Lately I’ve been driving around South Peoria. I’ve been checking out the housing stock, the parks, the library, the business facades. It’s common knowledge that this is an economically-depressed area, but if you haven’t driven around there, you really need to see it. To say there needs to be more investment on the south side would be the understatement of the decade.
Yet there’s a lot of potential on which to build. In nearly every neighborhood, there’s the remnants of a commercial center where a grocery store or laundromat used to be and could be again. There are a number of parks, most notably Trewyn Park, which are well-maintained by the Park District. The Lincoln Branch of the Peoria Public Library, while small, is very nice with beautiful architecture and a park setting. There are numerous schools and churches.
All other areas of town have big, exciting projects: New construction/annexation in the north, form districts and medical expansions in the center of town and downtown areas. South Peoria, unfortunately, is not known for a lot of new or exciting investment. Now that new investment is proposed, there’s a controversy brewing about it.
There’s a plan to open a grocery store on Adams across from Harrison Homes in the old Miracle Mart building. Businessman Ahmad Abud is requesting a liquor license so he can sell packaged liquor at the new store. He’s gotten the blessing of the Public Housing Authority as well as first-district councilman Clyde Gulley.
But others won’t hear of it. They think the “grocery store” is just a ruse to get a new liquor store on the south side, and that a liquor store will only invite more crime. Abud, according to a recent Journal Star article, “said his store floor plan sets aside only 12 percent of space for alcohol but says he needs those sales to stay in business.” The store would be 15,000 square feet in size, so 12 percent means alcohol would take up 1,800 square feet.
Incidentally, the Journal Star also said Abud was the owner of Pulaski Corp. and “has stores in Chicago, Ohio and California. He just recently moved from Chicago to Bartonville to concentrate on this business development.” However, I searched the secretary of state websites of Illinois, California, and Ohio and could not find an active “Pulaski Corp.” in any of those states’ corporation/LLC databases. I also did a search of the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago phone book and could find no reference to “Pulaski Corp.” I find it a little strange that I can’t find any reference to either Abud or his company anywhere.
But I digress. The question I have is, what is the vision for South Peoria?
First, there was “urban redevelopment,” which gave us Southtown. That’s where the city bought up a huge swath of land, tore down all the houses, then redeveloped it to look more suburban. I don’t believe anyone would consider Southtown a garden spot of the city now. Besides, even if it could be argued that redevelopment works, it’s too expensive for the city to completely rebuild the south side.
Then there was the Heart of Peoria Plan, which was recently codified in legal language known as the Land Development Code. The part of the code that would apply to South Peoria has been tabled indefinitely because there were some minor concerns with parts of it. City staff is now heavily involved in the comprehensive planning effort, so they can’t devote any time to fixing the flaws, which means it will sit on the table for a long time, and could be forgotten completely. I hope not, but it’s not the same as simply deferring it to a future date when you know for sure it will come back for further action; tabling, by definition, is indefinite.
Now there’s the grocery store, which we don’t like because they sell liquor (like every other grocery store does, by the way). Okay, fine. We’ll deny his liquor license and he won’t open a store. Congratulations. Now what? Now they still don’t have a grocery store.
How long will things be denied with no alternative? Is it okay to just let it continue its downward spiral while we focus on annexation and new development to the north? The residents on the south side are our neighbors. They’re not “those people.” They’re Peorians. They deserve better.
The people in this area have not evolved into responsible citizens in the community. Check the statistics of welfare related programs in this area and you will find out why. The citizens have to take control of their neighborhoods to make a difference and this is not happening. Nobody wants to help someone who will not help themselves..
Thank you, C.J., for an honest look at “the elephant in the room.” By tabling and deferring action on development plans, the City has effectively given up on the south side.
Hinton has closed Blaine Sumner Middle School and is looking to close MHS for up to 3 years for “restructuring.” If the City and the BOE have given up on that area, what chance do the responsible citizens of its neighborhoods have? The City has warehoused poverty in that area for far too long. The projects have been a breeding ground for hopelessness, despair and crime. It is not just the problem of the south side residents – it is every Peorian’s problem.
We are absolutely sending the wrong message to an area that is already economically depressed.
Another stereo type comment from good ol Mr. Obvious. Yes, there is our share of welfare people in the south end but there are some pockets of stable neighborhoods that do survive and improve. Therefore there must be responsible citizens living in the southern valley of Peoria. I am one. Been here 25 years and I must say we have never had a shooting or a problem here in all those years. We’ve had our problems with some rentals and we even had a clean cut looking guy selling crack. Those problems have be dealt with. CJ is right, the City has ignored the south end for years. To get an inspector out to write a complaint on trash or zoning problems takes 3 or more calls to higher ups in the food chain. My street doesn’t even have sidewalks yet Forrest Hill has them replaced twice in the last 15 years. We have some good businesses here like Nimo’s Hardware, Southside Bank, and Madison Park Shopping Center. Manual is a beautiful school with facilities that are wonderful including a pool and 3 gyms, a baseball field and a football/track that is top notch.
