Build The Block
'Location:
The Block is the seven-acre downtown Peoria riverfront area bordered by Washington, Main, Water and Liberty streets.
Elements:
The Block will be a unique, eco-friendly destination that combines the Caterpillar Experience, Peoria Riverfront Museum, inviting green space and retail/commercial prospects to offer education, arts, entertainment and recreation for people of all ages.
The Caterpillar Experience will be a 50,000-square-foot facility where local residents and visitors can learn more about Caterpillar products, services and people.
The Riverfront Museum will be a collaboration of Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria Regional Museum Society, Peoria Historical Society, African American Hall of Fame and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).
The 81,000-square-foot Riverfront Museum will feature a wide array of exhibits—many interactive—in the areas of art, history, science and achievement, plus a state-of-the-art planetarium and I-MAX theater, class rooms, art studios, a café, meeting rooms and offices.
The Block’s structures and landscaping will incorporate “green” practices and materials whenever possible.
The Block’s park-like plaza will include a bioswale, which uses native hardy grasses and moisture-tolerant wildflowers to slow and filter water run-off, making better use of the water and naturally removing pollutants before any excess flows to the Illinois River.
The Block will embrace the concepts of new urbanism to encourage a scenic, walkable community where people live, work and enjoy leisure activities.
Benefits:
The Block’s learning, entertainment, cultural and recreational opportunities will draw an estimated 360,000 visitors annually.
The Block will add an estimated $7 million to $14 million annually to the local economy.
The Block will enhance Peoria’s standing as a great place to live, work and play, serving as a catalyst for downtown redevelopment and an attraction to people who drive a knowledge-based economy.
Time Table:
Groundbreaking for The Block is scheduled for July 2010.
The Block’s grand opening target date is September 2012.
Funding:
The budget for The Block is $136 million.
Nearly $89 million—or nearly 65%—has been raised (as of August 1st, 2008) through both private and public funds.
Additional private and public contributions are needed to fund the remaining 35% of the project and allow The Block to move forward. See Funding Progress for more details.