PEORIA — The Peoria City Council declined to lower the city’s cap on the number of vape shops that can operate in the city and instead will allow a new vape business to apply for a 14th tobacco license in Peoria.
On Tuesday night the council gave the OK for a vape shop to open at 7802 N. University Street, the former home of the bar and nightclub Chantilly Lace.
For years, Peoria, specifically the council, has wrangled with complaints that the city is home to too many vape and tobacco shops, often creating fodder for Peorians on social media who often say the city has been overrun with the stores.
In response to these concerns, the council established a cap in 2023 that said no more than 14 vape and tobacco shops could be licensed to operate within the city at any given time. The council has not been shy in the past to use this cap as its reasoning for denying tobacco applicants.
This year, however, one of the city’s 14 tobacco shops did not renew its license, creating an opportunity for a new store to open.
In early April, potential proprietors of a new store came to the city with a request to open a store on University Street.
The council, in response to this request, was presented with two options by city staff: Approve the new store to fill the city’s 14th license or lower the cap to 13 and prevent the shop from opening.
On Tuesday night the council voted 9-1 to allow the store to open.
One city councilman rejects vape shop plan, others approve
City Councilman Denis Cyr, whose 5th District is home to the store, said while he was not a fan of tobacco itself, he did believe the store would benefit his district by filling prominently vacant building on University Street.
“I am not a big vape fan, but this body decided at one time to issue 14 licenses and we had 14 licenses until one business decided not to renew,” Cyr said. “So, we have a couple of choices here tonight, but my main support for this business is the fact that we have a chance to, No. 1, renovate a building that is important on North University and No. 2, for my constituents, like I said I am not a big fan of it and I don’t go over there, but to give them two choices of vape shops in the 5th District I am OK with.”
The only councilmember who opposed the business was 4th District councilman Andre Allen, who said Peorians have made it clear they were frustrated with the number of standalone tobacco shops in Peoria.
Allen was concerned that the 14th license only came open because someone who wanted to establish a cigar lounge in Peoria, which he said was a need socially in the city, relinquished the license.
“So, knowing what our idea was with the 14th license, which ultimately didn’t materialize, and to replace that now with something that we are doing our best to try and regulate here in our community, I have a hard time supporting,” Allen said.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria will allow new vape shop to open despite some concerns
Reporting by JJ Bullock, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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