Salvagable Parts: Six Possible Centers

Since creating mixed uses and density are the more difficult of the four generators of diversity, it is necessary to place priority on finding locations with these characteristics. Small blocks and variously aged buildings are easily retrofitted.

Downtown LaSalle

The largest of the salvageable areas, downtown LaSalle has a lot of mixed use buildings that could accommodate a good amount of density. The blocks are fairly small--even smaller if you include alleys. However most buildings are older. The new buildings built on 3rd Street lack the mixed use and density of the buildings south of 2nd. Luckily there are plenty of empty patches in the urban fabric for new construction to take place without demolishing the old!

Downtown Peru

Peru's downtown is much smaller. Yet it has two solid blocks of mixed use dense structures. There are a few newer buildings, most notably the Mirror Building. If this area expanded a bit, they might be a pretty decent place. I will refer to this area as Ninewah, since it is at the heart of the original Ninewah Addition to Peru.



LaSalle Center

I named this area after the name of the subdivision on a map. My alternate (and more
favored) name for this area is St. Mark's after the street name that is now Route 6. This area is only two blocks of stores on one side of the street. There is even the possibility for industry in the old Westclox building. The blocks are really small, which is great. There need to add new buildings, since most of them are on the older side. This area needs to expand to create spaces, a major goal should be to build up the other side of Route 6.

Zinc City

I took the name for this area from a building I saw on an old plat book, "Zinc City Hall." Researching into it, I think the entire LaSalle-Peru was referred to as Zinc City back in the day. However this area, on the doormat of M&H, is almost the size of Ninewah, it is the most integrated into the neighborhood of any of the previous. It could do with more of all of the above. Some new buildings might also help.


Shooting Park Road

I list Shooting Park Center since there are some large population features: several nursing homes and large apartment buildings. It has retail, offices, and residential, but it lacks density at its core. Throughout this area are wide swaths of unused and minimally used land The blocks are much too large and there are no older buildings. To get this area going would take a lot of resources.




Water Street?

I wistfully add Water Street. It only has a few buildings left, but they are the right sort of buildings: mixed use and dense. It would take a lot of effort, but theoretically you could respawn a thriving center down there. Blocks would have to be shortened with access up the bluff.  New buildings could be added.


These six areas will be the focus of any revival. Getting one of these areas working will create a center for LaSalle-Peru.