M2 on Neil is a nine-story, mixed-use building. A $40 million project —the largest ever for downtown Champaign, Illinois, M2 on Neil was designed and built to revitalize the downtown area. The purpose of this project was to draw more business owners and residents downtown, returning the area to the center of city life. Products from CENTRIA played important roles in the creation of the facility.

The building features three restaurants, a bank, retail shops, office space and 50 upscale condominiums. These condominiums include both one- and two- bedroom units, and are available to rent or to own. The building also features a 600-space parking garage that serves not only the building residents and users, but also the City of Champaign.

Since revitalizing this section of Champaign was a main goal of the project, CENTRIA’s Profile Series - Concept Series and Profile Series - IW Series were chosen to give the building a sleek aesthetic without sacrificing building performance, budget or the historical nature of existing Downtown Champaign structures.

CENTRIA’s Concept Series concealed fastener panels feature increased panel engagement for a tighter joint that is virtually invisible. A unique, concealed fastening clip design allows unimpeded thermal movement and creates an air cavity without shims or subgirts between the backside of the panel and the weather resistive barrier—a critical feature for effective moisture control in rainscreen design. This outstanding performance is achieved without sacrificing aesthetics. Concept Series opens the door to unprecedented design flexibility, offering six interchangeable asymmetrical profiles. This flexibility helped create an updated aesthetic that fits seamlessly with the town’s existing structures.

IW Series panels also contribute to the complex’s interesting aesthetic. Embossed or smooth finishes in flush, vertically ribbed, striated and stepped profiles helped designers achieve reveals and shadows, visual textures and other distinctive architectural effects to provide a clean, monolithic appearance. The interchangeable weather-resistant, lock-joint design allows these panels to be installed horizontally or vertically throughout the design while offering an aesthetic complement to a variety of building materials.

As with all CENTRIA products, Profile Series panels have inherent sustainable characteristics. Primarily composed of steel, the panels are made from recycled materials and are fully recyclable themselves.

A Class A construction of brick, limestone and architectural metal panels, M2 on Neil Street used CENTRIA products to create a vibrant addition to the community.

The architect was Ratio Architects of Indianapolis, IN; the CENTRIA products dealer/installer was G&L Associates, Inc. of Des Plaines, IL; and the contractor was FA Wilhelm of Indianapolis, IN. The project measures approximately 200,000 square feet.

CENTRIA products used on this project include:

• Concept Series® CS-210E. Square Feet: 19,559; Color: Slate Gray; Finish: Smooth; Coating: Fluorofinish®; Gauge 22.

• IW Series IW-10 Vertical. Square Feet: 4,617; Color: Chromium Gray II; Finish: Smooth; Coating: Fluorofinish; Gauge 22.