Rita Ali

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali remains steadfast in her belief that the planned Phoenix Manor permanent supportive housing development on the South Side ultimately will benefit the neighborhood.

The Peoria City Council has given initial approval for a $29 million permanent supportive housing complex for homeless families on the city’s South Side. Mayor Rita Ali said the Phoenix Manor development is a key step toward revitalizing the area.

A proposed 48-unit apartment complex at the site of the former Harrison School on Peoria's South Side would assist families transitioning out of homelessness, but residents who live in the vicinity feel the location is not the right place for such a development.

Advocates for a dedicated senior center in Peoria are applauding the decision to formally establish an ad hoc township committee to study the feasibility.

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.

Peoria City Council member Denise Jackson is advocating for regulations mandating 24-hour security staffing at apartment complexes with more than 50 rental units.

Several public housing buildings on Peoria’s South Side could be slated for demolition in hopes of creating an opportunity for continued neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Visitors to a section of Peoria’s Warehouse District will find things a touch brighter now. Twelve strands of string lights spanning the 800 block of SW Adams Street are in place and functional, completing a placemaking collaboration.

Peoria is considering a change to the city code that would govern home-based free distribution of food, clothing and other household items.

The City of Peoria will spend about $500,000 a year to hire six civilian community service officers aimed at boosting the police department’s daytime security presence downtown.