Major renovations to the Peoria County Courthouse plaza start next week.
According to a county spokesperson, contractors will put up fencing around the plaza and metered parking around the courthouse will be bagged and unavailable beginning Tuesday.
Three unmetered handicap parking spaces on Main, Hamilton and Jefferson will remain open during the project, barring deliveries or unexpected events related to the construction process.
The memorials near the courthouse, both the World War I and II memorial and the Final Salute memorial, will be inaccessible during the project. The public courthouse entrance on Northeast Jefferson Avenue will remain open.
The project is a massive overhaul of the block surrounding the courthouse, including changes to paver material, water jets, lighting, electrical and irrigation systems, benches, picnic tables and landscaping. The county board previously approved a $6.76 million bid from Core Construction Services of Illinois, Inc. The funding comes from one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
County staff and officials have said the overhaul project starts a shift from “frequent, reactive repairs” to the area to “predictable, preventative maintenance.”
Peoria County officials say the project is expected to be completed this fall. An agenda item from a Peoria County board meeting says the construction is intended to be finished by late September to coincide with festivities for the county’s bicentennial celebration.
