-POPULATION 31,000
When Pekin lost more population in the 2020 census than any other city in the region, city leadership decided it was time to work to revitalize after decades of commercial activity shifting out of downtown to outlying areas. Like so many small cities, it was left with empty storefronts, higher crime rates, and deteriorating historic buildings to preserve. Because the historic district is large and complex with long-standing challenges, city leadership sought an outside partner to evaluate conditions, clarify priorities, and develop a reinvestment strategy that could guide future budgeting and decision making. Making things even more complicated, the engagement took place during a period of significant internal strain, including leadership turnover, political tension, and organizational instability.
The work, which was designed to move beyond vision to provide a defensible, fundable roadmap for reinvestment included:
• Extensive site visits and block-by-block evaluation of downtown buildings, storefronts, and public spaces
• Interviews with business owners, stakeholders, and city staff
• A full Downtown Report documenting building conditions, business mix, branding gaps, and sense-of-place challenges
• Identification of catalytic sites and priority redevelopment opportunities
=Downtown walking and development tours
• Development of complementary programs to address building stabilization, business support, and placemaking
• A four-year action plan aligned with available tools such as TIF, Business Development District funds, and hotel-motel tax revenues
• A formal presentation to City Council outlining findings, priorities, and funding scenarios
When the strategy was formally presented to City Council, it was not adopted or funded as anticipated. Shortly after the engagement, a highly conflicted City Council fired the City Manager, the Economic Development Manager departed, and the Mayor resigned. These leadership transitions ultimately prevented the strategy from moving forward, despite the clarity of the recommendations. The strategy delivered a clear, phased framework for moving downtown Pekin from vacant to vibrant.
Key outcomes included:
• A detailed Downtown Report documenting conditions related to buildings, businesses, and branding, including widespread facade deterioration, inconsistent storefront identity, and underutilized public spaces
• Identification of catalytic sites such as Roxy’s Lanes, the Pekin Union Mission, Old City Hall, and the riverfront as priority opportunities for reinvestment
• A recommended annual downtown investment framework totaling approximately $2 million, with clearly identified funding sources and assumptions
• A four-year action checklist sequencing early wins, program launches, business recruitment, placemaking projects, and larger redevelopment initiatives
• A clear demonstration-block strategy to concentrate early investment and show visible progress
• A complete, ready-to-implement playbook for downtown reinvestment.
This engagement underscores a reality many communities face: good strategy alone cannot overcome unresolved governance conflicts and leadership instability.
However, the project did accomplish:
• Navigating the politically complex environments with the strategy staying intact
• Delivering clear, defensible analysis even amid uncertainty
• Building strategies that are grounded, fundable, and implementation-ready
• Telling the hard truths about capacity, sequencing, and readiness
When the time is right, the Pekin Downtown Reinvestment Strategy remains a complete roadmap that can be picked up, updated, and executed without starting over.