At the core of Campustown in Champaign, Illinois, you’ll find The Dean — a bustling and contemporary 17-story high-raise tailored to student living, retail, study and play. This 356,540-square-foot mixed-use development caters to attendees of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and blends modern apartments and on-site community amenities with ground-level food and shopping options such as a 17,000-square-foot Target store and Jimmy John’s sandwich shop.

MSA partnered with Myefski Architects in 2018 on the development of the property and provided surveying, conceptual design and site engineering — including a unique 526-foot sanitary sewer extension via encased penetration through a box culvert at Boneyard Creek, new storm sewer, water service, electrical utilities, lighting and photometrics, and site grading.

The MSA team also delivered complementary streetscaping design in compliance with the City of Champaign’s University District Level 1 streetscape requirements — standards attuned to creating a distinctive image for the collegiate district and surrounding neighborhoods.

Additionally, MSA led the project permitting process, assuring compliance with Illinois American Water (ILAW), Illinois EPA (IEPA), the City of Champaign, Urbana-Champaign Sanitation District (UCSD), Illinois State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

The result is a highly sought-after centerpiece of Campustown life with 322 living units — a popular gathering space, safe and secure facility — all within walking distance of campus, fraternity/sorority row and a host of other dining and recreational options. The project was completed in 2021.