CHAMPAIGN- Multi- million dollar condo projects and new restaurants are popping up all over downtown Champaign. It's hard to imagine the area ever suffering but as history shows it's seen its share of ups and downs.
    Michael Markstahler owns this building on Columbia Avenue.  It's been a paint shop, a hair salon, even a crack house, it's now an upscale restaurant.. But like most of downtown he says every corner has seen it's share of change.
    One hundred years ago cars could drive on Taylor Street and it was known as a red light district, it's changed a lot, it's one of the most popular spots people hang out.
        Before the civil war, these railroad tracks marked the spot for the start of downtown Champaign. From this picture you can see that with the trains came pollution but also business. That trend continued until the 19-40's when downtown hit a high.
    "On a Friday night, you couldn't barely get on the sidewalk, because it was so crowded with people, there were grocery stores, all the grocery stores were in downtown Champaign, all the car dealerships were in downtown Champaign, this was where you came if you wanted to do any kind of commercial business," said Markstahler.
     In the19- 50-s the popularity of the car hurt downtown, no parking meant businesses moved to the outskirts of town. But it wasn't until the 19-60-s that downtown really started to unravel. Big name stores moved out here to Marketplace Mall.
         "That was the beginning of the end," said Markstahler.
    Things carried on that way until the 19-90's when a young entrepreneur, Chris Knight bought the Blind Pig. It still stands today but since moved across the street, Knight made a boom when he started bringing big name bands to town.
         "Downtown Champaign was actually considered dangerous after dark but people once again starting coming again, at least to the Blind Pig," said Markstahler.
    One by one other small businesses followed his lead,  "Downtown became what it is now, this regions primary entertainment area," said Markstahler.
    And it hasn't stopped yet with big plans to build up. Where a small grocery store sat in the heart of downtown is now the outline of a 30-million dollar building project. It's taken years to get here and not without criticism but downtown isn't giving up on the dream.

** A clarification to the story we first brought you. Several stores started moving out of downtown in the 19-60s but Marketplace Mall was not established until 19-76. **