Sullivan's Downtown -- May 2, 2011

In early May, OLLI enjoyed a tour of a complex of downtown buildings that have been revitalized by local entrepreneur Pat Sullivan.

During this tour, we got a private, behind-the-scenes look at the Le Vieux Carre (“small quarters”) building on Water Street, a former buggy and implement warehouse built in the 1800s which was also rumored to have once housed Al Capone’s whiskey stills and gambling devices. Pat also gave us a peek at the headquarters for Water Street Solutions (the former post office), and discussed his efforts to create a new urban neighborhood in Peoria’s warehouse district, recently awarded $10 million in federal grants and renamed Rivertown.