PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria has one of the oldest transit maintenance facilities in the state of Illinois, but with the help of $11 million in new state grants, that’s about to change.
On Friday, Peoria transit leaders celebrated the latest round of Rebuild Illinois Capital Program grant funding announced by Governor J.B. Pritzker.
According to a release from CityLink, the funds will help pay for a major upgrade to the CityLink public transit maintenance facility on Northeast Jefferson Avenue.
Crews are still working out of the facility built back in 1978.
According to CityLink’s plans, that building will be demolished sometime later this year and a new three-story maintenance facility will be constructed in its place.
CityLink General Manager Doug Roelfs said, “This funding is critical in allowing our transit agency to grow and provide the Greater Peoria Area with improved and innovative public transportation services.”
Over the past 4 years, CityLink has benefited from roughly $30 million in both state and federal grants.
The local transit service says an ongoing “Phase A” portion of the maintenance facility update, a new rear paint/body shop, is currently in progress and should be completed by April 2022.
It’s still unclear how long the full rebuild might take.
