By Philip Haldiman, Independent Newsmedia

A 30-acre shopping center to be anchored by a 107,000-square-foot Fry’s Marketplace and gas station is one step closer to coming to south Peoria.

The center, named Olive Crossroads, located at the southwest corner of 83rd and Olive avenues, is estimated to  create at least 50 jobs.
At build-out in multiple phases, the proposal includes up to about 146,384 square feet of commercial space.
The applicant is Empire Residential Communities Fund III, LLC.

The Planning Commission recommended a request for a Minor General Plan Amendment and rezoning from Intermediate Commercial and Multi-Family Residential to the Olive Crossroads Planned Area Development, March 2.

Peoria City Council will next consider the case.

The PAD designation allows for site-specific development standards which are customized to the development in order to appropriately respond to the context of the surrounding area. It  includes development standard enhancements specific to the site, such as increased street frontage landscaping along Olive and 83rd avenues, as well as an increased landscape buffer between the site and existing residential to the west and south.

It is bordered by residential to the north and south, Pioneer Park to the east and AMF Bowling and Westgreen Estates to the west.

“There will be a very dense area that borders the single family residential boundary,” said city planner Cody Gleason. “Through the landscape buffer that will be densely planted, it will help shield residential from a visual of a big box store. You would see visuals of trees rather than a stark building wall abutting the property line.”

Commissioner Jay Otlewski said the neighborhood was probably shocked to see that type of a building going in near them.

“But it’s good to see you’ve put a nice buffer there that should hide the majority of that and not just hitting minimum setbacks,” Mr. Otlewski said.

Property owners within 600 foot radius and HOAs within  one-mile radius were notified about this case. About 15 residents attended a neighborhood meeting and two  individuals contacted the city via phone and email. Residents had concerns regarding the lack of need for grocery store, as well as the potential for increased traffic, noise and crime.

A site plan has been submitted to the city and is under review.