URBANA – The city of Champaign administration is recommending that the city give up on efforts to purchase the former Robeson parking deck at Church and Randolph streets.

Staff is also recommending the city proceed with legal action to force the parking deck's owner to bring the structure up to safety standards.

SPRINGFIELD – Under the proposed budget before the General Assembly, higher education funding would be held at last year's levels, but representatives of several universities are concerned they may be asked not to spend their full appropriations.

Last July, universities were asked to hold back 2 percent of their state funding, and about 11 months later were told to return that cash to state coffers to help close a gap in the budget.

CHAMPAIGN – The redevelopment of Burch Village into mixed-income housing is set to move forward, now that a private developer has been awarded low-income housing tax credits expected to generate $5.3 million.

Housing Authority of Champaign County officials said the tax credits, the key component in the $7.6 million project, were awarded recently by the Illinois Housing Development Authority to Douglass Park LP, a limited partnership.

URBANA – Assuming no appeal, the much-disputed Salt Fork River dredging project will go forth in September, but with some more twists as serpentine as the course of the little river that winds through eastern Champaign County.

Wednesday, Circuit Judge Michael Jones approved an amended assessment roll that will tax some 400 properties for the $335,000 first phase of the project. That phase covers a stretch of 14 miles from just north of St. Joseph to near Rantoul.