PEKIN, Ill. (25 News) – What is now a vacant, snowy field will soon be home to a second site for the Peoria-based Center for Prevention of Abuse.
The Center, which offers free and confidential services to those experiencing multiple forms of domestic abuse, officially bought the vacant lot along 2nd Street in Pekin during a Monday night council meeting.
CFPA has operated in Tazewell County since the 1990s out of the Carol House of Hope, a crisis shelter for people escaping an abusive situation. The shelter holds about 16 people.
Carol House of Hope operates at an undisclosed location to protect those staying there. This new facility will run alongside one of the busiest streets in Pekin’s downtown with a sign.
However, Chief Executive Officer of CFPA Carol Merna isn’t concerned about safety.
“There will be multiple safety measures in place, but you’ll be able to see the police department from the front door so it will be very close,” she said.
The Pekin location will operate similarly to its current shelter and office space in Peoria. That location operates as an emergency shelter while also offering various therapies and services for different domestic violence victims. The Pekin location will also house some of those counseling and therapy services.
In the proposal submitted to the Pekin city council, CFPA said it plans to include seven bedrooms with bathrooms, a dining room, kitchen, laundry room, children’s playroom, and multiple staff offices.
The project will cost an estimated $2 million, which will mostly come out of a trust CFPA has, some additional money will be raised through additional donors.
Merna said CFPA doesn’t turn anyone away but also wanted to expand into another county to offer a more convenient option to some. According to Merna, 27% of CFPA’s more than 6,000 clients overall come from Tazewell County. Around 30% of its domestic violence clients come from Tazewell County.
“I expect that the number of those we serve in Tazewell County will increase with a new facility,” Merna said. “There’s a need and the Center for Prevention of Abuse is happy to fill it.”
The sale was approved by Pekin City Council with only Councilman Rick Hilst voting against it. One neighbor who spoke up during the city council said he supports the organization but didn’t feel the low sales price was advantageous for the city.
The property was sold for $1 as a part of a quitclaim deed, a common tool for gifting or donating real estate.
“You can’t even buy a coke from the vending machine for a dollar and yet we’re selling a piece of property for one dollar,” Matthew Johnson said during public comment.
There’s no solid timeline yet on when construction will begin. CFPA laid out a timeline in its proposal but didn’t want to start the process until the sale was final.
Comments