WEST PEORIA, Ill. – The city of West Peoria is outgrowing the only building its city hall has ever been housed in.
“The clerk’s office is really small. The mayor’s office and the administrator’s office will basically share the same desk. And then with our code enforcement office, they’re out in a cubicle,” says West Peoria Mayor James R. Dillon.
Dillon says the building, located near the corner of Rohmann and Sterling, is also used as a community center. It also is the home of the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
The city has used the building since its formation in the mid-90’s. To get a bigger space, the city obtained the former Busey Bank location, just a few steps away from the current city hall, around a year ago.
Dillon says demolition of the former bank started on Monday morning, with the bank’s vault, parking lot, foundation, and street curbs needing work as well.
The city is also meeting with an architect this week to discuss what the building will look like. Dillon says the interior of the new city hall has been mostly settled.
“We need to decide on what the outside will look like. And we want to be able to have an area outside where we can have some community events. And we want to make sure we have enough parking for the employees and for the residents,” Dillon said.
Dillon says the plan is to continue having city hall serve as a community center in the new building.
He is hopeful to start construction on the new city hall building in the spring, and have it be usable by the end of next year, with full completion by spring 2025. The estimated cost of construction is around $3 million.
