In this issue we celebrate the latest developments around the region, from the Peoria Warehouse District to the Heights and beyond. Across the river in Spring Bay, KDB Group’s Sankoty Lakes Resort & Retreat is expected to open this spring, with aspirations to become the best fishing and camping spot in the Midwest. It’s a remarkable feat, considering the project was only announced in November!
In the Warehouse District, Black Band Distillery is gearing up to bring back Peoria’s whiskey heritage, while Casey Baldovin is leading the charge to bring new life and vibrancy to the 800 block of SW Adams.
The Warehouse District has come a long way over the last decade, and we’ve been documenting every step of that journey.
In central Peoria, Keller Station is a partnership between the Peoria Park District and The Kim Group, transforming the former IDOT headquarters on Knoxville Avenue into a community-based development that will be home to an indoor market (coming this summer) and many small businesses. Just as she did with the Trefzger’s Bakery project a few years ago, developer Katie Kim has lit a spark that will not be extinguished anytime soon.
The willingness to collaborate makes great things happen. We see it with POINTCORE Construction, a joint venture between OSF HealthCare and CORE Construction which is set to bring amazing things to Peoria, including OSF’s downtown ministry headquarters and a new cancer center at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. Other collaborative developments include the recent merger of Neighborhood House and Common Place, and the alliance of tech companies: Pearl Technology, CIAN and A5.
In a broader sense, development also means workforce development, as regional organizations have come together to tackle this issue—our biggest hurdle to business growth. The CEO Council and Greater Peoria EDC are leading the charge, with Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey and Patti Abel co-chairing a committee focused on solutions to meet the demands of a new decade.
A report summarizing the results of The Big Table Greater Peoria, the regional discussion held last October, is also coming later this month, and workforce development will be among the hot topics. We hope this conversation not only continues, but turns into meaningful action as we tackle our region’s toughest challenges.
“It is an exciting time to be living and working in central Illinois,” as Farnsworth Group CEO Karen Jensen declares in this month’s virtual roundtable. I couldn’t have said it better myself. PM
