Site of former eyesore in downtown Peoria could soon get new life. Here’s what is planned
Finally, after two decades, a prime 7.5-acre parcel in downtown Peoria is poised for a project bringing 200 apartments. A Smitty’s grocery store on the site near Grand and 85th avenues closed in 1997 and was finally demolished in 2020, but the city council quashed a previous multifamily proposal in 2021 because it had no commercial space. The current developer, Overland Corp. out of Utah, provided that in its plan, but sentiment among the city—including a new mayor—and neighbors has shifted, and now they’re on board with residential only. The hope is that the new residents will give existing downtown businesses a boost. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the project in late April and was scheduled to go before the city council on May 16; Overland hopes to break ground in Q4 this year.
