URBANA – Freedom Grove, a six-plus-acre tract of county-owned land on the south side of Urbana, initially began with a simpler idea by the Urbana Rotary Club in early 2001. However, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, significantly altered the project's direction and identity, transforming it into a place for reflection on freedom and sacrifice, according to club members.
The site, located near the intersection of U.S. Route 68 and State Route 55, was never intended to be solely a 9/11 memorial. Instead, it was conceived as a place for individuals to contemplate freedom. More than two decades later, this initial concept has matured into a landscape that conveys a broader American story, encompassing themes of war and peace, military service and sacrifice, first responders, local history, patriotism, grief, healing, education, and community service.
Discussions for a new community project began within the Urbana Rotary Club in January 2001. A committee, chaired by then President-Elect Nick Selvaggio, and including Rotarians Don Bauer, Dave Martin, Alan Webster, Terry Howell, Francis Hazard, and Chuck Sweeting, initially explored a tree-planting campaign. This effort aimed to build upon Urbana’s designation as a Tree City USA community. The group sought guidance from Elmo Layman as they considered the scope of such a project.
According to Judge Nick A. Selvaggio, who later played a key role in acquiring a World Trade Center artifact for the site, the events of Sept. 11 “shifted” the Rotary’s focus. The attacks imbued the project with an entirely different meaning, leading the club toward creating a place where citizens could reflect upon their freedoms and the sacrifices made by armed forces members who helped preserve them.
The opportunity to create a physical site soon followed. The Champaign County Board of Commissioners agreed to lease county-owned land to the Rotary Club for development. It was Rotarian Don Bauer who suggested planting a grove of trees and establishing a park centered on the concept of freedom. Bauer is also credited with coining the name Freedom Grove.
His original vision for Freedom Grove included trees, plants, grasses, flowers, walking paths, and benches. He envisioned a quiet place for families and friends to remember those who had died so others could live freely, and a place that could be passed on to future generations. This mission remains remarkably recognizable in the Grove today.
The Champaign County Board of Commissioners formally established Freedom Grove by proclamation on Sept. 11, 2002. A Rotary publication indicates that a formal lease for more than six acres was signed with the county on the same day. This agreement, for 25 years at $1 per year with an option for another 25-year renewal, established that Freedom Grove is county property, with the Rotary historically coordinating its development and care.
Once the site was established, Rotary began to develop a master plan. Bauer contacted German Cruz, an associate professor of landscape architecture at Ball State University. Cruz and his students developed more than 20 concepts for the property. The Rotary Club eventually combined elements from several of these designs into its own comprehensive master plan. The proposed design included key components such as a Memorial Grove with a walking path and a Circle of Freedom staging area featuring a Four Freedoms monument.
Looking ahead to 2026, as the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, Freedom Grove is at a new crossroads. The focus is not on what monument should come next, but on ensuring that a place created by one generation remains meaningful to those who did not experience the foundational events that inspired its creation.