New Bus Shelter and Community Hub Planned for Ivanhoe Estates With Attendance In Mind

Preliminary designs are underway for a new bus shelter in Ivanhoe Estates, with construction expected to begin in Spring 2027. The project will provide a safe, sheltered place for more than 100 Urbana School District students to wait for the bus while creating a welcoming space for families and neighbors to connect.

A Project Rooted In Student Attendance

The Bus Shelter-Community Hub project started when staff at CU early wanted to support Urbana School District's attendance initiative.

During home visits, CU Early staff talked with families about why students were missing school and how they could help address barriers to attendance. For families in Ivanhoe Estates, one of the most common challenges was the weather. Without a covered place to wait for the bus, families shared that they sometimes kept their children home during heavy rain or snow.

The Bus Shelter Project aims to eliminate that issue, by not only creating shelter for students waiting for the bus, but also serving multifunctional community hub that supports social connection, informal learning, and communication.

Families Help Shape The Design

Community input is an important part of the project. At a recent Urbana Neighborhood Night, Ivanhoe Estates families and students were invited to share their ideas for the new shelter. Participants submitted drawings and written descriptions of features they would like to see included. Their feedback will help guide the design process and ensure the space reflects the needs and interests of the community. 

Fundraising
While construction on the shelter won't start until spring, the project is actively raising funds to make the bus shelter a reality. So far, the project has raised $29,000 of its $50,000 goal.

• A grant from the University of Illinois's Building Beyond the Barriers program has provided roughly half of the funding for the shelter.
• In addition, Urbana School District has pledged $5,000 toward the project. 

Those interested in supporting the bus shelter project can find more information on the Bus Shelter Fundraising Page.

Next Steps:

• Additional design feedback from Ivanhoe families
• Additional fundraising and grant writing