Yeah, that’s one name for it. The Bellevue News Democrat has an amusing story about the museum-naming circus. I don’t know how they got them, but they report some of the things people have been writing on their ballots. Among them: “All the names stink,” and “What was your focus group? A group of 5-year-olds?” But the funniest line was this one:
Jim Richerson, president of Peoria’s Lakeview Museum, an existing facility that will become part of the new museum, greets the chorus of boos with Midwestern optimism.
“I consider it a victory,” Richerson said. “The worst thing that could have happened is that we got no response.”
Uh-huh. That, or not getting the money to build it because of the terrible public opinion they’ve created. Optimism, indeed.
We are being led to believe that some marketing firm polled the ‘public.’ From this survey, these strange names for the museum surfaced. Exactly what part of the ‘public’ was polled? The same part of the ‘public’ that was polled for any other surveys/ideas concerning this museum? It is easy for Lakeview to get the results they want when they are only polling Lakeview members.
Now, a select few Peorians are wanting to keep the ‘Lakeview’ name. Good-bye Peo Hist Society, African-Amer Museum, Wheels-O-Time, etc!!!!!!
I don’t even think we should name it anymore, I will always (when it is built) refer to it as…the thingy.
It’s amazing that one of the most vocal critics on here about the museum doesn’t even have the guts to use his real name and was bounced out of one of the “partners.” So now he resorts to trying to tear down one of the best things to come along in this community for a long time. Nice try Jeff, oh, I mean Scott. Way too many personal agendas for any of this criticism to be taken seriously.
Perhaps the Bellevue paper picked up this story after the article appeared in the Chicago Trib this past Sunday, under the heading “What do you call that thing?” The article includes two interesting quotes. First from Jim Richerson, “It’s kind of sportslike.” Then from Dan Phillips, “I guess it kind of backfired on us.”
For public input during the research phase, there were one on one interviews conductedas well as focus groups of Peoria metro area citizens, and finally over 1,000 internet surveys testing about a dozen names prior to narrowing the list down to the present four. None of this work focused on members of the Museum Group. Collaborative partners.
I think the idea of putting Peoria in the name is such a brilliant marketing and branding move that we should require it of all local businesses and organizations. Peoria Bradley University. Peoria Methodist Medical Center. Peoria National City Bank. Being proud of the name and city’s reputation is great, but let’s take the blinders off. Do you have any idea how many cities our size exist today? Would you jump in the car to go to the Olathe City, KS museum? I’m sure they think out there that they have great history, etc. too, and they are the same size as Peoria, but I had never heard of the place until doing some online research. Plus, this museum is about so much more than Peoria or central Illinois. It will include traveling art and history exhibitions, including from the Smithsonian. Let’s not limit ourselves to an expectation that all there will be is Peoria history.
“…this museum is about so much more than Peoria or central Illinois. It will include traveling art and history exhibitions, including from the Smithsonian.”
Lakeview already does that, Neil. What’s going to be different about this “new” museum, other than location?
It will be much bigger and encompass a lot more under one roof. In fact, it will be the only museum of its kind in the nation that houses art, science, history and personal achievement in one spot. The last two will be considerable additions that are not now seen at Lakeview, or anywhere else for that matter. Many of the Smithsonian and other traveling exhibits are too large for the current Lakeview. The other “new” aspect will be the delta concept, where information is intertwined so that there is perspective on various elements. For example, a history module could include a piece of art from the same era, a science discovery from the same era, and informatio about the person who made the science discovery. It ties it all together in a way that just an art museum or just a history museum or just a science musuem can’t do, so that you get a real picture of what was going on at the time and why This is going to be unique, folks, and it’s going to make Peoria proud.
Neil,
Are you in any way involved with the current Lakeview Museum or the future yet to be named museum?
I think that what is upsetting to so many Peorians is the fact that the whole museum concept was originally sold to us as a museum about Peoria’s history and it has morphed into the proposed monstrosity. Basically it was hijacked by the Lakeview Godfather.
”We wanted to take advantage of opportunities,” Richerson said. ”If there really is some momentum for the riverfront, we want to recognize that and play a leadership role in that momentum.”
