What's next for this historic building in downtown Pekin? Here's what we know
Tucked away in a quiet corner of downtown Pekin just off Court Street, the Central House Plaza Building has seen businesses come and go since the 19th century Illinois Central Hotel, or Central House closed in 1958.
By the 1970s, the historic site was home to the Pekin Downtown Motel and Coffee Shop, according to local historian Jared Olar. The timeline on when the motel and coffee shop closed is vague, but the historic site has since been the home to a variety of small retail businesses, a tavern, office spaces and briefly, a flea market.
Pekin City Manager John Dossey said that at one time, a previous owner had considered demolishing the building and developing an apartment complex.“That plan was scrapped due to costs and they sold the property,” Dossey added.
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What is going into the Central House Plaza?
Bill Heaver of Pekin bought the Central House Plaza building in 2016, and mostly leased it as commercial and office space before trying the flea market. As he looks to the building’s future, he plans to lease the lower level as commercial space and build apartments on the upper level. The units will consist of five two-bedroom apartments that Heaver will rent for $750 a month, and a one-bedroom apartment for $600 a month.
Current tenant Teena McCreary of Pekin is renovating lower-level spaces for two shops she intends to open. Heaver expressed confidence that McCreary is the right person to make a success of the retail side of the building. “I think she’s doing her openings next month,” he said. “We want to keep the building open, and she’ll make it happen.”
McCreary’s ventures will be "Shindigs," an event venue that she estimated will host up to 50 people, and a boutique called "Rust and Found."
“I have a lot of antique furniture that I refinished and repurposed that will be at 'Rust and Found',” she said. “We’ll also have vendors for things like laser wood carvings, sugar scrubs, candles, flower arrangements, barbecue sauce and spices.”
Full remodel planned for the Central House Plaza
Other future tenants for the building are a clothing boutique and a photography studio, according to McCreary. She said she and Heaver are currently having the building’s exterior painted and remodeling the interior with new carpet and flooring.
“We’ve teamed up to try to get this building full of life,” she added.
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Heaver indicated that if he is unable to keep the building open, the City of Pekin could buy it and demolish it for development. But that fate is not in the Central House Plaza’s foreseeable future. Dossey said there has been no communication between Heaver and any city official regarding the property.
“The city has no interest in acquiring this property at this time,” Dossey added.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Central House Plaza building in Pekin to add retail and apartments
