Maria Lofner, the city’s economic development services director, told the council on Jan. 13 that Peoria was awarded the Gold Deal of the Year by Business Facilities Magazine for its work on the Amcor project. The award recognizes projects that demonstrate capital investment, job creation and local community impact.

Lofner said the Amcor project is estimated to create about 3,000 jobs and carries an estimated capital investment of roughly $7,000,000,000. She described related city efforts such as a state land auction, a land swap, and the creation of a local innovation corps tied to the project. "This award is exactly what we're looking for in the city's vision for economic development," Lofner said.

Lofner also noted a separate ranking by WalletHub that placed Peoria among the top U.S. cities for jobs, which municipal staff said supports the view that the city’s economic development efforts are producing measurable outcomes. The city said the award and related coverage will appear in an upcoming issue of Business Facilities Magazine.

No council action was required on the announcement. Staff made themselves available for questions about the project’s scope and the magazine’s selection criteria.