A road and sidewalk rehabilitation project on Broadway Street in Pekin funded by a $3 million state grant is expected to begin next year.
Before that happens, the city needs to purchase about 40 pieces of property and easements, or obtain temporary easements, so required infrastructure work can be done.
The Pekin City Council on Monday approved having spending approximately $137,000 to acquire the land needed for the project, which will stretch from Parkway Drive to 14th Street.
The spending limit was set by the Illinois Department of Transportation [IDOT], with anything beyond that amount requiring council approval.
Council member Dave Nutter sounded skeptical the authorized funding will be enough.
"That seems like like an awfully low number," said Nutter. "I hope it's right. I really hope it's right. There are some big players [along that road]."
Those "big players" include businesses such as Kroger and Walgreens.
Josh Wray, the city's economic development director, said several of the targeted properties and easements are very small.
Council member Karen Hohimer challenged the large business owners on Broadway who will be receiving money from the city to donate some to the Center for Prevention of Abuse and the Children's Advocacy Center.
Mayor Mary Burress said she's been asked by many residents why the Broadway project is being done instead of completing the Derby Street rehabilitation project.
"When you get a state grant, it must be for a certain road at a certain time," she said.
The first part of the Derby project, from 14th to 8th Street, was completed in 2024. The remaining part runs from 8th to 2nd Street.
Work on the Broadway sidewalks will make them ADA-compliant.
Grand sale for Court property
Also Monday, the council approved selling a vacant former law office at 1024 Court Street to neighboring commercial property owner Nicole Pratt for $1,000. The city previously acquired the property so infrastructure work could be done in the area as part of the Court rehabilitation project.
In a separate action, the council authorized selling about eight acres of the Lutticken property to Michael and Alice Neville for about $15,500 per acre. The property, near Sheridan Road, is adjacent to the family's home.
Council member Jake Fletcher cast the lone "no" vote on each purchase. He said the public should have been informed about the prospective sales, especially the Court property.
"The land that [Pratt] bought for $1,000 isn't really going to do anyone any good except her, so maybe some negotiation should have been done instead of just taking the first offer," said Fletcher.
"The city bought that piece of property for the reconstruction of the intersection for safety. I understand the loss on the property. I just think it's probably worth more then $1,000 to a neighboring business."
Data center decision
Council member Peg Phillips brought up a topic that hadn't been mentioned in the council meeting room for a while: data centers.
"With all the recent news coming out about data centers, I must say the citizens were right," Phillips said about the data center opponents who spoke out at council meetings earlier this year about a data center proposal on the Lutticken property purchased by the city.
"The more I've learned, the more I feel good about the decision we made to not follow through with that development," she said.
