An abandoned construction site, that has admittedly become a headache to Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat and other city officials, may soon be the home to a new mixed-use medical campus.
Nearly a decade ago, plans were announced to build what was being called the Peoria Regional Medical Center, located on the southwest corner of N. Lake Pleasant Parkway and W. Jomax Road, across the street from the upscale Querencia neighborhood.
Work on the site was somewhat underway, with the steel girding and cement foundation in place, before funding for the project fell through in late 2012.
Ever since then then the site has remained vacant, prompting city officials to worry about the potential for vandalism and danger to young kids attracted to exploring the skeletal structure.
Now, First Service Medical LLC, a development and investment group based in Peoria, has purchased the 7-acre site for $3.1 million and announced new plans for a medical campus.
In a statement, Mayor Carlat, noting that the city has repeatedly pushed to demolish the remains of the initial project, said all of Peoria is anticipating “the development of a superior medical campus to serve our growing community.”
Carlat also noted that First Service Medical had additionally committed itself to demolishing what she described as a “blighted structure.”
Plans call for that demolition to begin next month. A timeframe for when construction on the new medical center will begin remains to be announced.
By Garry Boulard
