New Businesses Changing Face Of Brookside

The face of Brookside is changing as several businesses have closed their doors while others are opening.

It's the day the owners of Revved fitness have been waiting for - Kevin and Emily Wilson are officially opening their doors at their new Brookside location, taking over the old Arvest Bank building.

"We wanted to be on Brookside. We love the Brookside area, and so this was a natural progression when this space was available for us to move into," Kevin Wilson said.

Revved Fitness is just one of many new businesses opening in the stretch of Peoria known for its restaurants and shopping.

Pat Kroblin with the Brookside Business Association said, “One of the best things about Brookside is that it kind of reinvents itself every couple years or decades."

And the area seems to be doing that now.

Retailer Ascent recently moved into Center 1, along with a new juice bar. Retailer On A Whim recently downsized into a smaller storefront next door.

Bricktown Brewery now holds the spot where Leon's once stood - and even more is happening down the street. Two new businesses have moved into the vacant store fronts next to Trader Joe's, another recent addition to the Brookside landscape.

But it's not all good news; some businesses, like Sonoma Wine Bar and Hop Bunz, have closed.

Kroblin said it's sad to see businesses go but it's not always for the same reasons.

"If you say, ‘Why did you leave Brookside?’ That could be everything from somebody's retiring to differences in the family, they've sold the business, to if it's a chain - it's not that they're not doing well on Brookside, but they might not have been making the chain number that are required," she said.

Meanwhile, the momentum is just getting started at Revved.

"Brookside has always been more progressive of an area. The direction’s great right now and we're very excited to be a part of this community," Wilson said.