The Peoria Planning and Zoning Commission has unanimously approved a proposal to convert the former Methodist College building on St. Marks Court into 55 permanent supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness.
Phoenix Community Development Services (PCDS) is seeking to leverage money through the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to convert the seven-story structure into 25 three-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units, 10 one-bedroom units, and 10 studio units.
The Phase I application proposing the concept received approval from the IHDA, opening it up for a full application for funding consideration.
PCDS director Christine Kahl the project would "functionally end chronic family homelessness in our community."
"The family units that would be brought on would be sufficient to eliminate the wait list for the families that are on that wait list," Kahl said. "And then the studio and one-bedroom apartments would make a significant dent in the wait list of individuals that are sitting on that wait list."
Kahl said tenants would be leaseholders in a landlord/tenant relationship with PCDS.
Kahl said the building would have "robust" controlled access, and paraprofessionals on-site 24/7. PCDS has similar supportive housing with 24/7 staff at the 84-unit New Hope Apartments on NE Jefferson and the 14-unit Veterans' Haven Adult Living Center on Monroe.
The project received 27 letters of support, mostly from organizations and businesses around the city of Peoria.
Resident Karrie Alms provided a voice of dissent, criticizing Kahl and PCDS for not seeking community input from residents of the surrounding North Valley neighborhood before bringing the plan to the city.
"I am unable to determine if I would or would not be supportive of this project, as there has not been enough time to review this project," said Alms, noting she had concerns about the long-term sustainability of the concept, the process, and the "disparate impact on particular geographic areas due to project concentration."
Kahl acknowledged Phoenix Community Development Services hadn't reached out to neighbors yet. She said the process has moved very quickly.
"We just did not do that," she said.
Planning and Zoning chairman Mike Wiesehan wished Kahl good luck on the project, but also noted neighborhood input is important to gather for projects like these.
The Planning and Zoning Commission's approval was conditional on re-striping the parking lot for improved handicap parking, adding six bicycle parking spaces, and building an enclosure to fence off the dumpsters. Waivers were granted for a sign along Spalding Avenue, and an alternative landscaping plan.
The project has the support of UnityPoint Health that has owned the building since 1988 and would sell the property at 415 St. Marks Court to PCDS after final approval.
The Peoria City Council is set to receive the proposal at its Nov. 23 meeting. If it moves forward, UnityPoint expects the grant and construction process to wrap up by mid-2023.
