Rep. Ryan Spain touts Downtown Revitalization in Peoria's Warehouse District

New at 5, you may have noticed a lot of work being done in the downtown Peoria area in recent years. Our very own Christopher Kuslick talked to officials and business in the area to highlight the growth over the last decade and a half. Christopher. Yeah, Cameron, whether it's changing one-way roads to two-way, building apartments or bringing in restaurants, Peoria officials are working to make downtown Peoria more accommodating. One section that has seen great improvement is the warehouse district. For the last 15 years, efforts have been in full force to try and revitalize different portions of downtown Peoria. One of those areas is the Warehouse District. Illinois State Representative and Board Chair of the Downtown Development Corporation of Peoria, Ryan Spain began focusing on the revitalization when he was on the City Council and has continued that even in his transition to Springfield. And so I think you see the Warehouse District becoming not only a new neighborhood with... residential units and apartments and condos, but also a destination. And that's why you can have great restaurants and great retailers that are choosing to locate in the warehouse district. Now, one of those businesses is the Modern Gentleman, which offers men's clothing and is celebrating. Two years in the warehouse district, and co-owners Heidi Mitzelfeld and Aaron Selberg love the work developers such as Casey Baldovin of Baldovin Construction and Development are putting into the area. We saw Casey's dream of what he wanted to do with the development down here, and we were all on board. We love what he's doing, and it's growing, and it's just going to be amazing when it's done. Spain says it is important for all cities' growth to have a bright and vibrant downtown, making improving the warehouse district important. Spain also says getting more residents into the area is a big way they can drive up the traffic.