Dan talks with Leslie Rothan, Governmental Affairs Director for the Peoria Area Association of REALTORS® (PAAR), about the organization’s efforts to help make downtown Peoria more inviting and community-focused through improvements to Fulton Plaza. They received a Placemaking Grant from the National Association of REALTORS® to support the project, part of a national program designed to help REALTOR® associations transform public spaces into vibrant community gathering places. She discusses how housing and creating desirable places to live go hand-in-hand, and why making downtown spaces more welcoming can help strengthen the community as a whole. She highlights PAAR’s partnership with Big Picture Peoria and the passion and creativity the organization has brought to the project, along with the practical, people-focused additions made to Fulton Plaza. She also discusses PAAR’s collaboration with Distillery Labs, the importance of investing in new ideas and partnerships, and why people should be excited about the continued growth and revitalization happening throughout downtown Peoria.