Journal Star March 25, 2001
Surely we can build a proper place to tell the Peoria story while still leaving room for many other developments on the “Sears blockâ€. Let’s look back to what the Heart of Peoria Plan proposed:
“the current museum proposal has a suburban character inappropriate for a central downtown site, particularly a site of such prominence.â€
“Given the size and strategic importance of this site, it is cru¬cial that development utilize the site to maximum advantage, with a mix of uses carefully selected to optimize the site’s ability to energize the downtown areaâ€
“Develop a plan that makes optimal use of the whole block, taking full advantage of its central location as a crucial link between the Civic Center area and the riverfront. The plan should include pedestrian-oriented frontage on all sides and a mix of uses necessary to bring activity to the site 24 hours a day.â€
The Lakeview Godfather is eventually going to be coming to the citizens of Peoria for the rest of the funds not yet raised and you can bet that the outcry you hear now from the citizenry will be magnified ten fold when he does.
Only as a member. I have attended several update sessions provided for the public at large and have read extensively about the plans. I am a supporter, as I have been of Lakeview. I suppose I’m not “thrilled” with any of the names, but I can’t come up with anything better that meets the criteria, which means something like 17,000 existing names are off limits. Like it or not, trademark attorneys know what they are doing and the last thing the new museum needs is to get sued over a name.
The bottom line is it’s not the name that will attract people but what’s inside that counts. There will be plenty of time for the museum’s “brand” to develop once the name is unveiled, since it will be at least three years before it opens. Keep in mind, too, that exhibits at Lakeview have drawn considerable attention over the years from national and regional media.
The Dick and Jane exhibit of original artwork from the reading series resulted in two minutes live on NBC’s Today Show from the museum galleries. Other exhibits have been featured in the Tribune and other major dailies. I just think it’s way too early to dismiss the museum, and particularly the people who have put years of effort into getting it this far. That wasn’t easy.
Also think about the regional draw of the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, the potential Railroad Museum in Galesburg, and even the Ronald Reagan Museum at Eureka College. Toss in our area wineries, a night at the Chiefs, a festival on the riverfront, the new water parks just to our north, and we could be a destination draw with the right marketing. Something like one-fourth the population of the U.S. lives within 8 hours of Peoria. That’s a big market that could potentially be attracted for a long weekend or even a week.
The new museum probably won’t be able to compete with Chicago or St. Louis on an exhibit basis, but some of the best art and sciences exhibits are produced by smaller museums and then put on the traveling circuit. Lakeview’s Dick and Jane went to several other museums and drew big crowds. They recently had the football exhibit that was created by the Little Rock, AR museum and it was great for families, etc.
A long answer to a short question, but this thing deserves at a minimum your study and thoughtful consideration.
Actually it was Rep. Ray LaHood who put the collaboration together, not Lakeview. Rep. LaHood made it very clear to ALL the groups who were seeking funds that there wasn’t enough money to build separate museums for everyone. The original plan for the Sears Block was a historical museum inside a hotel. There are those who think the best use for the site is commercial. The problem is, the site sat there for 10 years, empty, and no one came forward to develop it. The Heart of Peoria Plan is fine, but if no one wants to do what they suggest, then it’s time to move on. One of the previous “plans” actually had five or six separate museums on the block. How efficient is that? And again, this is much more than “telling the Peoria story.”
Hey Neil [if that is YOUR real name]. What and who the heck are you talking about? You sound like the rest of the trained monkeys at Lakeview. Tell the world something we don’t already know.
Sarah, nice way to engage in a dialogue. When people resort to name calling it’s because they have lost the argument. Seems to me a few facts shouldn’t evoke such a reaction. But then facts spoil all the fun of blogging, don’t they?
Thanks for your input, Neil. I’ve heard very few supporters of the museum project.
The HOP Plan actually envisioned the block being a mix of residential, retail, and civic use, the idea being to make the block a place that’s hopping 24/7, not just during museum hours.
The reason that block was vacant for 10 years is because the city bought it and was sitting on it all that time, trying to decide what was to be done with it. I don’t believe the city put it up for sale at any point. Don’t you think CAT would have bought it if they had?
But suppose I grant your premise. Since you clearly believe this will be a catalyst, why not just use half the block for the museum and CAT visitor center (since you’re only building a third of the land anyway), and leave the other half for commercial development? If the museum is the catalyst you describe (“we could be a destination draw with the right marketing”), wouldn’t that be a prime location for a commercial venture — perhaps even a hotel? As it is, 2/3 of the block is going to be open (wasted) space. That’s great in the suburbs, but downtown is supposed to have density. Has Peoria learned nothing from the perpetually vacant Fulton Plaza?
