Historic Washington Square is getting a modern, new addition
The new project includes a restaurant and brewpub, event space, rooftop bar and more.
PEORIA (25 News Now) - It’s called the Grist Mill. CL Real Estate Development (CLRED) announced a new project in downtown Washington and hopes it will improve the quality of life for the area and reinvent the square. CLRED and Tangled Roots Hospitality will wholly own the restaurant and brewpub, but the idea was generated by Jeff and Kelly Pohl, the owners of the property on the square. The location for the new spot will be across the street from the BP gas station on the corner where Le Bakery currently sits.
Years ago, Kelly Pohl owned the corner spot as a flower shop. Her husband Jeff Pohl said, “It’s always been Kelly’s dream to be able to utilize the rooftop. It’s a single story property and that corner of the square really needed more, she felt like it needed more to fully realize its potential.” The new project will also include an event space, rooftop bar and beer garden, and residential units like AirBnB. They hope to get people to visit and stay.
Jeannie Herbst, who owns the Storekeeper’s Loft AirBnB on the square, is thrilled about the new addition. Herbst said, “We don’t have a restaurant now on the square in Washington which does make a big difference for me as the AirBnB where people could walk to it. So I’m just really stoked about that, and just people spending the whole day on the square for them to be able to go over and eat.”
The other potential issue business owners on the square had concerned is the parking. Jeannie thinks it won’t be a problem and added, “If anybody has driven around the square at 5:01 or 5:02 in the evening it’s a ghost town. Nobody is up here because the stores close.”
Washington Mayor Gary W. Manier said in a press release, “We are excited to learn that The Grist Mill will be building on our downtown square. This is great news for Washington and our entire region to have a destination like this here. I would encourage anyone to visit other Tangled Roots locations in Illinois to see just what we have to look forward to.” The Tangled Roots Brewing Company have a location in Ottawa, IL called the Lone Buffalo.
They hope for the restaurant to open in the winter of 2023.
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