Parking, tax revenues are top concerns with Peoria Heights pump house proposals
Peoria Heights Village Board members heard pitches for the future of the village's historic pump house on Thursday, questioning interested developers on how their plans would impact key issues such as parking and the vibe of the neighborhood.
The two entities competing for the pump house are Bradley University and the owners of Slow Hand BBQ and Pour Bros. Taproom.
Bradley would like to turn the space into a shared commercial kitchen for up-and-coming food entrepreneurs to utilize.
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Rob Mathisen, the co-owner of Slow Hand BBQ and Pour Bros. Taproom, would like to convert the pump house into a cafe.
A third proposal to turn the building into office spaces is no longer on the table.
Peoria Heights Mayor Mike Phelan told the presenters the village was looking for a development that generates property tax revenue and would be a good fit for the neighborhood.
Mathisen's proposal would generate both sales tax and property tax revenue for Peoria Heights, but there were concerns raised about how plans to hold nighttime events at the site would impact the surrounding neighborhood.
Mathisen said if selected he would work with neighbors to address any concerns they had and would always be a phone call away if problems arose. However, he did reiterate that holding private nighttime events for up to 50 people would be a key aspect of the proposed Tower Park Cafe.
The nighttime events would not include any amplified music, Mathisen said, and at most could include an acoustic guitar.
Mathisen asked the Village Board to approve a $500-a-month lease with them with a 12-month grace period on payments so their business could "open the right way."
He said the cafe will not be a key source of revenue for him and he instead would like to see the project perfected. By not paying rent to start the lease, Mathisen said that would allow the business to not have to push big events at its inception.
Mathisen said they are asking for a very favorable lease but the cafe is a "passion project" for him, and for it to be done in the manner the Heights deserves, there would have to be "give and take" between his business and the village.
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The chief concern around the Bradley University idea, which would partner with longtime Peoria caterer Connie Randall, was whether the project would generate tax revenue for the village. If the Bradley development is listed as a non-profit, it would be exempt from paying property taxes.
Bradley's representative Jim Foley, who heads the school's Turner Center for Entrepreneurship, said a non-profit model for the project would be "critical" so costs for the businesses using the commercial kitchen could stay low.
Both Bradley and Mathisen would likely ask the village for use of tax-increment financing funds to do renovations inside the pump house, which is owned by the village.
A new fire suppression system is needed inside and would cost between $7,000 and $10,000. Certain aspects of the pump house are also not entirely Americans With Disabilities Act compliant, which would add another renovation cost to the building.
The pump house had most recently been home to a popcorn and candy shop that operated for less than a year. For decades before that, it was a water pump house that sent water to the Pabst Brewery.
Peoria Heights has not set a date to make a final decision.
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Heights considering two business proposals for pump house
