Grant money aims to help Peoria attract new ‘talent’ amid population decline

PEORIA (25 News Now) - A massive problem facing Peoria area businesses and local governments is what Chamber of Commerce CEO Joshua Gunn calls ‘talent drain.’ People are leaving the city of Peoria to explore opportunities elsewhere leading to a consistent population decline over the last decade.

State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth who represents Peoria in Springfield helped secure a $500,000 grant from the state to help attract more people.

In a press release, Booth said, “This investment will help catapult the efforts of our business community to retain the talent in Peoria, and to make Peoria a preferred destination for talent from all over the nation, and the world. This initiative will not only help to meet the needs of our existing businesses, but will also attract new business, spark additional community investments, and grow tax revenue to support critical services throughout the area.”

Chamber CEO Joshua Gunn said for those who live here, “It means that we’re going to make investments in things that are exciting and fun and vibrant for Peoria.”

“So if you’re thinking about ‘man, there isn’t really anything to do here, I want more stuff to get into that’s going to look like a top choice city,’ we’re going to make those investments,” explained Gunn.

The goal over the next decade is to create population growth by making the city more attractive to workers, and this $500,000 will go directly toward those efforts.