Illinois REALTORS® Local Governmental Affairs Director Kristie Engerman and Peoria Area Association of REALTORS® (PAAR) CEO Jennifer Hamm participated in a panel discussion during NAR’s Commercial Leadership Development Day in Chicago.

The panelists told the story of an ongoing collaboration between Peoria REALTORS® and local stakeholders – elected officials, community leaders, law enforcement, pastors, residents, etc. – who are working to revitalize the most economically distressed section of Peoria and one of the most distressed areas of the nation.

In the earliest stages of the project, Engerman and Hamm saw the magnitude of the task might require the resources and expertise offered through NAR’s Transforming Neighborhoods program and its partnership with the Counselors of Real Estate (CRE) Consulting Corps, an international consortium of real estate professionals that specializes in complex real estate property and land matters. They applied for a Transforming Neighborhoods grant, and CRE representatives met with stakeholders to learn more.

A short informational video was produced to explain why the project started, a plan was created by the CRE and work began locally. That plan included razing Harrison and McKinley schools, two old, dilapidated, abandoned buildings in the affected area on the south side of the city. Stakeholders continue the hard work of moving the project forward.

The City of Peoria and the Peoria Housing Authority recently received a $500,000 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This, along with additional investments, has ignited significant progress in the project area since PAAR was first awarded the Transforming Neighborhoods opportunity.

“The project has been a unifier,” Engerman said. “The common denominator for all of us has been to focus on improving the quality of life for residents of 61605 and making good use of real estate to address the community’s needs.”

In 2023, PAAR made history as the first local association to win the Illinois REALTORS® Political Involvement Award for its work to revitalize the neighborhoods in the 61605 ZIP code of Peoria.

The Commercial Leadership event was part of NAR’s Leadership Week, which also includes the NAR Leadership Summit, the Committee Leadership Camp, the REALTOR L.E.A.D. Vision Course and the YPN Advance.