CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The City of Champaign announced that its new City Center Team is now out and providing help throughout the community.

In a press release Friday, the city said that the team is now out assisting visitors to Champaign’s core business districts. The team was formulated through a partnership with Block by Block, which is based in Louisville, Ky.

The City Center Team is made up of six team members and an operations supervisor who provide engagement, outreach and cleaning services across Champaign’s Downtown, Midtown and Campustown areas.

“The City Center Team is an investment in keeping our core business districts welcoming, vibrant, and safe,” Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen said in a release. “Downtown, Midtown, and Campustown stand at the very heart of our community, and the City Center Team will help us ensure these areas remain clean, inviting, and safe for everyone.”

This new team will assist in helping visitors, safety monitoring, cleanup, area beautification, graffiti abatement and more. The Champaign City Council approved this partnership on July 15, and funds for this program come from Champaign’s Tax Increment Finance District and Food and Beverage funds.

“By having a visible presence in Downtown, Midtown, and Campustown, they will enhance the visitor experience and support our residents and businesses,” Feinen added. “This partnership ensures that Champaign will remain a destination where people want to gather, shop, and visit. This great new program is yet another way the City of Champaign is investing in the vitality of our city’s core and helping to support our local businesses.”

Block by Block has a history of working in downtown areas since its first program was launched in Louisville in 1995. They develop operating models built on best practices, research and development, and modern technology which have created partnerships in over 150 places across the country.

For more information on the City Center Team, go to visitdowntownchampaign.com/team.