Washington, Illinois

6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 continues to work towards developing local businesses. Manier acknowledges, “We do have a vibrant, older downtown area that is mostly comprised of unique, specialty shops. With many unusual attractions, the downtown area draws visitors from all the major surrounding areas like Peoria and Morton, with quite a busy flow of traffic on Fridays and Saturdays.” Local attractions like the Denhart Baking Company – a local hotel with businesses like Fair Coffee and the Blacksmith Restaurant located downstairs – are great examples of adaptive reuse and are found on the National Historic Registry. “It was here that Lincoln planned his Presidency,” says Manier, “making it the go-to point of interest for people in the area. We also have a brewery that is committed to moving to the district, with plans of taking over an 1852 building that has been renovated two or three times since its inception.” The Gristmill plans to feature a brew pub, restaurant, and rooftop bar that will undoubtedly become quite the popular destination for locals and ‘day-trippers’. Founded by William Holland in the 1800s, the Gristmill is entangled with the historical roots of the city. Scheduled to begin construction in June, this location will likely be opened anytime between February and April of 2023. WASHINGTON, I LL INOI S