office space

Chris Waible is nearly four months into his new position as the president and CEO of Peoria's nonprofit Downtown Development Corporation. He joins the effort to restore vibrancy to Peoria's downtown amid a glut of vacant office space and a need for reinvestment — an opportunity he's eager to tackle.

It's been more than two months since the Peoria Fire Department closed the Riverview Plaza high-rise downtown. Many tenants have since moved out of the building, and city officials still aren't sure when repairs might get done.

Federal officials say the city of Rockford will receive $700,000 to redevelop a 22-acre industrial site.Rockford officials plan to use the revolving loan…