In most of the Valley, a new food hall is a private developer's bet. The developer buys the dirt, finances the steel and signs the tenants. The two biggest restaurant projects in Downtown Peoria came together in a different order. The City of Peoria bought the land and paid for construction. It holds the property, and the restaurant operators sign leases with City Hall.
That arrangement explains a lot about the food hall and courtyard now finishing at 83rd Avenue and Jefferson Street. It also explains the smokehouse a block south and how the whole downtown calendar comes together on one Saturday in December.
The corner the city cleared first
The City of Peoria's downtown revitalization page says the city has budgeted nearly $15 million since 2022 to grow economic development in the historic downtown. Some of that money went to buying land in strategic spots for new retail and restaurants. In late 2023, the city tore down the former NAPA building, which could no longer be reused, and that freed up the parcel for Jefferson House.
On April 2, 2024, the City Council unanimously approved two restaurant, retail and event developments on that city-owned land. One became Caldwell County BBQ on Washington Street. The other became Jefferson House, at 8310 W. Jefferson St. on the northwest corner of 83rd Avenue and Jefferson Street. The Jefferson House press kit is direct about who owns it: the City of Peoria owns the property and is funding construction.
The ceremonial groundbreaking with Mayor Jason Beck took place September 18, 2025. According to the project's own build log, the first dirt moved on December 11, 2025. Here is how the corner came together:
- March 5, 2026: Fences went up and the corner officially became a job site.
- March 12, 2026: Footings were poured and the steel beams were craned into place.
- April 8, 2026: The black-steel canopy frame went up.
- June 8 and June 10, 2026: The shipping-container shops were set, and the courtyard was enclosed under the canopy.
- July 2, 2026: The "Jefferson House" signage went onto the containers.
What the city's money built
The building is the city's, and the people running it are local operators with ties to downtown. Jefferson House is a partnership between Kell Duncan and Stephen Allen, who built The Churchill in downtown Phoenix, and Lance Linderman, Gavin Linderman and Micah Bentley. The Lindermans and Bentley already run Driftwood Coffee Co. in downtown Peoria.
According to the operators' published fast facts, the city-funded structure includes:
- Three turnkey kitchens of 640 square feet each
- Six retail and eatery spaces from 160 to 440 square feet
- A courtyard bar and a live music stage
- A 16-foot splash pad
- Seating for more than 300 under a covered black-steel canopy with heaters, fans and misters
Nelsen Partners designed it, and A.R. Mays Construction built it. The design also draws on the corner's history. The shipping containers nod to the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix railway, which arrived in 1895. The canopy steel recalls the ironworks that once stood on the site.
The plan changed along the way. Phoenix New Times reported that the design was cut from two stories to one and that construction delays pushed back the opening. Duncan told the paper, "With a project of this size and scale, there's just more parts and pieces." In a July 25, 2026 announcement, the operators set November 2026 as the opening month.
The lease that came first, on Washington Street
Jefferson House is the city's second turn as landlord. The first is Caldwell County BBQ at 8315 W. Washington St., which held its grand-opening ribbon cutting on February 5, 2026, according to the Peoria Independent. The restaurant is about 6,600 square feet. It sits on Washington Street between 83rd Avenue and 83rd Drive, between the Fire House Event Center and the former downtown hotel site.
The deal behind it is public record. In the city's development agreement, Peoria took responsibility for construction, kept ownership of the finished restaurant and leased it to Caldwell County BBQ at Peoria, LLC. The council's lease summary sets a ten-year term. It also gives Caldwell the option to buy the building at fair market value starting one year after the lease begins. The Independent put the project at $7 million.
That purchase option shows what the city is aiming for. Peoria pays to put a proven operator downtown, and the operator gets a path to owning the building once the location is established. Jefferson House follows the same basic setup: a city-built structure with private operators running what happens inside.
Why the tenant list reads like a Valley favorites list
A city-built courtyard with small, ready-to-cook kitchens lowers the startup cost for an operator. The tenants announced so far are mostly established independents opening their first West Valley location or a smaller outpost of an existing shop. The operators have said every concept is independent and locally owned, with no chains or franchises.
| Tenant | What it is | Where it started |
|---|---|---|
| Stoop Kid | Bagels and smash burgers | The Churchill in Phoenix; Peoria will be its third kitchen |
| Local Hive Pizza Co. | Wood-fired pizza, many finished with hot honey | A family-run mobile pizzeria |
| Hope's Frybread | Sweet and savory stuffed frybread | Hope Peshlakai's Mesa restaurant, which grew out of a roadside stand |
| Chewk's Cookies | Warm, soft cookies served with soft-serve | A college dorm room, then a shop in Uptown Phoenix |
| JOOS | Cold-pressed juice, wellness shots, smoothies | Arrowhead Farmers Market |
| Good Trouble | Courtyard bar with 20 taps and specialty cocktails | New to the project |
| The Book Haul | Fantasy, romance and other fiction | Retail container |
| Lovely Goods | Vintage housewares, furniture and clothing curated by photographer Sarah Day | Retail container |
| Fade & Blade Studio | Barbershop and hair salon | Retail container |
Hope Peshlakai started her business in 2011 with a roadside stand built on her grandmother's frybread recipe and opened her Mesa restaurant in 2022. In the tenant announcement quoted by Phoenix New Times, she said, "We're looking forward to sharing the food we love, the culture we're proud of and creating new memories with our Peoria community."
One early name has dropped off the list. Novel Ice Cream was the first tenant announced, but owner Shawn Allard said in September that Novel would pause its West Valley plans to focus on a historic preservation project in Tempe. As of the July announcement, kitchen and retail spaces were still leasing, so the lineup may keep changing.
The operators have published hours for once Jefferson House is running. Individual kitchens and shops will set their own hours inside these:
- Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Friday: 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The two late nights matter. In this part of downtown, a 1:30 a.m. close on Friday and Saturday is late, and the courtyard was built with a stage and what New Times called a concert-ready sound system.
December 12 puts the city's projects on one map
The restaurants are the most visible part of the city's spending. The rest went to public spaces, and most of those are scheduled to be in use by December:
- City Hall Front Yard: Unveiled in March 2026 after the council approved $2.4 million. It added a grassy oval and berm for community events, a new entryway with improved ADA access and less ornamental turf.
- Peoria Water Tower: The new digital water tower's messaging went live April 7, 2026. It marks the spot near Grand Avenue and Washington Street where a hand-dug well was built in 1889 and later became a water tower and tank.
- The Schoolhouse: The 1906 Mission Revival Central School, listed on both the National and Peoria historic registers, is becoming an Arts and Cultural Center. The $3 million project began April 13, 2026, and includes exhibition, classroom and event space plus a new annex.
According to an August 31, 2026 city release, the Schoolhouse's grand opening is planned for December during the Downtown Peoria Holiday Festival. The Peoria Holiday Festival is free and open to all ages on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m. in Downtown Peoria.
So the same Saturday evening will bring together the restored Schoolhouse, the new City Hall lawn, the lit water tower and the restaurant blocks at 83rd Avenue. Each was paid for or built by the city as part of one plan. With December 12 on the calendar, the Jefferson House and Caldwell County BBQ blocks on 83rd Avenue are a short walk from the festival.
If you own near the 83rd Avenue blocks and wonder what this new activity downtown means for your property, Dream Living AZ can talk it through with you. Jennifer Patnode follows these West Valley projects from groundbreaking to opening day, and her insight is yours for the asking. Request a private consultation.
