Both Caterpillar and the City of Peoria are exploring possibilities to change the central business district. It’s part of an effort to craft a streetscape plan as Caterpillar plans for a new world headquarters:
Cat-hired consultants OJB led a public meeting last week along with city officials. Proposals include adding more green space by the Civic Center, possibly adding bicycle lanes on Adams Street and Jefferson Avenue and turning parts of Fayette Street into two-way traffic. City Public Works Director Mike Rogers says the public should be involved in initial visions for the downtown:
“The engineers get in a room, start saying this will work, this will work, then we go out to a community meeting and say ‘This is what you’re going to get.’ Well that’s not how things should work."
Rogers says the city is already doing some things the consultant is recommending, like adding diagonal parking and methods to reduce stormwater runoff. He says he wants future public meetings to also tie in elements of the riverfront as part of the business district.