A nonprofit foundation wants to build a sprawling, $1 billion healthcare campus on 225 acres just west of the Illinois Valley Regional Airport in Peru, and residents will get their first detailed look at the plan during a town hall set for 5 p.m. on Nov. 16 at Peru City Hall, 1901 Fourth Street.
The Peru Rehabilitation Community Development Foundation will present its vision for the project, according to a notice posted by the City of Peru. The site sits on roughly 225 acres along Meridian Road, and the city's notice describes the overall development as representing an investment of approximately $1 billion. As Shaw Local reports, the foundation agreed to hold the meeting with city officials after a recent discussion, and the request for the informational session appeared on the Peru City Council's Nov. 2 meeting agenda.
Seven Components in the Proposed Development
The proposal, per the city notice, is built around seven independent components: addiction treatment, mental health care, transitional housing, adult autism services, senior living and care, a farm and equine therapy program, and a private business district. Each care community would operate as its own campus with a separate entrance and secured grounds, according to the same notice. The farm and equine component is described as offering therapy and job skills to residents, while the business district would include a hotel, restaurants and shops intended for visiting families.
At full operation, the city's notice states the development is anticipated to serve an estimated 4,500 residents across its care communities and housing. The foundation would own both the campus land and its addiction treatment facilities, while retaining nonprofit control of the project's mission, per the notice.
Hurdles Still Ahead Before Any Groundbreaking
Before any of it can move forward, the project needs a development agreement with the city, city approval of a tax increment financing district, and support from La Salle County for the campus' nonprofit care services. Shaw Local reports that a development agreement, TIF approval and county backing would follow public input and the city's zoning review.
Kris Reinbeck said the town hall is meant to explain the project, answer questions and gather resident input before any decisions are made, and that residents should hear about the proposal directly from the foundation rather than secondhand. Residents who can't attend may submit written comments or questions in advance to the Peru City Clerk's office at 1901 Fourth St. or [email protected]. The town hall will include an overview of the proposed campus followed by open questions from residents, and the event will be livestreamed on the City of Peru's YouTube channel.
A Local Healthcare Backdrop
The proposal lands against the backdrop of Peru's recent hospital history. OSF HealthCare had announced in January 2024 that the Peru campus of Saint Elizabeth Medical Center was tentatively set to reopen that April with emergency services and limited inpatient beds, according to NPR Illinois. That reopening plan included diagnostic imaging, laboratory, pharmacy, EKG and respiratory services, though it did not include obstetrics, with delivery services instead available at OSF's Ottawa hospital, the station reported. OSF had purchased the Peru hospital and other facilities for $38 million, not including the former Spring Valley hospital, and said it had hired more than 320 former St. Margaret's workers following earlier hospital closures.
For now, the newly proposed campus remains a plan on paper, with its financing, approvals and timeline still to be worked out through the city's review process. The Nov. 16 town hall marks the foundation's first opportunity to lay out the full scope of the project directly to the community it would serve.
