As stated in the council’s request for action, “In 2005, the City Council and County of Peoria approved a sole source contract with Ady International Company (AIC) to evaluate locational characteristics of the City and County as a preferred location for business attraction.” In other words, when companies are looking for a city in which to locate, how does Peoria stack up?
Mr. Ady gave a presentation to the council on his findings. Interestingly, there were a couple of popular beliefs that were dispelled :
- First of all, we don’t need a Peoria-Chicago highway to attract more business. Businesses want a city that is close to an interestate — multiple interstates don’t add or detract from a city’s attractiveness.
- Secondly, the public school system was not a detractor. To be fair, the school system wasn’t a plus for making the community attractive to business either, but it was neutral.
One other thing is worth mentioning: “Community appearance” is one of the city’s weaknesses. I really expected that to be one of our strengths. Even with all the public and private projects the city has been doing to beautify Peoria, apparently outsiders are getting a bad first impression of our fair city. This should give us all pause. Why are visitors getting this impression? What specific things can we or should we do to change our appearance?
C. J.,
Maybe the appearance issue has something to do with re-construction on I-74, which has been in progress since 2002? I guess it depends on where one approaches our fair city. We have so much park land as it is; more would not make a difference.
Maybe it is not the physical “outward appearance of our fair city,” but the internal mechanism of Peoria politics, etc. We have a wishy-washy city council that can’t seem to prioritize city/civic projects [a zoo that wants to spend more money than it has, a ridiculous $100 million museum project that has become an embarrasment, a school district that resembles a third-world nation, a great-big incubator project that will bring a total of three new jobs to Peoria, etc…..]. It is not driving through Peoria that turns people off to our little village, it’s picking up a newspaper.
SC
The construction work might have something to do with it, although I would think companies would recognize that as a temporary inconvenience and long-term improvement. I think the approach on I-74 from the east is the best face of the city. I-74 from the west is okay, although the abandoned Denny’s and Burger King at the new Sterling interchange don’t look too hot. Coming in from the north on Route 29 is a pretty drive along the river. The approach from the south is probably the worst for a first impression, but what could be done about that? It’s an industrial area, and you have to expect it to look like an industrial area, don’t you? Or are there ways to improve the streetscape?
Creedy — good points, but I think in the context of Ady’s presentation, he meant the physical appearance of the city.
C.J.- I agree entirely. I am just getting a little frustrated…..
Perhaps it’s the entry to the city from the airport – that has been a topic of conversation at least since the Civic Center was constructed. This would be the likely first view of the business traveler.
Of course! The airport! How silly of me not to think of that. Yes, if they go down Airport Road to Harmon Highway to MLK Drive to downtown, I can see how that wouldn’t paint a very rosy picture of Peoria. Granted, the council has been slowly buying up property on MLK drive for the future widening (and presumably beautification) of that stretch. But I wonder how close they are to being able to start that project. Even if/when they complete it, I’m not sure how much difference it will make to a visitor’s overall impression. It’s not like the street improvements are going to make the houses around that area look any better.
I would guess as the consultant was looking at industrial sites, he would be referring to the drive from Peoria to Bartonville or North the other way. Boarded up houses, weeds, gang bangers out selling drugs, litter, either route is very depressing in many sections, broken windows in unused buildings, decaying concrete of sidewalks. These areas need a huge facelift, but are some of the most neglected. He also mentioned crime as a factor as well. Again, driving up some of the main roads and seeing such items as mentioned above also does not help us. Where there are affordable houses or houses that could be easily restored to their former glory for a much smaller amount than it would take to buy one of the newer houses out in the newer areas, there is also crime, litter, music thumping through your houses, etc. Even some of the people that just hang out in large numbers on the streets does not leave the best impression of safety or desirability to an area. These areas need to be restored with the same vigor that the areas are being built out in the growth cells. One has to drive through these areas to get from downtown to the growth cells, especially with all the interstate construction. Anyway, I would not imagine that heavy industry would be looking to build out there, when there is available proximity to the river barge traffic to provide cheap transportation of goods or raw materials. Interstate access is right near there with 74 or 474. It will be interested to see what action this report stirs.