Through two separate state grant awards, the City of Peoria is receiving $500,000 for a home repairs program and another $1.36 million to continue addressing auto-related crimes.
The Peoria City Council voted unanimously to accept both allocations as the only regular items on the agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting.
The $500,000 grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority [IHDA] is part of the second round of the Home Repair and Accessibility Program.
The funding will help the city cover the cost of 26 roof repairs or replacements for some low-income households.
Community Development Director Joe Dulin said Peoria received $300,000 in the first round of the program and was able to replace 16 roofs.
“The nice part about this specific grant is we were not limited to a geographical area when we applied for the grant,” said Dulin. “The first grant was specifically in the East Bluff in the south end, and this grant allows us to do additional roofs throughout the entire city for income eligible residents.”
Applicants must be at or below 80% of the area median income, with preference for those under 50%. The funds would be available to residents starting in mid-September.
“We specifically focus on roofs because it’s very important,” said Dulin. “It’s a very large expense for an income-eligible property owner to be able to invest in the roof, but it makes such a big difference in keeping the property sustainable for many years to come.”
The $1.36 million for the Greater Peoria Auto Crimes Taskforce [GPACT] is a continuation grant in collaboration with the Illinois Secretary of State Police that was originally awarded in 2023 to form the multi-jurisdictional investigative and prosecutorial unit.
“This falls directly under our community safety strategic goal of investing in crime reduction programs and collaborative initiatives,” said Police Chief Eric Echevarria.
“Our motor vehicle thefts have gone down by almost 50% from 2024 to ’25, and recovery rates have gone up from ’24 to ’25 by 13%. So, there’s quite a bit of work that’s happening at the police department.”
The task force funding goes to both the city and Peoria County for targeting such crimes as auto thefts, carjackings, chop shops and vehicle insurance fraud. The grant money will cover personnel, equipment and travel costs.
Both grant acceptance measures also required a vote on amending the city’s revised 2025 budget to account for receipt of the money into the general fund.
Main Street mixed-use property
A developer is planning to convert a pair of vacant downtown storefronts at 315 Main St. into three residential units and one commercial space.
The $2.25 million plan from Curiousnomad LLC was approved without further discussion as part of the council’s consent agenda, with a request for a 100% tax increment financing reimbursement over the life of the Downtown Conservation District TIF.
That reimbursement will be used to cover the costs for a new water supply line and other plumbing and fire suppression systems, not to exceed $65,000. Annual payments will begin only once the property generates tax increment.
The renovation will result in a single one-bedroom loft and two studio lofts on the second floor. Original walls and ceiling beams will be exposed to restore historic feel, while the exterior will be preserved, apart from removal of faded canopies, to showcase the building’s character.
Sewer pipe replacement
Also as part of the consent agenda, the council approved a $613,000 contract with Pipco Companies to replace 1,140 feet of sewer pipes at 16 locations across the city.
Inspections over the past three years identified the pipes, inlets and manholes that were in need of replacement. The locations are all within the public right-of-way.
Pipco’s bid on the project was the lowest of four received, coming in about $37,000 above the engineer’s estimate. The project is funded with stormwater utility funds through the city’s Community Investment Plan.
Other business
The only proclamation of the meeting recognized Peoria Public Schools’ first group of middle school students to participate in the 2025 National Speech and Debate Tournament, prompting a standing ovation from the gallery.
Mayor Rita Ali took a moment to acknowledge the death of former council member Nathaniel LeDoux, 89, who died of injuries suffered in a car accident weeks ago in Henderson, Nevada. LeDoux served as an at-large representative from 1991-95.
Council member Alex Carmona, a professional artist, pulled two separate items off the consent agenda related to the placement of temporary murals on the Jefferson Avenue and Water Street parking decks.
“Public art can sometimes be controversial to some people, especially in a historic city like ours; we really want to protect the look and feel and preserve our history. But public art does a lot of really crazy things to cities,” said Carmona.
“Public art breathes life into neglected areas. It promotes community and engagement, and if you go to any thriving city around the United States, you’ll see art everywhere.”
Carmona also said the city should look into putting “actual painted murals” on some buildings. Both mural placements on the agenda were approved unanimously.
Council member John Kelly also removed an item to receive and file a request to increase the threshold for purchasing contracts that can be approved by the city manager to $45,000, in accordance with an annual Consumer Price Index adjustment.
“In 2012, we changed the ordinance to the purchasing ordinance to escalate with the CPI. So, it’s been escalating with the CPI, [and] this is the amount that it would be at this point in time,” explained City Manager Patrick Urich before the council’s unanimous approval.
Items remaining the approved consent agenda included separate amendments to the city’s whistleblower protection policy and the tree and shrub maintenance guidelines, as discussed on first readings at the July 8 meeting, and spending nearly $63,000 for a police department property room inventory and process audit.
