Совет Пирии утвердил план оживления улицы Мейн при единственном голосе против

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- A proposal to revitalize an area along Main Street in Peoria passed despite opposition from the person on the council who mostly represents the area. Alex Carmona, a 2nd District councilman, was the sole no vote on the tax-increment financing district aims to fill Main Street's vacant buildings and invest in public infrastructure. The measure passed on a 9-1 vote. Fifth District Councilman Dennis Cyr remains on medical leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carmona has consistently voted against TIFs or similar measures that could give public money to private developers. Since joining the council, he's argued the council has approved too many incentives for specific areas like Glen Hollow and Westlake shopping centers. "I love Main Street. I love Bradley University. I want that corridor that goes all the way down to the river to be awesome for everybody. But it's going to come at a cost. Like I said, if this works out well, that whole area will be paying an exorbitant amount of taxes when this is all over," he said during Tuesday night's meeting. A TIF freezes the property tax rate that government bodies can take money from. When the property value goes up, the property tax above that frozen rate can be used for redevelopment costs incurred by a developer or property owner. Carmona said if the TIF is successful, "The property values will increase, taxes will increase in the neighborhoods, property values and taxes will increase, which on one hand is good if you own a house. On the other hand, it's not good if you're trying to buy one." Advertisement Advertisement But his position received criticism from his colleagues around the Horseshoe. "I disagree with 99% of what you just said, and I don't know what that 1% is that I agree with," said Mayor Rita Ali. "We are not increasing property taxes, and this is not intended to increase property taxes. "We are working to improve our economy. Doing nothing does not help growth in our city," she added. That's the council's ultimate goal: improving blighted areas by enticing new businesses to set up shop. If businesses prosper, that means new jobs and economic opportunities for residents. It's also a part of an arms race against other municipalities in the greater Peoria area. The Levee District in East Peoria has multiple tax incentives in place. That has helped attract big-name brands on that side of the Illinois River. Advertisement Advertisement Pekin is also implementing TIFs to achieve similar goals as Peoria. At-Large Councilman Mike Vespa voiced a similar opinion as Ali. He said as someone who has lived in Peoria his entire life, he hasn't seen Westlake as nice as it has been. "The free market has not generated the type of development that you've seen in Westlake or the East Village Growth Cell," Vespa said. "How long do we wait? Do we keep waiting? Decades and decades for this development to come in?" For Main Street in particular, At-Large Councilman Zachary Oyler said developers need the incentive to make any economic deal on that street economically viable. Advertisement Advertisement "Interest rates are something that you can't control," he said. "The current economics is something that you can't control. The cost of building is something that we can't control. And the TIF funds have gone significantly far in helping us plug the gap in making some of these projects happen." NORTHWOODS MALL TIF EXPANSION In related news, the council will hold a public hearing on whether the Northwoods Mall TIF District should expand to reach down Sterling Avenue to where the old Kroger used to be. The goal is to entice a grocery store to set up shop in that same spot. Councilman Andre Allen, who represents the 4th District, is a major proponent of this particular TIF district. He said it's the city's best and often only available tool to bring businesses to Peoria. "I grew up riding my bike to Kroger's on Sterling, going to CVS, going to Big Lots... and all those places are gone now," he said. Advertisement Advertisement The public hearing is set for the Oct. 27 council meeting. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.