The first building of the Pacifica on Green development, a luxury fully furnished apartment complex at 28 E. Green St., C., is underway.
The first student tenants will move in this fall, said Patricia Lenzer, operations manager at Windfall Group LLC, the Aurora-based project developer.
Pacifica on Green is under construction on the north side of East Green between Neil and First Streets.
The first 220,000-square-foot building will have 402 beds in one- to four-bedroom units, Lenzer said.
There will be three buildings in total, each with approximately the same number of beds. Plans call for each of the next two buildings to be built once a year, she said.
The complex will also feature private study rooms, meditation rooms, retailers, security, parking, a fitness center and clubhouse.
A temporary rental office at 617 E. Green St. is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment, according to the website at pacificaongreen.com.
Lenzer said there is currently a special offer on renting four-bedroom units.
Cougil
New director
The Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce has a new General Manager.
Jennifer Cougill assumed this position on March 13.
She grew up in Watseka and has lived in the Champaign County area for 20 years, she said. Cougill holds a music degree from the University of Illinois.
Before joining the Mahomet chamber, she worked in sales at the former Lodgic Everyday Community in Champaign, which closed at the end of March.
Prior to that, Cougill said she worked in hospitality, sales and events for Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites by Hilton in Champaign and also worked in restaurants.
As Executive Director of the Mahomet Chamber, she will support and mentor the community and its local businesses, she said.
change hands
RP Home & Harvest Stores will soon be purchased by Minnesota-based retailer Runnings.
Of 10 Illinois locations, RP Home & Harvest has three in Tilton, Gibson City and Watseka.
The sale is expected to close in June.
The acquired stores will continue as RP Home & Harvest for a time while Runnings rebrands the stores.
Runnings is a retailer of pet supplies, sporting goods, clothing, footwear, lawn & garden supplies, housewares, tools, farm supplies, toys and outdoor gear.
Runnings currently has 58 locations and will have 80 when it adds RP Home & Harvest’s 22 stores, the companies said.
“From customers and communities to employees and suppliers, we truly believe this is an excellent opportunity for everyone involved,” said Runnings President Brian Odegaard.
donation made
A Vermilion County program designed to help undergraduate high school students find employment is receiving support from Earthrise Energy, an Arlington, Virginia-based independent power producer.
The company provided $20,000 to Vermilion Advantage’s Skyepack Advantage initiative through its RISE grant program.
Skyepack is described by the organization as a specialized curriculum aimed at educating students about workforce skills, launched last fall with a focus on the manufacturing sector.
According to Vermilion Advantage, the grant will help support expansion of the program into renewable energy and the healthcare sector. The organization says about 52 percent of high school seniors in the county are currently skipping college and have no career path.
Earthwise Energy owns and operates five natural gas facilities in Illinois, including the Tilton Energy Power Plant in Tilton and the Gibson City Energy Center.
“Our partnership with Vermilion Advantage will expand the local talent pool we need for the future,” said Carla Tully, CEO of Earthrise Energy. “We also believe it is critical to close the health care gap that exists in Vermilion County and ensure that our employees, their families and everyone throughout the county receive the health care they need.”
New partnership
Visit Champaign County has formed a regional marketing partnership with the City of Paxton.
The new relationship, announced earlier this week, means Visit Champaign County will begin promoting Paxton through its website, social media channels, print ads, group itineraries, calendar of events, Experience Guide and other marketing outlets.
Tourism-related businesses in Paxton will also be listed on the Visit Champaign County website with the option to participate in future promotions.
“On a recent visit to Paxton, I was blown away by the local business community and the renaissance taking place along Market Street,” said Terri Reifsteck, Visit Champaign County’s vice president of marketing and community engagement.
Paxton is 15 miles north of the Rantoul Family Sports Complex and its thousands of visitors each year.
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