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Belleville
(St. Clair County)
With the recent opening of the MetroLink light rail
system connecting to downtown St. Louis, Missouri, the city of
Belleville and its region is experiencing a population boom. However,
with this new growth have come new preservation challenges due to rapid
development and sprawl. Although the City of Belleville has had a
preservation ordinance since the early 1970s -- one of the earliest in
the state -- the Commission lacks adequate financial or staff support.
To counter this problem, several past members of the Commission have
founded
Citizens Reviving Historic Belleville, a local non-profit
advocacy group. It currently has over 100 members to advocate for
preservation efforts in Belleville through educational programs and
community participation. In addition, the local Illinois Main Street
program,
Belleville Main Street, is focused on assisting owners of downtown
commercial building with façade renovations, upstairs apartment and loft
developments.
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Information on other Western Illinois communities.
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