Peoria's plan to spice up its downtown scene is sizzling with the City Council's green light on two major developments. A little piece of BBQ heaven, Caldwell County BBQ, is set to plant its roots on Washington Street, while Jefferson House will mix it up with a combination of restaurants, a swanky bar, and space for retail and events at the hub of 83rd Avenue and Jefferson Street.

"Revitalizing our downtown is at the heart of the city council's vision for growing economic development in Peoria and we are thrilled to attract these quality developments," Mayor Jason Beck boasted to the crowd at Tuesday evening’s City Council Meeting. Culinary connoisseurs and shopaholics alike have a reason to celebrate, with the promise of new haunts to chow down and chill out in an area brimming with history, and culture.

Caldwell’s will sprawl out to about 6,600 square feet of prime real estate, strategically placed between the Lucidi Distillery and the former hotel footprint. "BBQ is a passion for us, and we are excited to be working with the city of Peoria to make our style BBQ available to the wonderful people of West Valley," Caldwell’s Director of Operations Travis Taylor reveled in excitement, according to a statement obtained by the city of Peoria's news release.

Meanwhile, Jefferson House is not just a solo act, it’s a partnership effort including the moguls behind The Churchill in Phoenix and the coffee kings at Driftwood Coffee in Downtown Peoria itself. "Downtown Peoria has been our beloved home for almost a decade, and we couldn't be more thrilled to contribute to the development of this community," said Lance Linderman, project partner and owner of Driftwood Coffee, his enthusiasm, virtually dripping from the words shared with the city's release.

These city-owned properties were snatched by the municipality as chess pieces in a long-term strategy to breathe new life into the nostalgic veins of Downtown Peoria.