And I have to admit that the picture you paint of the benefits of a multi-disciplinary museum sound great in theory, but I’m concerned about the museum trying to do too much in too little space. The Lincoln museum in Springfield is 40,000 square feet devoted to Lincoln. Here, you have 70,000 square feet of exhibit space that you want to devote to everything. Doesn’t that seem a bit unrealistic? How much space is there for permanent exhibits? How much space is there for storage of other historical artifacts that are owned by Lakeview, the Peoria Historical Society, and the other museum partners that won’t fit into the permanent exhibit space? What space is set aside for scholarship or restoration?
I do agree with you that, “The bottom line is it’s not the name that will attract people but what’s inside that counts.” That being said, why not call it the Peoria Regional Museum? No trademark problems with that name. Descriptive, and meaningful. The problem with the proposed names, as I’ve said before, is that they are all intrinsically meaningless. If nothing else, couldn’t they at least have named the museum after a prominent (but not necessarily famous) Peorian? The founder of the historical society, perhaps?
Blogging does allow for some people to take potshots, but then so does the Journal Star’s forum. Don’t knock the medium. Blogging has its fair share of constructive dialog.
Neil,
We don’t know what went on behind the scenes though. How do you know that Richerson did not approach Lahood first? If you look at the Journal Star archives the first mention of Lahood’s Collaboration and the quote I gave from Richerson are only a few days apart. I used the term Lakeview Godfather, because make no mistake Richerson is the one directing this effort regardless of who might have come up with the idea for the collaboration. You argue that there is no interest in the H.O.P. plan, but how much public interest is there in the Richerson plan? Either way I would expect that the taxpayers would be asked for contributions. At least under the H.O.P. plan they might be less if the city were to invest in infrastructure that would encourage private investment. The way it stands now the public will be asked to pay the bill for this place long after Richerson has left Peoria. Don’t get me wrong I want a museum, but not in the form proposed. I think that many Peorians feel the same way that I do. Fellow Peorians correct me if I am wrong.
There are many supporters of the museum, but they are not as vocal on the blogs. I don’t have the answers to your space questions, but I’ll bet if you ask the people doing the planning, etc., they can tell you what to expect. I have seen preliminary renderings, etc., and it is very attractive.
This plan wasn’t put together over pizza and beer. It has evolved over the last five years, with lots of input from local as well as national people. For whatever reason there seems to be a general lack of confidence in the ability of the collaboration group to pull this off. Why, I don’t know. As I outlined earlier, Lakeview has done an outstanding job of bringing in engaging and interesting exhibits to the tune of 100,000 attendance annually. There are professional people working on this day and night.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that not everyone is a museum goer and not everyone appreciates the value a museum brings to a community. So they have little, if anything, to compare the new museum concept to.
Regarding the 10 year vacancy, the city would have entertained any development proposal during that time. If there were any, they must not have been viable or the city would have jumped on it. The collaboration group’s proposal was the first one, apparently, that was appealing and looked like it could get done. I believe the council’s first preference was commercial development on the block, but after 10 years, they took what to them was the next best thing.
Regarding the extra space, there will be retail stores fronting on Water Street. Some of the space on the site itself is being used for environmental purposes and other will be used for outdoor gatherings. Just as there is plenty of parking downtown, there also is plenty of retail space that can and will be developed along with residential.
I think any name is meaningless until it is attached to something. The Guggenhim, Louvre, Getty, Smithsonian didn’t mean anything until there was something for people to experience. I guess the Peoria Regional Museum still has the same problems with identity. Putting “regional” into it doesn’t solve the problem of lack of recognition.
Will we need another hotel downtown, with one being entertained near the Civic Center and one rising as we speak on the EP side of the river? A hotel is not in and of itself an attraction, and again no one has stepped forward to make a serious proposal for a hotel on that site.
Thanks for your response, and I would encourage you to call Lakeview and ask about the space allocation.
Chris, please see my response to CJ. Again, why not ask Rep. LaHood how it all came about? No need to take my word for it. I guess the real problem is that people don’t want to believe that something they disagree with was done above board and without sinister motives.
Hey Neil,
I echo Sarah [and everyone else for that matter]. Who and/or what are you talking about? Wise up! 99.9% of bloggers think museum should at LEAST be revamped. Even the J Star comments are mostly negative. All of Peoria has seen the ‘plans’ for museum…you think we are just talking out our A**? You are right, SC is not my real name, but close. Neil…in your last entry…what ‘professionals’ are you talking about?
P.S. Neil,
Your argument is the same old…whatever. You are not answering C.J.’s or Chris’s [or anybody’s] questions. Are you another….professional?
