Now that the Sunnyland Plaza study is done, some action needs to take place (see story on the homepage).
While a study is helpful in that it lends information about population and spending, it is a waste of money if no plan of action follows it.
In the past in East Peoria, costly studies have been done — such as one on consolidating the school districts — and nothing happened afterward.
Hopefully, this will not be the case with the Sunnyland Plaza scenario.
It is hopeful that Washington city officials are at least thinking about the future of the plaza.
However, past comments of current owner Neelam Salmen do not seem so optimistic.
Salmen, who lives in California, said in December that attracting business owners to the plaza is a catch-22 situation. Without new businesses in the plaza, there is a lack of revenue coming in, but interested parties may not want to lease space if the lot needs repair.
“We are not going to refinish the lot, just to have it continue to get tore up. It is a $100,000 project,” she said.
The plaza needs an owner who is willing to invest money into it so that new higher-profile businesses will locate there. It is common sense that business owners likely will not want to locate somewhere if the place looks run down.
It may be a “catch-22” situation, but in this instance, the cart does need to come before the horse.
It is a good idea to consider the 12,000 Illinois Central College students who may frequent the plaza more when Summit Drive is extended, giving ICC students a straight shot into Sunnyland.
However, only a small percentage of these students live on campus and may not need to drive through Sunnyland to get to the college.
The study also found that there are 33,000 to 34,000 people who live within a 10-minute drive of Sunnyland Plaza who make up the potential customer base. However, those who can drive 10 minutes to larger cities, such as Peoria or East Peoria, will likely not utilize the plaza unless it contains something unique.
When it comes to planning what types of retail establishments should go into the plaza, strong consideration should be given to residents who live near the plaza.
Some business ideas that were mentioned were fast-food restaurants and an electronic store.
It may be tough to compete with Wal-Mart, which offers an electronics department.
And fast-food restaurants may not be a bad idea, but there is already a McDonald’s near ICC and a café on campus. Sunnyland also has an Arby’s.
One type of business that is lacking in the area is a restaurant to eat breakfast. Sunnyland is a small town, and people like having a place to congregate. Before Don’s Drive-In was torched by its former owner, it was a popular hangout. A café or even a doughnut shop would likely appeal to residents. Another idea is a Save-A-Lot grocery store.
To attract a variety of businesses, it is a must that the former Sullivan’s — the largest building — be subdivided.
Washington city planning and development director Jon Oliphant said Salmen would front most of the cost of redeveloping the plaza, but city officials would probably be willing to offer back some of the future sales tax dollars, depending on whether the owner fronts the capital for the project. It is great news that city officials are willing to work with Salmen.
It has been about five years since the plaza’s anchor left. It is time for some action. If the owner is not willing to make an initial investment to spruce up the plaza, she should sell it to a developer who will.
East Peoria, Ill. —
