If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the new website on Museum Square (hat tip to the Journal Star’s midday update for the link):
http://www.peoriamuseumsquare.com/
Macromedia Flash is required to view the site. There’s general info on the front page, plus two more pages with artists’ renderings — one of the “Central Illinois Regional Museum” and one of the “Caterpillar Visitor Center.”
Initial observations:
It’s very pretty, isn’t it? It looks unique, and I especially like the picture where the whole structure glows at night on the riverfront.
However, it’s not what one would call “urban.” And it definitely isn’t consistent with the surrounding architecture. Clearly, the whole idea of New Urbanism and the Heart of Peoria Plan were thrown out the glass arcade when this was designed. Here’s the “crown jewel” spot in Peoria and there’s no hint of the plan the council voted to follow “in principle.” Oh, I take that back — they did put the parking (which is not needed) underground. Here’s my suggestion: if the council is not going to actually follow the advice of the high-priced consultants they hire, please just save us the money and stop hiring them.
My other concern is the name: “Central Illinois Regional Museum.” I thought we were going to have a Peoria History Museum. Isn’t that how this project was sold? In fact, wasn’t the whole block going to be a Peoria History Museum? Why can’t we call it that? Who decided to change it? Are we changing the content of the museum to include the history of other communities? Are those communities contributing any money toward the construction of this “regional” museum? Which other communities are encompassed by “Central Illinois”? Galesburg? Bloomington? Lincoln? Decatur? Putnam County? What precisely is the vision for this museum?
I can’t help but notice there are no pictures of the inside of the Central Illinois Regional Museum, but there are numerous pictures of the inside of the Caterpillar Visitor Center (and it looks like there’s a lot of very interesting, interactive content). I suppose that says something about where the architects are spending most of their time at this point. Not surprising, since Cat is fronting a hefty amount of the money for Museum Square.
Well, I’m sorry I’m not more excited about it. But frankly, if I’m a tourist, I’m not going to be drawn to the “Central Illinois Regional Museum” anymore than I would go to the “Central Montana Regional Museum” or the “Central Iowa Amalgamated Museum.” Furthermore, I wouldn’t look for the “Central Illinois Regional Museum” in Peoria. I’d look for it in a more central location, like Bloomington — right next to the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
I wonder whatever happened to Peorians’ civic pride. Perhaps we should rewrite “Peoria Pride,” our official city song. All together now: “Oh I’m proud to live in Central Illinois . . . .”
UPDATE: I found artists’ renderings of the inside of the Central Illinois Regional Museum on the Journal Star’s Special Sections website. Why they’re not included in the peoriamuseumsquare.com site, I don’t know.