It is not so much that I believe it is sinister as I believe that it is not what the people of Peoria want. I think there was much more interest when there was talk of an approximately $10 million museum that was devoted to Peoria history. You are right that Richerson et al have not hidden the fact that they wanted to control this from the beginning. I personally am more interested in supporting a history museum than I am helping to foot the bill to make what I see as a bigger version of Lakeview under the control of Lakeview. If the other components of the museum are going to play such a big part why is it that they will not need to hire additional qualified staff?
Again, citizens of Peoria, please give your opposing opinions…..
Also, Neil, do you live in Peoria?
I do! I do!….. I live in Peoria County. Does that count?
Chris, yes, I live in Peoria. I have no idea about hiring “qualified” staff. You must have information that no one else has. Just like I saw on another blog that the museum would be open Monday-Friday from 9 to 5 p.m. and occasionally on Saturday. How absurd.
Scott, I’m not going to engage in back and forth bickering about people’s qualifications. Clearly you are not involved in the planning and that bothers you greatly. Apparently, you couldn’t convince people that you know enough to be involved, so you resort to questioning other people’s credentials. Sorry that I haven’t answered question to your satisfaction. Unlike you, I don’t have all the answers. But at least I’m smart enough to admit it.
Neil,
I received my information from a current employee of Lakeview who is involved in the fund raising for the new Lakeview. I am not sure if she has shared it with anyone else or if that knowledge is public. The reason that I used the term qualified staff is that I would think if Lakeview is going to take on new components that they have never had as part of their facility that they would need qualified individuals to staff these particular areas.
Neal or Neil?
I noticed in your first post that it was Neal and then after that Neil.
Chris: It’s Neil. I don’t know about staffing, and if that’s the information you have then I trust it’s accurate. I would agree, it does seem odd. I’m going to contact Lakeview tomorrow and see if they will hold a meeting of some kind to answer all these questions. Speculation about this and that isn’t getting us anywhere. I’ll let you know what I find out.
Gee Kneel,
Silly of me to question the qualifications of those involved with planning a $65 million museum. Just because the guy down the road enjoyes tinkering with cars, does not make him a mechanic. Would you take YOUR BMW to someone like that? If you need a tooth pulled, why go to a real dentist? Come see me…I own a plair of pliers. My point is clear and not meant as an insult. I see a bunch of business men, one J. Richerson, and a bunch of money spent on consulting firms…..! Did I mention this museum is going to cost $65 million? I don’t pretend to be an expert, I am far from it. If our concerns are not valid…well we will all admit we were wrong.
You folks are great, the un-informed and the un-involved complaining that they’re un-involved and un-informed. No wonder it’s so difficult to proceed with any civic projects in Peoria with attitudes like these displayed so frequently. But hey, sit out there on the sidelines and enjoy the complaining, and while you’re at it, throw all the mis-information you can into the discussion, cause that’s all going to insure that the community moves forward in a positive direction. Have your fun, you’re almost more enjoyable than watching the council on Tuesday evenings.
Mr. Neil,
You are being a little critical. You are telling Scott he is uptight because he wants to be part of the museum process and isn’t. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t we ALL supposed to be part of the process? The same goes for you KATMANDU 2! Our opinions will only be solicited when Lakeview wants to hear them, correct? This rather silly name-the-museum game is a great example.
I have been following the Journal Star reaction sight. It would appear the public is either unenthusiastic, or against the entire project. Katmandu, you’re comments are as useful as a pin in the eye. Being informed and involved does not seem to count for much in this town, unless you have the money and clout to back it up.
Tim
Katmandu,
I have read all of the newspaper articles on the museum and I have visited their webpage and read the information there. What else should I do to inform myself? Also, I would love to get involved with the museum project. Do you think there are any spots left in the collaboration group or is it too late? Maybe you know someone that I can speak with regarding this matter? Is that person you? Are you one of the informed and involved?
Neil said: “Regarding the 10 year vacancy, the city would have entertained any development proposal during that time. If there were any, they must not have been viable or the city would have jumped on it.”
I went to the library last night and did a little searching. There were four developers interested in the Sears block as early as August 1998 — a month before Sears moved to Northwoods. The city never questioned the viability of those proposals; they simply never approved any of them because they couldn’t decide what they wanted to do with the property. A year later, Oct. ’99, the council decides to turn the Sears block into a park. By the end of Oct. ’99, the council had already started backing off that idea, agreeing that a portion of it could still be commercially available. Throughout ’98 to ’00, there was always a developer interested in putting a hotel on that block, but that met with serious opposition from the other hoteliers in the area (similar to the pushback against a Civic Center hotel now). But that wasn’t the only development planned. There were many local developers as late as March 2003 who wanted a sizeable piece of the Sears block set aside for retail/restaurant space. Meanwhile, Lakeview wanted the whole block — or at least 80% of it, with the authority to decide what businesses could or could not locate on the remaining 20%.
