PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria’s ART Inc. is looking to get into the production business.
The non-profit recently completed the purchase of the former UFS Furniture Outlet building on SW Adams for $850,000. The purchase was assisted by a state grant of $300,000.
The goal is to renovate the building into a center for audio and video production in, not just Peoria, but the state and the Midwest. The plan is to also have an event space, and a gallery.
Chief Innovative Officer Jonathan Romain says the concept of the building was conceived six years ago, when the organization was approved for funding in the state’s capital bill. But ART Inc. only recently received approval to go ahead with the purchase.
Jonathan Romain says in that timeframe, they looked at 50 different locations for the production facility. Some of those locations had purchase agreements, but the contracts expired on those before ART Inc. was able to get the money.
One of the big drivers of the project was to give creators in the Peoria area, as well as the Midwest, an accessible studio.
“When you look at production studios of this magnitude, they’re not accessible because of cost for the average person. And that’s what we wanted to eliminate,” Jonathan Romain said.
Jonathan Romain says having a non-profit involved can keep those costs down for projects such as podcasts, TV shows, commercials, and more. He says the plan is to have multiple ways for people to use the facility, whether it’s just renting space or a full-blown production.
The facility is expected to have high-end camera equipment, and to tap into resources from creators to know what other production equipment is needed.
CEO Nikki Romain says the hope is to grow the production facility as a central hub for creators across Peoria and the Midwest.
In addition, Nikki Romain notes that it can also provide valuable work experiences for students and kids involved with ART Inc.
“From building the set designs, from production, from behind-the-scenes, as well as on-camera, our intent is to grow talent in Peoria,” Nikki Romain said.
Jonathan Romain says the timeline to renovate the former building is expected to take around 18 months to complete.
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