Historic Peoria Heights pump house getting new use as commercial kitchen [Video]

PEORIA HEIGHTS (25News Now) – The historic pump house in Peoria Heights will soon cook up some new ideas.

The village agreed to terms with Bradley University’s Turner Center for Entrepreneurship to use the building as a shared commercial kitchen.

The space will help food industry entrepreneurs prepare their products if they don’t have the financial resources yet to buy their own brick-and-mortar space.

Only those who use the center’s services can reserve a date and time slot for a fee. One or two businesses can use the kitchen at once.

“The Heights is known as an entrepreneurship, family-owned business [scene] and of course a ‘foodies’ destination,” Jim Foley, Director of Turner Center for Entrepreneurship said. “So it was a goal of ours to keep this in Peoria Heights, and that’s why the partnership with the village is so exciting.”

Foley hopes the building will be ready for use by mid-to-late summer, though no exact date has been set.

Mayor Mike Phelan hopes this partnership generates more excitement for further small …