I was also surprised to discover that originally, it was the Peoria Historical Society that wanted to put a 33,000 square foot Peoria History Museum on the Sears block, with the rest of the block open for commercial redevelopment. The PHS had been looking for a museum home at least since 1989. Lakeview didn’t get involved until 2000, when they decided they wanted to move to the riverfront. By 2002, they decided they wanted the whole Sears block. Once Lakeview got involved, it was no longer a Peoria History Museum, telling Peoria’s story. Now it’s morphed into “so much more,” as museum backers like to say, which means of course that Peoria’s history portion will get so much less.
It’s also interesting that LaHood’s rationale for urging the consolidation of museums was so more federal/state grants could be used (i.e., there weren’t enough grants for six to eight separate museums). And he only got involved after Lakeview decided they wanted to move downtown. Once CAT backed the museum in April 2002, the city council started doing whatever CAT wanted, as usual.
But I digress. Bottom line, over the last 10 years, there have been plenty of development proposals that have failed not for lack of viability, but because of city politics.
Katmandu, I too would like to join the collaboration along with Chris. Please let us know when the next meeting is and we’ll be there. I’m sure Scott and Tim would like to be in on it, too. I assume there’s no limit to the number of people who can be on this team, right?
C.J.,
Thank you so much for your digression….very informative. This information helps to confirm that the “Sears Block†is Lakeview’s baby. Maybe their machinations are not “sinisterâ€, but they are definitely placing their interests first in this whole matter. They got the property they wanted, they got the museum concept and design they wanted, and they will, of course, get the name they want. There is only the illusion of public involvement in this process.
“As the only Smithsonian affiliate in the state, Lakeview will have a strong case to make in Springfield for funding to enlarge the museum or put up a new one. Presently it has just 10,000 square feet of display space, of which less than 5,000 are available for temporary, traveling shows. Richerson says the museum probably needs double that, plus additional support room for preparation and offices.â€
“Coincidentally, just two days before Lakeview revealed its news, the Peoria Historical Society reported that, based on an encouraging survey of likely fund-raising success, it was hiring a consultant to plan the contents of a history museum the society would like to see on the Sears block. President John Gibson thinks $10 million will be needed.â€
Journal Star August 27, 2000
CJ, your research into the history of the Sears block is excellent and should be its own post. It’s too good to be buried this far down into the comments from a week old post to find it.
Amen, Anonymous!
Talked with Lakeview’ P.R. person, Kathleen Worth, and she says she will put together a meeting anytime to answer questions about the museum, it’s process, the name, etc. It’s your chance to participate. Any takers?
I’ll take her up on that. I’d like to have a way to post her answers on my blog, however, so is it okay if we either (a) tape record the meeting so I can transcribe it, or (b) have readers here compile a list of questions and have her write her answers to us in an e-mail or something?
A public forum is a start.
Time and place?
Is Richerson going to be there?
If you really want to know how it got started, here is what I know to be fact. The joint venture museum/visitor center concept was on the table as far back as 1989 when myself, representing a bunch of railroad and trolley enthusiasts, Tom Leiter of the Peoria Historical Society, Les Kenyon of Central Illinois Landmark Foundation, Jim Birdsall and Bob Gilmore, former CEO of Caterpillar, met with the goal of saving the Powell Press building (one of Peoria’s oldest commercial buildings) by moving it to the RiverFront and adding other period buildings to it to house a variety of museum and historical interests. We worked on it for years but were only able to get the building moved and restored at it’s present site as the Riverfront Visitors Center. Our concept was a recreated street of buildings with the Powell Press as the original anchor. Our vision was historically based as our mission.
Obviously we were a bit early in our thinking. The new museum will be everything Neil Hardin says it is and more. I too am a member and a Lakeview Board member. The board is made up of all kinds of people that volunteer countless hours to make Lakeview what it is today. The new museum will be so much more than Lakeview is and because of that a new name is absolutely necessary….the Lakeview Board agrees as do all the collaborative partners. There will also be 15,000sf of new retail space on Water Street and the entire site will be a catalyst for our community. All of this information has always been available to the public.
We believe in Peoria, even with all of it’s warts. We also believe that if you truly want to make a difference in our community, then you will get involved somewhere and make a difference. The challenges ahead of the Peoria area are important and difficult and only together can be get ahead.