A $561,000 engineering services agreement will lay the groundwork for a green infrastructure transformation of Spring Street in Peoria's North Valley.
Third District councilman Tim Riggenbach represents the area.
"Spring Street has the potential to be an incredible gateway to the riverfront for the North Valley, and I think it's important that we embrace this," Riggenbach said at the council's meeting on Tuesday.
The city received a $450,000 EPA community grant toward the Spring Street reconstruction project. Baxter and Woodman placed the winning bid for the city contract.
Public works director Rick Powers said the full project's cost is around $9.5 million, funded largely with federal dollars obtained through U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. He said the larger vision is to reclaim more of Peoria's riverfront for public usage.
The project is following the city's Complete Streets policy.
Rolling Acres STR denied
The Peoria City Council rejected a short-term rental application on Tuesday. Second District councilman Chuck Grayeb said he'd heard widespread opposition from Rolling Acres residents to the proposed rental at 5709 N. Hamilton Road. Grayeb asked Marsha Kutter to speak to the application. She lives next door to the house in question.
"I fear that the City of Peoria is leading us toward that tipping point with a short-sighted desire for sources of immediate revenue," she said. "We need long-term residents in Rolling Acres that will live in the subdivision for far more than 30 days."
At-large councilman John Kelly was the sole vote opposing a denial. He said he's sympathetic to neighborhood concerns, but the council needs to follow the rules it's set, or change them.
