West Peoria Residents' Association

   Presently under construction, the decorative wall at the intersection of Heading and Western Avenues will soon be an inviting and attractive “front door” entrance to West Peoria for those visitors approaching our city from Peoria’s Main Street. 

   This project was made possible by the $20,000 left to West Peoria by Gerard A. Fahnestock, a long-time and well-known West Peorian who passed away last year.  In keeping with Fahnestock’s wishes that the money be used for the beautification of our city, the West Peoria City Council voted to renovate this intersection and to build the wall to welcome people to the city.  The land on which the wall is built actually belongs to the city of Peoria.  Through an intergovernmental agreement between Peoria and West  Peoria, our city has been allowed to proceed with this project. 

   This “Welcome Wall” and the “Welcome” banners along Rohmann Avenue are part of an initiative to instill a unique sense of place in West Peoria and to make the city an even more attractive residential community. 

   This is the corner to watch this  summer as the  project moves to completion with the addition of landscaping work and possible lighting accents—plans for which are under the direction of the residents’ association’s West Peoria Beautiful Committee and its chairman, Jan  Powers.