Pere Marquette Ready for Liquidation
By: Eugene Daniel
Updated: April 12, 2012
PEORIA- The first step to transform the Pere Marquette is to empty it out.
Now that the Pere Marquette hotel is property of developer Gary Matthews, his first order of business is selling everything inside.
Inside the Pere Marquette, the once luxurious ballroom now looks like a garage sale. A liquidation begins at the hotel Friday.
Already, thousands of items are lined up to go to the first bidder.
"The stemware, the glassware the mirrors and the artwork is absolute steal. I mean you couldn't even buy frames for a lot of the things we have them priced at," said liquidator Jane Pushee with Mid American Salvage.
Prices range from one dollar to $5,000.
Furniture to computers, glass wares to irons. Anything is up for grabs.
"Approximately two floors worth of furniture on this floor. All the small items have been brought down but we'll continuously keep bringing down more furniture," said Pushee.
Project manager Monte Brannan says the sooner the hotel is cleared...the better.
While it's great the hotel's transformation is finally underway, he says liquidation is just the beginning.
"I'm trying to remind everybody that the liquidation is not the end result that we're looking for. The end result is to be open with a new Marriott hotel in March of next year," he said.
Brannan says all of this must go within three weeks. If not, they'll risk running off schedule.
The project manager says he hopes to make at least $200,000 from this liquidation sale.
It will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week until everything is gone. Buyers are responsible for moving larger items, like furniture from the hotel.
