Greater Peoria Economic Development Council

The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce is getting a $500,000 state grant for its initiative to boost the region’s population. Chamber president Joshua Gunn says the funding will boost the collaborative “Greater Peoria 2030” strategy to make the region a preferred destination.

A recent agreement approved by the Peoria City Council may be the first of its kind in Illinois — putting Peoria on the map as a so-called “smart city.”

A proposed wind farm in northern Peoria County would be the first one within the county boundaries. Reporter Joe Deacon talks with Greater Peoria Economic Development Council CEO Chris Setti about the potential economic benefits of bringing a wind farm to Peoria County.

The Peoria area's three major institutions of higher learning are embarking on a major initiative to train up more than 1,000 skilled information technology workers over the next three years.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of Americans to switch to online work environments and virtual learning, and many learned quickly that sharing internet access with multiple devices was a challenge.Seeing that this problem will not go away anytime soon without action, Peoria and Woodford Counties are joining the Accelerate Illinois Broadband Infrastructure Planning Program to improve broadband.

The Peoria metropolitan area is shrinking in population, with the combination of deaths outnumbering births and more people moving away, resulting in a decline of close to 3,000 people between 2020 and 2021.

After several years of relative dormancy, the state's public-private business attraction agency is coming back with a new strategy to lure certain out-of state companies to the Land of Lincoln.

Lenora Fisher is the director of business attraction for the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council.

New data show wages for food service workers in Greater Peoria have risen sharply in the past year — although workers in most other industries are seeing inflation gobble up more modest wage gains.

It's been more than three years since plans for a downtown Peoria innovation hub were first announced. What's happening there now?