Two years after its debut a commercial development in Peoria Heights shows signs of progress. Now with more than 50% of the spaces occupied the developer hopes to be able to wrap up the first phase of the project.

Bridget Williams says was looking for something creative when she began looking for a location for her beauty salon last year. This January she opened her salon inside Heritage Square in Peoria Heights.

Two more new businesses, Colors Sports Bar and the Burwell Group, will open next month, making 7 of the 16 spaces occupied.

Developer Mike Lewis says unlike before, he now is directly involved in leasing business tenants.

"The realtors we had were not able to find the kind of tenants we wanted, so I've become more involved."

Restaurants, retail and office is the order for Heritage square. Lewis has not been able to land an eatery with a New Orleans menu to match the Louisiana theme at the plaza...but tenants like his plan.

With the vacancies filling up Lewis says he hopes to get on with phase two the project that will be built on this land across from the courtyard, which will nearly double the size of the development.