Plans to develop a $40 million industrial park along Galena Road on Peoria’s northeast side received another financial boost Friday.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, announced a $600,000 federal appropriation for the Galena Road Industrial Park project, joining Mayor Rita Ali and Peoria County Board chair Jimmy Dillon for a ceremonial check presentation at City Hall.
“This is real money coming back here that’s going to help with acquisition of land,” said LaHood. “It’s going to build out infrastructure there.
“So, when a company or a business wants to either expand there or come to Peoria, knowing that it’s shovel ready, knowing that the land has already been secured, knowing that there’s infrastructure in place there, it’s going to be a benefit to attracting that business or expanding that business.”
The announcement comes about a month after the project landed a $150,000 planning grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Regional Site Readiness program.
“We are very grateful for this investment in Peoria and for recognizing the importance of making sure our communities have the infrastructure they need to compete for new business and for new jobs, well-paying jobs,” said Ali.
“For Peoria, this funding is about something very simple: putting land back to work. We have land here that has the potential to support new businesses, new investments, and good jobs. But potential alone isn’t enough. Businesses need infrastructure; they need sites that are ready for development, and they need to know that a community is prepared to welcome them and to help them to grow.”
In his congressional directed spending requests for the Peoria area in 2024, LaHood originally sought $1 million for the Galena Road Industrial Park.
The project site is on the west side of Galena Road [Illinois 29], about a half-mile north of the Gardner Lane intersection. Earlier this year, the Peoria City Council rezoned the property from residential to industrial, and the location is within a dedicated tax increment financing district the city established in 2024.
“When the city and EDC [Greater Peoria Economic Development Council] brought this project to us, we looked at: How does the investment from the federal government work to build out this industrial space so that we can attract more businesses that can hire more people, have higher wages [and] reinvest in our community? We believe that every nickel of this $600,000 will go to achieve those goals,” said LaHood.
Preliminary designs presented by the Farnsworth Group call for seven buildings totaling between 520,000-565,000 square feet, covered parking lots with solar panels, and flex space to accommodate shipping and loading needs.
A roundabout with integrated patio spaces would allow for outside dining, food trucks and farmers markets, while existing agricultural buildings in the area would be retained to reflect the location’s former usage.
“I don’t know if that’s what this will be, but at least it gives everybody an idea of what is possible,” said Dillon. “Sometimes you just have to dream of what can be, and this is showing that.”
