In a perfect world, they say they'd fix it all.
But hard economic times and a subsequent stall in state funding make it not so.
So Peoria City council members had to choose Tuesday whether to recommend the city move forward on the Washington Street Improvement Project near the up and coming Riverfront museum or further south in the city's Warehouse District.
We would if we could, but we can't.
That message was repeated several times at Peoria City Hall Tuesday.
Peoria city officials say the problem lies largely in state funding- or a lack thereof.
Delivery of more than $10 million in funding for the project, has now been put off until 2017.
In addition, the cost of the project has gone up- from $16 million to an estimated $27.5 million.
So council members had to choose where to recommend the work start, and many did.
"We have essentially made this choice already. Much of what we did, in the conversations we've had with the state, has been about the warehouse district," said at-Large councilman Ryan Spain.
"We get the bigger bang for our bucks by developing the opportunity to bring people back downtown," added at-Large councilman Gary Sandberg. "Private development that will be paying taxes."
Council members narrowed the scope even more by suggesting the work start at the intersection of Harrison and Washington and work its way south.
No official action was taken Tuesday. City officials were asked to assemble more detailed plans, including finding additional funding, and present them within 30 days.
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