East Bluff

As temperatures plummet and utility bills rise, an affordable housing advocate warns the cost of heating can be unmanageable for some Peoria residents.

There will soon be 30 new houses built in Peoria’s East Bluff neighborhood.

The frustration and anxiety about a recent uptick in violent crime on the East Bluff was palpable during a policing update for the neighborhood on Monday.

PEORIA -- A 16-year-old male was fatally shot in a driveway in Peoria's East Bluff on Wednesday afternoon.

A man has died following a Wednesday shooting in the East Bluff. 24-year-old Jermaine Jackson was pronounced dead at OSF Medical Center on Thursday afternoon. 

Kroger is closing two Peoria stores. The Harmon Highway and Wisconsin Avenue stores are closing at the end of the month. The Harmon Highway fuel center is also closing. A statement from the company says Kroger executives have long monitored operations, hoping the stores could return to profitability, but recent evaluations suggest such improvement is no longer realistic.

About 150 employees will either lose their jobs or move to other locations when Kroger closes two of the pair of stores.

The City of Peoria is offering some tenant training seminars throughout the community, but turnout so far isn't what organizers had hoped. 

A new duplex in the East Bluff is a step forward for the neighborhood’s revitalization efforts. That was the theme of a ribbon cutting Tuesday,  attended by Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, 3rd District City Councilman Jim Riggenbach and representatives from several nonprofit organizations. 

45-year-old Erin Flaherty moved into the duplex at  in December. She was previously living in a nursing home.

"And I was looking for affordable housing. It’s hard in Peoria to find something in a good neighborhood," Flaherty said. "I’m very proud to live here.”

The City of Peoria is chipping in on home improvement projects in the East Bluff.

The East Village Growth Cell Housing Program is a 50-50 matching grant that would help property owners pay for home improvements. The City says in a news release eligible projects include exterior improvements, mechanical upgrades and energy efficiency improvements. 

A new program will help homeowners on Peoria’s East Bluff pay for home improvement work. The city council approved the new grant program last week:

The group working to revitalize Peoria’s struggling neighborhoods hopes to open a Financial Opportunity Center in 2014.  Peoria’s Local Initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, plans to work with community groups and non-profits to combine financial services into one place.  Brandon Holmes is the Executive Director of the Peoria LISC. He says that will make it easier for residents to get financial help: