How many names of committees formed to draw new high paying jobs has Peoria gone thru in the last decade? How many different consultants have told us of our great potential?. A lot of wealth from private investors has poured into this effort. I have a file one half inch thick starting with Peoria Next and ending with TV advertising today. Names like "EXCELerate", Heartland Partnership, "Vision 2020", EDC, Civic Federation, Angels Group and the list goes on.
Somewhere around $31 million of taxpayer dollars went into the still questionable Warehouse District. I believe there are at least 200-300 empty commercial sites that newcomers could occupy. The riverfront "platform" that is now empty and waiting to be demolished at taxpayer expense, was predicted to be a big business draw to the area Now, funds providing, it is to be made into an addition to the existing riverfront park and play land.
The community leaders have built a lot of "big" city amenities but ALL of them have missed their projections. Caterpillars relocation of their headquarters is a huge loss but I believe in what I wrote that CAT had seen the "writing on the wall".
What can be further done. I've been asked and spoke but I am no longer a community leaders. In my 3300 posts on this site, one can find the answers.
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