PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) -The City of Peoria has unveiled plans for the former Expo Gardens property, having bought the site last year.
The property, located on West Northmoor Road, was originally purchased through a foreclosure auction in 2025 for over $1 million. Now, the city is formally requesting vendors to come up with proposals to develop middle-income housing.
“This provides us an opportunity to try and address that shortage and provide for people that are currently making more than the area medium income, but they may not want to go spend $400,000 or $500,000 on a new home,” City Manager Patrick Urich tells 25 News.
The development would fill, what the city says, is a shortage of housing in the Peoria metro area, specifically in the central part of the city.
“So, we’re really looking at trying to focus on that middle income market rate housing, to make sure that we’re able to provide opportunities for everyone in our community.”
According to the city, the Expo Garden site has capacity for 200 housing units and covers roughly 70 acres of land. The lot sits next to Richwoods High School, Northmoor Primary School, and in front of residential properties.
“Expanding access to quality, attainable housing is one of my top priorities,” Mayor Ali says in a news release. “This RFQ [Request for Qualifications] represents an opportunity to advance Peoria’s housing goals, particularly by expanding options for middle-income homebuyers.”
Interested developers can access full documents, the Expo Garden site details, submission requirements, and criteria at BidNet.
The city has planned events and set deadlines for those interested in helping with development.
- Wednesday, April 22 from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: “Moving Housing Forward: Residential Development Opportunities in Peoria” at the Gateway Building, 200 NE Water Street, Peoria, IL 61602. The city will host a forum for those interested about current and future housing market trends and growth opportunities in the city, discover available properties for development, explore incentives to build housing in Peoria, and meet staff from the City of Peoria and the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
- Monday, May 11: Pre-submission meeting and property tour pre-submission meeting and Expo Gardens site tour.
- Monday May 25: Deadline for Questions Regarding the RFQ. All questions should be submitted via BidNet or to Justin Danyus, Purchasing Manager at the City of Peoria, via email to jdanyus@peoriagov.org
- Tuesday, June 9 by 2 p.m. CT: Deadline to submit an RFQ. Electronic submissions through the BidNet link. Hardcopy submissions deliver to: City of Peoria, Purchasing Division, 419 Fulton Street, Room 108, Peoria, IL 61602 with one original and three copies, in a sealed envelope or package clearly marked with the RFQ title and number and include the applicant’s name, company name, and return address on the envelope.
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