The Illini Media Company will be moving into the heart of Campustown after the Champaign City Council voted to sell Lot I, the parking lot between Legends, 522 E. Green St., and Pizza Magia, 508 E. Green St., to company at Tuesday's meeting.

The company plans to construct a four-story building that would house all of its units: the Daily Illini, WPGU-FM The Planet, Illio Yearbook, Buzz and Technograph magazine.

The company is currently divided between three facilities at 24 E. Green Street, 57 E. Green Street and an office inside the YMCA on Wright Street.

"This has been something we've been hoping and planning for ten years," Illini Media company publisher Mary Cory said. "We need to be in the heart of campus."

Cory said the proposed building will be a permanent home for the company and will bring 300 student employees to the location. She added that the company employees would not require many parking spaces.

Initial design plans call for a street-level window that will allow passers-by on Green Street to look into the WPGU-FM studio during broadcasts. Champaign resident Chris Albin said this could create "a raucous situation" in the street.

He also called the project "far-fetched" and "a waste of money."

The city council members did not agree with Albin and voted to sell the lot to the company at fair market value, with no financial assistance from the city.

"It's a company with a local history that we should be proud of," council member Tom Bruno said.

In other city council news:

• The council voted to issue a letter of support to Brinshore Development, LLC and Douglass Park, LP for their proposed redevelopment of Burch Village, located just north of Fifth Street and Bradley Avenue.