Downtown Peoria

A patch of land along the Illinois River between the Murray Baker Bridge and the Peoria RiverPlex is officially on track to become the location of an outdoor amphitheater.

With work underway on the Catholic Diocese of Peoria’s project to transform the former Spalding Institute into a new facility honoring the life and legacy of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, current Bishop Louis Tylka is restoring the Sheen Foundation Advisory Board.

Developers plan to revitalize a prominent downtown Peoria block by expanding one restaurant and bar, and adding two more.

Bradley University President James Shadid touted the gateway and its potential impact at Thursday’s Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce Thanksgiving Luncheon, a week after the university announced the project in an email to students, staff and alumni.

Plans to convert a vacant former mental health facility and homeless shelter near the south end of Peoria’s Warehouse District into a 12-bedroom halfway house for parolees are on hold for at least three weeks.

The announcement comes in conjunction with the unveiling of George Washington's hand-written, first presidential proclamation declaring the Thanksgiving holiday.

A weekend confrontation between Peoria Police officers trying to assist a gunshot victim and a crowd of more than 50 bystanders has led to multiple arrests, prompted a statement from the mayor, and drawn scrutiny from a civil rights organization.

A national gaming, entertainment and tech festival is coming to downtown Peoria beginning next year, with organizers expecting to attract tens of thousands of guests.

Coming off a record-breaking year, the Peoria Civic Center is bracing for a significant dropoff in 2026 amid industry challenges and a major improvement project planned for next summer.

Peoria City Council members are getting their first looks at the city staff's proposed two-year budget. The recommended spending plan has 2026 anticipated expenses of $301 million and projected revenues of $298 million.