What we do get in the south end is pockets of bad press. Starr Street no doubt is terrible and when a shooting happens, it affects the whole south end because that’s how it’s reported. The south side is huge. The Harrison is being torn down and hopefully new housing will be built. I don’t care if they stand empty, the Harrison will be gone.
Please don’t label all of us as not being responsible. I pay taxes and my neighbors pay taxes. Last I checked, our money was as green as anyone else’s.
It seems to me somebody ought to be investigating this Abud guy. I realize he isn’t running for school board, but if he just shows up in town, out of nowhere, with a phony resume, perhaps we ought to be doing some checking?
Alicia Butler said his references are impeccable.
What happened to her anyway? What a shocker that she wouldn’t address her phony resume……
Doesn’t UFS sell liquor? Aren’t they on the south side of town? Why isn’t the City Council trying to remove their license?
“The people in this area have not evolved into responsible citizens in the community,” writes Mr. Obvious.
“Evolved”??? This is a totally racist comment, which HELPS NO ONE. I am continually amazed at the racism shown by many Peorians who have money in their pocket and food on their table each day. It’s depressing, really depressing.
Amen Laura.
Yes UFS sells liquior, beer, and wine. Also Willie’s hot tamales and pork chop sandwiches. A unique place indeed.
The southside has been neglected for 30 years at least. The city’s care and focus these days is more aimed at Nichting’s neck of the woods and not Gulley’s. None including Gulley on that city council has any vision on how to improve the southside and it’s not a priority. The southside is a ghetto. In fact, many of its residents refer to the southside as “the ghetto” and have for many years.
Emtronics,
Do you know anything about a fabled vendor who sold food out of a converted van or truck at various places on the south side? He supposedly only operated at night, late at night. His locations varied but generally found his way to the social hotspots.
I heard about this years ago when I was managing a pizza place, from my employees. Never saw the guy or his truck.
Wow, that goes back some years Mahkno. I can’t recall this guy but I am checking into it. I didn’t grow up in the southside, (I grew up in the Knolls) but my wife’s family is all southsiders. I am wondering if this wasn’t the same guy who sold the best tamales ever out of his window of his home down on Jefferson by the old Velvet Freeze. He didn’t open till after 8pm and you simply pulled thru his driveway and out into the alley.
There is another guy who operates to this day selling porkchops and BBQ out of a trailer that he pulls and sets up at various locations. Can’t recall his name either. Sorry
It might be that BBQ guy…
I don’t know but my young staff raved about the guy. It was all part of a unique southside culture. The guy would never have been successful anywhere else. During the summer, when everyone else is nodding off to bed, the southside wakes up. Folks don’t understand this. They see kids playing outside at midnight and wonder wtf. There is no wtf about it. It is darn hot outside and many, if not most, folks down there are not runnin A/C. So everyone is resting and snoozin during the hot daytime. When the sun sets, people and the kids get restless. Everyone comes out. So naturally this guy opens shop well after dark when folks down there are wide awake and hungry !
Emtronics: Southern Valley of Peoria ? Where is that? You have never had a shooting in 25 years- you must live in Metamora. Look at the paper and you will regretfully see that the vast majority of crime and shootings occurs in the South Side. You work the puzzzle and figure it out.
as for citizens not taking responsibility, there are many that do, but its not enough. Those that don’t usually are those that simply don’t know how to be responsible because they have never been taught. This goes for black, white or any other color. These people have not been taught responsibile citizenship for their community and are thus led by the gangs. We need to work with these people and show them how to be responsible and how to better their neighborhoods and better their own lives because of it. Simple little steps can lead to big ones and big successes.
Yes RomanII, we have shootings. Let me put it in third grade terms. Say there is a shooting in Washington IL. Does that affect all of Washington? No, not directly. In my area of the southend (southern valley as we like to call it) we have not had a shooting in our area which consists of about 10 blocks square. In fact, read the paper closely, shootings have been happening on Nebraska Ave, (not the southside), W Arcadia, (again not the southside), Lexington Hills, (again not the southside). We did have one on W Krause, but that was the police and that is over 20 blocks from me. What, do you think I make this stuff up?
BTW, coming down Western Hill (over 2.5 miles from me) is a sign that says “Welocme to the Southern Valley”. Maybe you should get off your farm tractor and visit?? (oops, I am stereo typing)
I am in love with a house on W Arcadia. Thanks for killing that for me 🙂 Any cute brick bungalows in the Southern Valley?
Brick bungalows? Who knows, not in my area, but the southend is a big area not just a parking lot where we shoot it out every other night. Sorry, I did forget to mention the young man (Manual student) that was shot and killed in the Harrison which is 18 blocks south snd 5 blocks east of me. I didn’t even hear the gun shots but then they didn’t hear tham at Sheridan Village either. /end smartass
Emtronics: “I didn’t even hear the gun shots but then they didn’t hear tham at Sheridan Village either. /end smartass”
Just curious, but, was there a shooting in the Sheridan Village area?
It was tongue in cheek. Like the shooting on N Nebraska. That wasn’t heard out at Sheridan Village nor the southside. Sorry to confuse the few.