The Warehouse District in downtown Peoria will soon have a new tenant. The owners of Running Central announced they are re-locating from Peoria Heights back to Peoria as early as April.
The specialty running store originally opened on Main Street in Peoria six years ago, but left in 2011 to expand. The new location will be on the first floor of the former Illinois Antique Center along the riverfront. The move will allow Running Central to nearly triple its showroom space and better serve customers around the region.
Owner, Adam White, says he plans to invest about one-and-a-half-million dollars into the Riverfront location.
"It's scary. We're not cavalier about that. We understand that that's, for any business, that's a sizeable investment. We don't have a crystal ball. You canvass. You look at the community that you're serving and you make the most educated well thought-through decisions that you possibly can, and there's always a degree of risk. But we believe that this move, the Warehouse District, is worth every penny of that risk."
White says Running Central currently has 15 full-time employees and plans to add five more before the move. The goal is to employ 30 full-time staff members and 20 part-time within three years.
The Peoria City Council plans to vote next week on a re-development agreement with Running Central for the re-location. The store is located in a TIF district.