The Heartland Partnership and its family of companies, including the Economic Development Council for Central Illinois, the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, TransPORT and Peoria NEXT, have relocated to the riverfront. Our new offices are located at 100 SW Water Street in Riverfront Village, occupying what used to house Damon’s restaurant at the base of Main Street in the heart of downtown Peoria. We were previously located on the third floor of the Chase Bank building, somewhat hidden from the community. This is a symbolic move for us that increases our visibility within the community and helps augment our role as a gateway for development activity in the region.
The Heartland Partnership family of companies acts as a hub for regional growth activity, and the office welcomes hundreds of visitors every month. The new riverfront location will allow for added convenience for our visitors and help serve as a catalyst for riverfront redevelopment. As the premier organization for regional growth and development, a location on the riverfront will enhance not only the Heartland Partnership’s place in the community, but also the region’s commitment to continued growth.
The interior design has a sleek, contemporary and open look and feel. The space encourages collaboration and innovation through more functional and efficient work environments along with a variety of conference rooms and flexible, informal meeting areas. We moved away from individual, private offices to more synergistic work stations that encourage cross-functional communication. We built in a diverse assortment of collaborative meeting space, including three private conference rooms and three informal conversational meeting areas. These interactive spaces allow for individuals to come together in a more relaxed atmosphere for brainstorming sessions, impromptu meetings and spontaneous gatherings.
The Heartland Partnership has enhanced our technology platform so that our team members can work in a variety of more efficient ways. We now have more effective ways for people to work wherever and whenever they need to, thanks to new remote access tools. We now have a more sophisticated IP phone system which utilizes unified communication that allows for flexibility in the way we are able to meet the needs of our clients. Additionally, the office, as well as the entire Riverfront Village platform, is powered with free WiFi access.
Indeed, our new environment offers us more efficient ways to serve our stakeholders and the entire community. We truly look forward to continuing to champion projects and activities that will allow our region to maintain competitive in this global economy. We hope you will visit the new office and keep an eye on the corner of Main and Water for many great things to come! IBI