The Peoria Heights Village Board has cleared the way for a new mixed-use office building and the addition of up to 300 jobs at the current Save-A-Lot site on Prospect Road.
The Village Board voted 5-1 with Trustee Nate Steinwedel dissenting to accept an amended site plan with more limited parking that will allow developers to move forward on the project destined for 4425 N. Prospect Road. The current grocery store building will be torn down yet this year – the grocer’s lease expires next month -- to make way for the four-story building, which eventually will house the accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen. The latter is relocating to the Heights from downtown Peoria.
The green light on the project is the result of a compromise over parking following months of debate and negotiation, with some members of the public wanting the structure to be closer to the curb to make it consistent with the more “walkable” design of much of the Village’s historic downtown. What came out was an agreement for one row of on-site parking in front of the building and the addition of 15 on-street parking spots along Prospect. There is no on-street parking in front of the current grocery store now.
Steinwedel was not convinced.
“Having a walkable area where you can look at the shops, smell the restaurants, be up close is more important, by far, than having the front-door parking where people come and go,” Steinwedel said in explaining his “no” vote. He also expressed reservations about fire truck accessibility to the building.
But the majority had a different view, noting the private investment and other pluses. “I appreciate the developer being willing to essentially donate 15 spots to the Village of Peoria Heights for public parking,” said Mayor Matt Wigginton.
Parking was the subtext for a deeper philosophical debate, specifically the competing visions of what Peoria Heights’ downtown should look and feel like and how it should function moving forward, in an era of economic growth for the Village.
Former Heights Zoning Board member Cathy Stevenson was the most vocal in regards to maintaining the current, pedestrian-friendly flavor of the Village’s downtown.
“Off-street parking in front of buildings contradicts every consultant recommendation, comprehensive plan, master plan, Overlay District standard and, most importantly, the very premise behind the success our Village enjoys today,” Stevenson said.
She noted that the Heights is lucky to have so many 1800s-era buildings still standing, along with the “continuous street wall” impression and the downtown walkability and vibrancy they have created.
“If we truly want to continue to expand our sales tax base, we must expand our street wall beyond the two blocks it is,” Stevenson said.
The city that surrounds the Heights should be instructive, Stevenson indicated.
“Large parking lots and broken street walls do not attract patrons. Peoria is filled with vacant strip malls with an abundance of parking. Yet its Warehouse District is thriving because it embraces form-based principles. Building close to the street, large glass storefronts, on-street parking and small-scale retail. This approach has successfully attracted independent, locally owned businesses and created a walkable, active environment.”
Trefzger’s Bakery co-owner Jeff Huebner voiced a different perspective, noting that revenues at his bakery and his Trailside Event Center are at historic highs since he expanded his parking lot late last year.
“Without that extra parking, we’d go stagnant, just like we did at our old address (in Peoria),” Huebner told the Board. “If we relied on just the walkers coming to our business, we wouldn’t survive.”
“We are a diverse community … I don’t think we should be limited to just one vision.”
Beau Landry, owner of Brienzo’s Pizza in the Heights, sounded a similar view, rejecting a “one size fits all” approach. For restaurants like his own, front-facing parking is “an operational necessity,” directly affecting things such as curbside pickup and truck deliveries.
“That convenience directly impacts sales volume, service efficiency and ultimately the sales taxes and jobs that these businesses generate,” Landry said.
Trustee Sarah DeVore noted that there was a lot riding on this decision.
“We’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money for consultants to tell us how we need to develop. Once this building goes up, this will outlive everyone making these decisions today,” she said. “What we agree to today … is going to shape the way everything south of Marietta looks.”
“I love the smell of development,” added Trustee Teresa Symmonds. “But I also love the smell of the correct and right development. I think that we can negotiate something here.”
Following a two-week deferral, the parties were able to meet in the middle.
Stevenson did urge the Village to focus more on sales tax-producing businesses and the construction of structures that can be repurposed as the local economy evolves.
“That’s why we’re stuck with the CVS and the other buildings, because they were never built with any intention they’d need to be repurposed … They almost always need to be,” she said while adding that remote work has dramatically altered the office-building landscape. “Sales tax, not service businesses, is what drives the economy of the Heights.”
The Zoning Board had earlier denied the zoning variance because it was not consistent with the Village’s Overlay District and zoning code. Developer Ciaron Graham was available to answer the Board’s questions and said that fundamentally, his tenants, whether they be an accounting firm or a restaurant, “want their people walking in the front door. … This is what the businesses who want to rent from us are asking.”
Beyond that, the natural slope of the lot and the Village’s desire for more windows and more of a shop-front feel also pose a construction challenge, Graham said in response to trustee questions about the proposed appearance and positioning of the building on the property.
“We are taking significant financial risk to make this project successful,” he said. “We’re trying to make everybody happy, we really are.
“There’s going to be an economic impact to the Village of Peoria Heights that’s going to be really beneficial.”
In other action or discussion:
The Village accepted the resignation of Mary Phillips from the Peoria Heights Fire Pension Board “with regret” and named Dr. Ethan Lynn to fill that vacancy. The term expires in 2027. Lynn is most well known in the Heights for his spearheading efforts to plant a wildflower garden at Poplar Lane Park.
The Board approved a new contract for engineering and community development services with Thouvenot, Wade, & Moerchen, Inc. (TWM), with engineer Mark Lee specifically assigned to the Village. Lee succeeds previous Community Services Director Wayne Aldrich, who was with Farnsworth Group.
The hourly billing rate will be set at $190 for 2026, with inflationary increases starting in 2027. Lee will devote approximately 12 hours per week to the Village for assistance regarding oversight of Village infrastructure projects including stormwater and transportation, coordination with water consultant Woodard & Curran, redevelopment projects in the Village’s Business District, representation with the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and grant applications, among other assignments.
The mayor had praise for Aldrich and his work but said “this represents a vote of confidence in Mark,” who had been filling in for Aldrich since last June, when the latter took a leave of absence.
“So this is just a brand new contract with no strings attached for $85 less an hour with the same guy,” noted Steinwedel. “OK.”
“Keep the momentum going,” said DeVore.
Peoria Heights Police Chief Chris Ahart is stepping down from the Village’s seat on the CityLink/Greater Peoria Mass Transit District Board after six years there. The mayor then appointed Jake Ford to that board seat, with the Board’s seal of approval. He will serve until 2027. Ford is the policy and political director for 16th District Congressman Darin LaHood.
“He’s made it an extremely smooth transition,” Ford said of Ahart. “Big shoes to fill.”
The Board approved the use of Tower Park on multiple upcoming dates. Those include the Kiwanis Club Cycle into Spring event on April 26; the Chamber of Commerce’s Hot in the Heights event on May 28; the River Valley Big Band on June 19, July 17 and Aug. 21; and the Red Sneakers 5K on Oct. 17.
The Board discussed timing Village traffic lights to accommodate fire trucks and other emergency service vehicles, specifically the signal at Glen Avenue and Prospect Road at Village Hall.
“If seconds matter in a fire, those traffic lights should be facilitating the quickest route to it,” said Trustee Brandon Wisenburg.
Trustee Symmonds also suggested putting a four-way stop sign at Prospect and Duryea, as it’s difficult to turn south on Prospect from Duryea given the visual obstructions there. Village Administrator Dustin Sutton said the issue could be revisited but in the past has always gotten bogged down over the flow of traffic on Prospect and how many stops there should be.