Peoria hotels

An initiative to create a taxing district aimed at boosting tourism and hotel stays in Peoria took a step forward this week. The proposal would impose a 1.5% tax on short-term hotel room rentals, with the proceeds used to support marketing and other programs aimed at attracting out-of-town visitors.

The future of a downtown Peoria hotel project appears clouded, with one of the associated properties back on the market.

A business associate of a former Peoria hotel owner has been sentenced to a decade in prison in connection with a $179 million loan scheme. Federal…