Congressional earmarks are back after a decade-long absence, and Central Illinois lawmakers are requesting federal funds for infrastructure projects back home.
Majority Democrats on Capitol Hill have revived the discretionary district spending under the new monikers "member designated projects" and "community projects funding."
Republicans abolished the practice back in 2011, but the latest cycle of earmarks is drawing bipartisan interest.
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, is requesting $57 million worth of projects for her 17th Congressional District, while U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, is asking for $92 million for the 18th.
Slices of Peoria fall within both of those districts. Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich said several of the items included were on the region's legislative agenda.
"When we heard that there were going to be the member designated projects, and then the community projects, we wanted to make sure that we submitted requests to both Congresswoman Bustos and Congressman LaHood," Urich said.
Some of the items have long been city priorities, such as the $1 million Bustos is requesting for demolition of the old Harrison School on West Krause Avenue in South Peoria.
For the last several years, the city has been entangled in demolition court with a succession of owners over the blighted old school. That's left the structure — too dilapidated for repairs — in a state of legal limbo.
Bustos also is asking for $5 million to convert downtown Adams and Jefferson streets into two-way roadways. It's believed doing so will slow traffic down and make downtown more pedestrian and bike-friendly.
"It's a project that's currently funded through the City of Peoria right now, and with some federal funds that are coming in," Urich said. "But we need additional funding to really make the project move forward."
In the 18th Congressional District, LaHood is requesting $5 million for continued reconstruction on Pioneer Parkway, and reconstructing the intersections at Allen Road, University Street, and Harker Drive. The Allen Road work is a prerequisite for a future project to extend Pioneer Parkway to Illinois Route 91.
"It won't get everything completely constructed, but we're hopeful that this will move us in the right direction," Urich said.
LaHood also is asking for $1.17 million for work along Galena Road in Peoria and Peoria Heights, from north of the McClugage Bridge to Gardner Lane, near Forest Park Nature Center. This would include a bi-directional turn lane, new retaining walls, and a new multi-use path providing a new connection to the nearby Rock Island Trail.
Additional earmarks include $8 million for Peoria County to convert Sheridan Road into an urban three-lane roadway with a center bi-directional turn lane, $4.4 million to improve 8.8 miles of Cameron Lane, and separate $4.5 million requests from Bustos and LaHood for the Peoria Ag Lab.
Click here to view LaHood's requests, or here to view Bustos'.
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