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Greater Peoria's Economic Blueprint

A Strategy Built at the Table

The Greater Peoria Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for 2026–2030 is the five-county region’s plan for the next five years of economic growth. It was approved by the GPEDC Board on October 6, 2026.

This plan was not written behind closed doors. In 2025, more than 480 community members and partner organizations across Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Logan, and Mason counties came to five Big Table events and told us what this region needs. The message was remarkably consistent: Greater Peoria does not lack vision or effort. What it needs is alignment and resources. As one line repeated at nearly every table put it, “If the programs and resources exist, people can’t find them.”

The CEDS organizes the work ahead around three questions:

  • What infrastructure makes growth possible? (Business Growth and Innovation)
  • Who gets to participate in the economy? (Economic Participation)
  • What kind of place do we want to be? (Place and Quality of Life)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the draft and shared comments during the public comment period, September 2 through October 2, 2026.

[Download the final CEDS 2026–2030 (PDF)]

CEDS 2026–2030

The plan by the numbers

480+

community members and partner organizations shaped the plan

5

counties: Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Logan, and Mason

3

themes, each answering one question the community is asking

9

objectives across the three themes

29

strategies the region will pursue through 2030

The goal

What infrastructure makes growth possible?

A region that builds the physical, technological and institutional conditions for businesses to start, grow, and compete.

Objective 1: Build a connected innovation ecosystem that activates regional assets and embraces emerging technology

  • 1.1 Develop a connected regional innovation network, aligning entrepreneurs, universities, investors, and support organizations around shared goals, resource navigation, and coordinated startup support.
  • 1.2 Support adoption of emerging technologies across regional industries, strengthening industry, education, and research collaboration and convening forums around ag-tech, robotics, automation, data systems, and advanced manufacturing.

Objective 2: Strengthen the business climate to support entrepreneurship, business growth, and attraction

  • 2.1 Create a more founder-friendly operating environment: policies, procurement pathways, low-barrier spaces, and graduated-rent partnerships with owners of vacant properties.
  • 2.2 Strengthen capital formation pathways for entrepreneurs and small businesses, cultivating relationships between startups and banks, angel, venture, philanthropic, institutional, and alternative funding sources.
  • 2.3 Cultivate entrepreneurial interest and early-stage readiness through programming that educates, inspires, and supports current and aspiring entrepreneurs.
  • 2.4 Attract and retain businesses and entrepreneurs aligned with regional strengths: marketing and relocation strategy, business retention and expansion, and targeted attraction in leading clusters.

Objective 3: Develop and modernize infrastructure to attract new business and support expansion

  • 3.1 Prioritize development of investment-ready properties and industrial buildings, with a coordinated site-readiness framework and accessible property and infrastructure databases.
  • 3.2.1 Align infrastructure and long-range transportation priorities across municipalities, utilities, transportation entities, and economic development partners.
  • 3.2.2 Advance port and marine infrastructure development.
  • 3.2.3 Invest in rail, multimodal, and freight infrastructure that improves regional connectivity and export efficiency.
  • 3.2.4 Expand broadband infrastructure and digital connectivity.
  • 3.3 Advance brownfield assessment, remediation, and redevelopment to activate underutilized industrial and waterfront properties.

The goal

Who gets to participate in the economy?

A region where every resident has equitable access to the services, resources and opportunities needed to fully participate in the economy.

Objective 1: Build sustainable talent pipelines that connect residents to quality jobs in growing industries

  • 1.1 Strengthen coordination among workforce, industry, nonprofit, primary and secondary education, and higher education partners through regular regional gatherings of leadership that turn shared priorities into action.
  • 1.2 Prioritize targeted training programs that address regional skills gaps.
  • 1.3 Connect job seekers with regional employment opportunities: job fairs, visible job postings, and outreach targeting recent certificate and degree graduates.

Objective 2: Remove barriers that prevent residents from fully participating in the workforce

  • 2.1 Integrate wraparound support services (transportation assistance, child care referrals, and digital literacy) into workforce and upskilling programs.
  • 2.2 Increase access to affordable child and dependent care by expanding supply, building the early childhood workforce, and connecting families to providers and subsidies.
  • 2.3 Reduce geographical barriers affecting access to jobs through demand-responsive and microtransit service, employer-aligned transit schedules, and multimodal connections.

Objective 3: Grow community connections and partnerships that support economic mobility

  • 3.1 Build trust and accessible pathways to services in underserved communities: a unified navigation platform integrated with Heart of Illinois United Way 211, peer navigators, and community-based access points.
  • 3.2 Facilitate connections among social service and wraparound partners through shared referral protocols, data-sharing agreements, and outcome metrics across providers.

The goal

What kind of place do we want to be?

A region that attracts and retains residents, visitors and businesses by investing in the places, experiences and opportunities that make Greater Peoria a compelling place to live, work and play.

Objective 1: Activate economic activity by investing in downtown corridors

  • 1.1 Increase technical assistance and resources for municipalities pursuing downtown redevelopment.
  • 1.2 Expand community planning that establishes a vision for downtown development.
  • 1.3 Foster regional reinvestment and community-driven development, with planning that incorporates housing, placemaking, retail, entertainment, and the arts.

Objective 2: Strengthen tourism through natural, cultural, and recreational assets

  • 2.1 Expand recreational infrastructure, programming, and access.
  • 2.2 Promote regional assets to strengthen tourism identity and visitor appeal, highlighting natural resources, recreational opportunities, and arts and culture.
  • 2.3 Improve organizational capacity for tourism development.

Objective 3: Provide a diverse continuum of quality housing options

  • 3.1 Enhance data-informed planning for housing development priorities, including a funded regional housing study.
  • 3.2 Expand housing development capacity through local expertise and outside investment, growing the developer pool, the trades workforce, and employer-assisted housing programs.
  • 3.3 Prioritize affordable and accessible housing, including universal design standards that serve aging residents and residents with disabilities.

Read the plan

Greater Peoria CEDS 2026–2030

The full plan covers how it was built, a profile of the region today, the SWOT analysis, all three themes with their goals, objectives, and strategies, how progress will be measured, and how the region will build economic resilience.

Download the CEDS (PDF)

Put the plan to work

Is this aligned with the CEDS?

The CEDS is a shared framework, not a work plan for any one organization. If your community, business, or organization wants to find its work in the plan or take ownership of an objective, contact us.

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Chris Setti

CEO