Dozens of Peoria residents voiced concerns Tuesday about a proposed apartment complex along the Illinois River.
The city held a public input meeting on the proposed River Trail Apartment project near the RiverPlex. Dozens of residents, like Laura Bertsch, expressed concern that the city is giving up limited valuable green space in the downtown if the project goes through:
“It’s one of the few central locations we have for this.”
The City Council takes up one step in the proposed project later this month. City Assistant Manager Chris Setti says other recreational land will be used to compensate for the apartment complex:
“So it’s not just finding 16 vacant lots, you know in a part of town and calling it an open space. It has to be a park.”
Setti says there's no guarantee that other open space would be near the riverfront. Some residents say the project would attract more young people to the downtown and mean more tax revenue.