Andy Kravetz and Sandra Chapman
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Members of the Peoria City Council could sign off on a pilot program that would supply fencing and a temporary sidewalk to businesses around Downtown Peoria to promote outdoor dining.
The plan costs $155,000 and comes from the city’s COVID-19 relief bank account which was awarded a few years ago. Four businesses including the Neon Bison, will participate in the one-year program.
Besides the Neon Bison, Ardor Breads and Provisions, Ulrich’s Rebellion Room and
Kickback on Fulton are also participating.
Kimberly Richardson, the city’s assistant city manager, said the idea started several years ago when a “parklet” was put outside an ice cream store on West Main Street. The idea was to mimic what was and still is widely successful in Peoria Heights — expanding seating for restaurants by allowing them to put temporary seating in parking spaces.
But after City Hall hired a consultant and met with its own staff, they decided that wasn’t safe for the Downtown where cars go faster. Enter sidewalk cafes.
The fencing, which is city-owned, will be loaned to the businesses for the spring, summer and early fall. Then city workers will come and pick it up to store it for the following year either for another group of businesses, the same ones or a different program altogether, Richardson said.
Ulrich’s and the Neon Bison, which is moving to be neighbors of Ulrich’s, will also have another feature — a ped-let. Think of a fenced-in sidewalk that will go where the parking spots on that side of the street once were.
While seating wasn’t deemed safe, the ped-let is fenced in, has planters that are designed to take some type of impact and other dividers that will protect pedestrians, Richardson said.
Those around the Horseshoe will take up the matter at their meeting on Tuesday.
