Washington Plaza is getting a makeover, fueled in large part by an estimated $500,000 investment by the City of Washington.
A development agreement with shopping center owner Sam Tayabali of Washington Plaza Management, approved this week by the Washington City Council, features the creation of a quarter-acre green space that can be used by families and for events.
Additionally, the pothole-filled plaza parking lot will be resurfaced.
The idea is to transform the more than 50-year-old, nearly 100,000-square-foot, 12-acre plaza at the corner of Washington Road and Summit Drive into a destination for shopping and community gatherings.
"This is an opportunity to shine the light on another economic engine of our town," Alderperson Brandon Moss said during Monday's meeting.
Alderperson Bobby Martin III chairs the city's Economic Development Commission, which has been a driving force behind the planned plaza improvements.
"We've talked about putting in this green space for a long time. Now's the time to put our money where our mouth is," he said. "A business that plans to open near the green space will install outdoor bathrooms there."
Martin said it's possible the plaza could go back to its original name, Sunnyland Plaza, which is what it's called by most Washington residents.
Sunnyland Plaza was the shopping center's name in 1971, when its first business, a Super X Drug Store, opened there. The plaza became Washington Plaza around 2014.
Renaming the plaza is Tayabali's call. He purchased the shopping center for nearly $2.2 million in a 2025 auction.
"I think he is open to it [changing the name], but as of right now, he calls it Washington Plaza," Martin said in response to a question from Alderperson Jamie Smith. "But he's open to almost anything,"
Under the terms of the agreement, Washington Plaza Management will donate land to the city for the green space that will be maintained by the city.
Washington will install water, electric, sanitary sewer and stormwater infrastructure in the plaza; provide a $50,000 business improvement grant for parking lot resurfacing; and provide a revolving loan fund of up to $85,000 for site improvements.
The council's anticipated approval of a proposed Business Development District with a 0.25% BBD sales tax would provide funding for the city to be reimbursed for all of its infrastructure expenses.
Washington Plaza Management must improve the parking lot, tackling the worst areas immediately; install security cameras with around the clock remote access by the Washington Police Department that monitor the green space and parking lot; and contribute to the stormwater drainage and detention improvements.
Washington Plaza has ridden an economic roller-coaster over its history. Its low point was 2007, when only two or three businesses were located there.
For a complete list of the businesses that have called Washington Plaza home, see the Washington Rewind website.
In another Washington Plaza-related item, Mayor Lilija Stevens said she will hold her monthly "Let's Talk Washington" informal discussion session from 3-4 p.m. June 24 at the Washington District Library's Sunnyland branch, which has been at the plaza since 2002.
City Administrator Jeff Fiegenschuh and Martin also will be at the session.
A vacancy on the EDC was filled this week when the council approved Stevens' appointment of former Washington restaurant owner Maria Taylor. Taylor now teaches Spanish at Washington Community High School.
Social media rules
The council approved a social media policy this week that dictates how city accounts are created, managed, moderated and archived while assuring compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
The policy's "public engagement and commenting" section notes that city accounts will have a limited public forum, allowing discussion only on city services, programs, events and community matters, with viewpoint-neutral moderation standards.
Content that may be removed includes spam, threats, harassment, unlawful posts, commercial solicitations, and comments unrelated to the purpose of the accounts.
An appeal process will be established for users who believe their content was improperly removed.
The policy will go into effect July 1.
Downtown square project
The council this week amended a tax increment financing [TIF] agreement with a downtown square business and paid a business owner who was awarded a city business improvement grant last year.
Sixty days were added to the required June 30 completion date for a TIF-supported renovation project at 104-106 N. Main Street, that was formerly Fosters Jewelry.
The extension was requested by the building owner because the project manager discovered wood rot and mortar failure that must be addressed before work can continue.
Constructed in 1920, the building is currently occupied by Mud Creek Mercantile, which opened in December.
A business improvement grant reimbursement of nearly $19,000 was awarded to Kristi LaHood Cape, owner of Countryside Banquet & Catering on School Street, for a more than $37,800 project to replace front and side exterior doors.
Cape was awarded the grant in August 2025. She needed to provide invoices for the completed project to receive the grant funding.
No trucks
Two traffic issues were resolved this week by the council.
A truck or commercial vehicle with a load of more than four tons cannot be driven on Jefferson Street from Lawndale Avenue to Wilmor Road, except the portion of Jefferson between Main and Wood streets.
The westbound approach of Herman Essig Drive at its intersection with the north/south portion of Herman Essig Drive was designated a stop intersection. The north/south portion was designated a through street at the intersection.
Police car totaled
Here are highlights from department heads' reports:
- A police patrol vehicle that was damaged last month during the explosion and fire incident on Mallard Lane is a total loss. A replacement vehicle has been ordered.
- Restoration work on the historic Candlewood Bridge should be completed by mid- to late July.
- The combined project between the city and Washington High School to replace 1,200 feet of sidewalk from the high school parking lot on Jefferson Street to Wilmor Street is expected to be completed this week. The new sidewalk will be six feet wide.
- The July Planning & Zoning Commission meeting will include a variance request from Civic Digital Displays of East Peoria to place a 7-by-21-foot billboard within the Washington Plaza ground sign, and a request from Greg and Heather Longfellow to rezone 640 N. Cummings Lane from light industrial to general retail with a special use to allow a church to be located on the property.
- Rachel Plasch has been hired as the city's communications coordinator/assistant to the city administrator, a new position. She'll begin July 1. Plasch is currently employed at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove.
