Developers, city officials and business owners assembled on a rare gray day to break ground on The Jefferson House.
Plans for the hotly anticipated venue were announced in April 2024. Though officials remarked on the decades it took to bring this project to fruition, there was no time to linger at the event. Heavy rain soaked the ground just as the dust from the ceremonially shoveled dirt had settled.
The Jefferson House, and the addition of a new outpost of the East Valley’s popular Caldwell County BBQ, are part of Peoria’s efforts to revitalize its downtown. This historic district, bounded by Madison Street and Peoria, 83rd and 84th avenues, is home to a community center and park, an art studio, gallery and a small collection of shops and restaurants in low-slung buildings.
Now that shovels have pierced the ground, Kell Duncan, one of the people behind the Jefferson House, anticipates the dining and shopping destination will open in June 2026.
“It’s been a while, but we’re finally at a place where we’re going to start,” Duncan said ahead of the groundbreaking. “We’re ready to go.”
Developers and city officials broke ground on the Jefferson House on Sept. 18. It's anticipated to open in June 2026.
Sara Crocker
What is the Jefferson House?
The Peoria project is modeled after Duncan’s downtown Phoenix hub, The Churchill. The distinctive venue is constructed from shipping containers, which house restaurants, boutiques and bars encircling an open-air courtyard.Duncan and The Churchill’s operations director, Stephen Allen, have partnered with Lance and Gavin Linderman on The Jefferson House. The brothers, along with Micah Bentley, own Banquet, the hospitality group behind downtown Peoria’s popular cafe, Driftwood Coffee Co., Twist Hot Chicken and the Glendale bar, Easy Tiger.
“We wanted to bring the culture and all these great things to Peoria,” Lance said.
The size of the building has been scaled back from the original plans. Initially anticipated to be two stories, the Jefferson House will instead be one floor with six retail spaces, three restaurants and a bar.
“It’ll feel like The Churchill,” Duncan said.
The first business confirmed to join the Jefferson House is Novel Ice Cream, the popular parlor known for its ice cream-filled Doughnut Melt.
Other businesses will be announced in the lead-up to opening, and the team is also seeking applications from prospective tenants – something they began last year but had to put on hold as they awaited the start of construction.
The Jefferson House will have a large patio and a covered courtyard, which will be outfitted with coolers and misters to manage the temperatures of an open-air space.
Peoria has chipped in $15 million on the downtown area's revitalization efforts. The city will build and own both the Jefferson House and Caldwell County properties.
“We’ve got skin in the game. We’re putting our money where our mouth is,” Councilmember Jennifer Crawford said.
Developers and officials noted that it has taken more than 30 years for downtown projects like this to gain traction. The hum of construction at Caldwell County’s restaurant could be heard from the groundbreaking. Before the group grabbed their shovels, Allen was focused on the future.
“We can’t wait to get these doors open and bring in the community,” Allen said.
Jefferson House
Opens June 20268308 W. Jefferson Street, Peoria
