Peoria Mineral Springs: What could have been.
I was perusing the Journal Star archives today and found an article from 1993 where a private investment of $12 million dollars was nixed in favor of $880 thousand dollar outlay of cash from the City of Peoria for a Prudential Cullinan Property project. The $12 million dollar privately funded project was for a “water-bottling operation, museum and microbrewery” at the site of the Peoria Mineral Springs. The approved $880 thousand dollar outlay from the city was for infrastructure to support the proposed Spring Grove subdivision.
I’m not saying the development of Spring Grove subdivision was a bad decision – it looks like a nice place, and I don’t recall what was there before – but I can’t get over the thought that we could have had a water-bottling operation and microbrewery based on the Peoria Mineral Springs and the Zealy Moss home, similar to the Peoria Mineral Springs Bottling Works which was founded in 1850, not to mention a small museum. Really – how cool would that have been?
Charles Traynor knew something was going on across the street from his house at 701 Martin Luther King, but he said did not realize the plans drawn by Prudential Cullinan Properties Ltd. overlapped his plans for a bottling and entertainment project.
The Peoria City Council approved a redevelopment agreement with Prudential Cullinan on Tuesday, providing $880,000 in public money for roads and other improvements in the Southtown project, bounded roughly by King, Elliott, Fifth and Sheridan.
Cullinan Executive Vice President Michael Wisdom said the 49-lot, single-home development, named Spring Grove, will provide a unique, affordable subdivision within walking distance of downtown and Bradley University.
Homes, including lots, would start at $60,000, Wisdom said, with plans either provided by the developer or the buyer.
Hours before Cullinan’s plans hit the City Council floor, Traynor approached the city administration about his plans for developing a water-bottling plant, museum and microbrewery, all in conjunction with the adjacent and historic Peoria Mineral Springs.
“What we’re talking about is a tourist attraction that could go on a thousand years, or more,” Traynor told the City Council.
Though not opposing the Cullinan plans, Traynor said he was not aware of the housing project boundaries until Tuesday. Traynor’s development, backed by up to $12 million in private investment, would extend as far south as Sixth Street, overlapping significantly with the housing plan.
“I knew (Cullinan) was working on a project, but I had no idea it was coming up that close,” Traynor told reporters after the meeting. He said he spent a year studying the project, including label trademarks.
Backers include an investment group headed by David Puterbaugh, Traynor said.
The council approved the Cullinan agreement by an 8-1 vote, with 2nd District Councilman Gary Sandberg opposed and 4th District Councilman Steve Kouri abstaining.
The council also approved a planning and negotiation agreement for a second phase of the Cullinan project, adjacent to Spring Grove. The agreement gives Cullinan exclusive negotiation rights for a year on city-owned property to the east of the initial Spring Grove project, with the goal of developing multifamily housing.
Traynor and Wisdom vowed to cooperate on their Southtown ambitions, though city staff indicated that Traynor’s industrial plans might be incompatible in a residential area.
Sandberg questioned the terms of the Cullinan agreement, particularly provisions that guarantee Cullinan a 10 percent developer’s fee of the $800,000 improvement but require Cullinan to build as few as six houses.
“Apparently, some of us have forgotten what Southtown looked like 10 years ago,” Mayor Jim Maloof said in response to Sandberg, adding it would be risky to set aside the Cullinan project in favor of a fully private venture such as Traynor’s.
As it stands today, an estimated 30,000 gallons of water continues to flow out of the spring and into the sewer system. Unfortunately for Charles Traynor, he didn’t have his plan as well laid out as Prudential Cullinan nor was he even aware of the project, and likely didn’t have the political and personal connections that sometimes are necessary either, but all I can say after reading Mayor Maloof’s comment on the matter is that the more things change, the more things stay the same.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
That is so sad.
October 13th, 2009 at 9:46 am
I just finished reading “It Didn’t Play in Peoria”, this story would easily fit in that book. Reminds me of the author’s statement “Time and again Peoria had greatness in its grasp, but settled for something less”.
A microbrewery, museum & water bottling operation based on the historic springs is a really unique idea and would’ve meshed easily with the city’s history (the springs & the brewing history). I’ve actually thought a microbrewery based on the mineral springs would be a cool idea for some time. I can’t believe the city nixed a $12 mil private investment. The sad fact is, with smart planning, the city probably could have done both. There’s still quite a few vacant/empty lots in Spring Grove.
So Maloof not only kicked the riverboat to the other side of the river, but also helped kill this project?
October 13th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I really need to pick up that book.
October 16th, 2009 at 7:51 am
It’s kind of sad when you know for a fact that you could do something better but you chose to settle for less…
I think that Maloof didn’t do something to help realize the project which was such a brilliant idea and that it involves $12m of investment. I wonder what he could have been thinking. The people in the city are probably devastated.
I would like to quote this, indeed at the of the day Maloof would be asking the phrase to himself, “what could have been?”
October 21st, 2009 at 11:30 am
Our family has owned the Mineral Springs property, for 40 years. The city of Peoria,should have then, and also now give us the support we need.
The Mineral Springs have fallen into a stand still. The city has never helped with Historic Sites. We could not move our spring, but houses could have been been moved down some.
Even if the Mineral Springs remain only a historic site, the city should give us some type of help,.to preserve this for history sake.
If anyone has any ideas I can be contacted.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Maloff was right when he said, “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE,THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME” After 70 years, I have found, one thing to be true.
“POWER, VISION, AND WISDOM, seldom come in the same package!
Charles R Traynor Jr.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:56 am
So Charles, are you the same Charles Traynor from the story PI referenced above? If so, just curious, what really happened with the microbrewery, bottling plant & museum? Did it really get ousted in favor of the Cullinan project?