new sheriff’s office, creating special management housing at the Satellite Jail facility to better address medical and mental health needs and renovating parts of the existing Satellite facility to offer more programs for inmates. Heuerman said this would reduce the likelihood of inmates returning to jail. The multimillion-dollar
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plan was presented on an “a la carte” basis, meaning the county can prioritize separate parts of the plan and pursue fixing problems that need it most. “More investigation of that plan made me realize that that’s not exactly the case,” Ingram said. “It can’t really be as compartmentalized as they would say.” According to Taylor, the plan in this estimate was to get rid of the downtown jail and expand the satellite facility. However, she said only 12 beds would be lost in the process, which she described as “ridiculous,” because it would be more beneficial to have a larger decrease in beds. “We are not trying to
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expand; we should be trying to shrink,” Taylor said. At a recent board meeting, state representative Carol Ammons discussed the topic of Illinois’s upcoming legislature in relationship to inmates. According to Ingram, Ammons said the number of people incarcerated will substantially decrease in the near future. “If you look at other states — New Mexico is one of them — that have done some of the similar things that Illinois is doing right now … work on pretrial services, eliminate cash bail for anything nonviolent, you take steps to make sure that things like driving on suspend-
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streets but would need at least that many and more than that to do the sidewalks city wise as well,” Brown said. “I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the city to do that especially on their current budget.” Brown said because Urbana is a climate zone where there are only about two to four snow events a year, it is not worth investing a lot of money into sidewalk snow equipment and removal. He added he looks forward to council discussion on the topic. Something new could possibly come from it. In areas not included in the mandatory list, people can sign up as “snow angels” to volunteer and help clear the streets and sidewalks. “An able-bodied person may be able to walk in the snow in the grass and avoid the slippery sidewalks,” Griffith said. “However, a person with a disability may not have that option.
wheelchair. She said she feels people should pay more attention to clearing ramps, especially where snow accumulates on the street. “Although Champaign does not get frequent large amounts of snow and ice, when it does happen it is crucial to have it cleared and salted for people with disabilities who utilize the ramps and crosswalks,” Griffith said. In 2011, the Urbana City Council passed an ordinance that requires property owners to shovel sidewalks after snow events for specific areas such as downtown and on campus. However, the issue was not completely resolved, as just a year ago, the topic rose again. The council then decided to expand its snowclearing routes, specifically to grade schools and high schools. Earlier in November, the council added Green Street and University Avenue to the list of mandatory clearing
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