All Things Must Pass

"Daylight is good at arriving at the right time." As true as it was when George Harrison recorded it in 1969, all things must pass. I, too, must be on my way. In the case of this blog and my company, it won't necessarily end, but it has grown beyond the keyboard. Last week, I …

The Eve Of Destruction (Updated)

It was over a year and a half ago, I wrote about the state of Pekin's West Campus, an iconic civic structure in the heart of Pekin, Illinois. Although it received nomination by Landmarks Illinois as one of the Top Ten Most Endangered Landmarks of 2012, the looming fate of demolition hung over it. As …

Wait For Something Better

Last month I quietly released the conclusion of my GO URBAN project at the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference that was being held in Peoria. As one of the presenters of this 3-day affair, I figured it was a fitting conclusion to something I had spent 6 months of thought, mental anguish, numerous band-aids,  and more …

Middle Ground

Like a radio DJ, I take requests. With the recent uproar here in Peoria about Walmart wanting to develop a Supercenter on park grounds in the middle of the city, I'd like to put my spin on the record. Before we go on, no, this is not another attempt to bash Walmart. I'm not too …

Build The Block

Having experienced the new Peoria Riverfront Museum and Caterpillar Visitors Center in various capacities now, I feel it is time for me to put my spin on it. Saturday night, the wife and I took in the evening showing of Skyfall at the Giant Screen Theater - which by the way, is aptly named. We managed to wait months after …

Playin’ With Proposals

The City of Peoria recently issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the use of the Powell Press Building located at 110 NE Water Street in sunny Peoria, Illinois. Since I cross paths with this building on a frequent basis, I thought I might chime in my own ideas of development while opening up the forum …

The Great Deception

To my delight, upon moving to the Peoria Metro Area roughly one and half years ago, I had come across in many newspaper articles and heard talk that there was a New Urbanist development, led by Cullinan Properties and supported by the local city government that was about to take place in East Peoria, Illinois. …

Renaissance or Ruination?

When the Pekin Mall opened its doors for business on September 20, 1972, it opened with 53 stores and space for 3,150 cars. At the time of the grand opening, the mall boasted four anchor stores: Bergner’s, J.C. Penney, Murphy Mart, and A&P Food. It was a new era, a time of excitement, and the …

Warning Track Power

Peoria has a big complex, err... coming to town. Like most area residents, news that happens in Peoria or around it is done with cannonball into the pool type fashion. You don't hear it, or see it coming, you just feel the giant splash of water after the fact. Such is the case with the …

Corner Shop Car-ma

This image from the CARLI Digital Collection really highlights the difference between the way buildings can act. In the picture above, people interact with the building and linger around enjoying their coffee, lunch, or popcorn. As the back of the image reads: Cavadas - 201 North Jefferson. North corner of Jefferson and Hamilton, " in …

One Way Love

Sixty some odd years ago, a decision was made to change the streets of Capitol and Fourth in Pekin from two-ways leading in and out of downtown to one-way. The thinking went: traffic is congested, wouldn't it just be easier to turn these to one-ways and people can move from downtown to their destinations faster? Everyone …

It’s Begining To Look A Lot Like

Washington St. Pekin, Illinois  

Will Walk For Food

Food and water are essential human needs, but how far will you walk to meet those needs? I don't mean if you're starving or setting up some sort of physical challenge for you to take. But realistically, how far will you walk on a daily or weekly basis to pick up the staples on your …