I just love irony.
A mere four years ago, the city, then led by former mayor Dave Ransburg, brought in Andres Duany to come with a plan to revitalize the Heart of Peoria. Duany’s company, DPZ, came to town and got a lot of public input through the charrette process. What did the public want? Something like this:
Urban density. 24-hour activity. Residential component. New Urbanism. The Heart of Peoria Plan.
What did they get? Here’s the approved site plan:
Not dense. 9-5 activity. No residential component. Suburban. Antithetical to the Heart of Peoria Plan.
The irony part? They want us to help pay for it now.
Mayor Jim Ardis and seven former mayors pledged Monday to use their collective star power to help raise at least $16 million for the new regional museum over the next year…. “This isn’t for a group of mayors who have sort of done their thing; it’s for you,” said former Mayor Jim Maloof…. “The single most important project I see, along with the Civic Center (expansion), is this museum,” [former mayor Bud] Grieves said. “Whether you can give $5, $500 or $500,000, everybody ought to step up to the plate.” (Source: Journal Star)
The Mayor’s Circle will be out and about speaking to individuals, community groups and civic organizations gathering grassroots support for Museum Square. (Source: 1470 WMBD)
Pardon my frank language, but that takes a lot of balls. First they design something that’s almost the exact opposite of what residents want, then are shocked — shocked, I say! — to find that the money isn’t rolling in. What to do? Redesign? Listen to residents? Nah! “Let’s try to gather grassroots support for our design! Clearly the problem is that residents can’t see the wisdom of our plan.”
Not to mention the fact that one reason the cost of construction is so high is due to the unwarranted and expensive underground parking deck they want to build — against the recommendation of the Heart of Peoria Commission.
“It’s for you,” Maloof says. With all due respect, if it were for us, it would look like the Heart of Peoria Plan, not the Cat Visitor Center Plan. I’ll save my money, thanks. We’ll all be supporting this boondoggle through our property taxes soon enough.
UPDATE (6/27/06 8:44pm):Â PeoriaIllinoisan has also written an excellent post on this issue.
Maybe, just maybe Mayor MaGoof could feel (up) a few citizens for the cash, or Mayor Bud could give some of the rent from the PPD deal! Why in this city is the taxpayer the blind redheaded stepchild that always bears the brunt of the *&%*&^**(*^&%^s.
If it is for “us”, most of “us” work 9-5, or close enough to those hours, that “us” will never see the inside.
This is about the only issue I’ve ever really disagreed with our current mayor. Even though he claims to be against Glen Oak School being moved to Glen Oak Park, he has certainly taken a page out of Ken Hinton’s book about not listening to what the community wants and forging ahead anyway.
Come on mayors, if the money isn’t flowing in, get a clue. Spend the money on fixing up our older neighborhoods so you have some taxpayers left to pay for all the other money pits this city has created.
Thank you for “saying” exactly what I have felt about this whole museum garbage. If this “circus” shows up on my lawn, I’m declaring my yard a TIF district and letting out the dogs.
TIF = Take It F**kers!
Hello Again……………..,
Ah yes….the museum. There is not enough blogging time or space to say just what exactly is wrong with this ‘museum’ plan. Here are a few thoughts on the matter:
1.) Do the people of Peoria care? I have always wondered about this. Considering I never see an editorial in the Star written by anyone other than the mis-guided, unknowledgable, well-to-do who support this ‘project’. The people either do not care or…..know what a bunch of bulls–t this expenditure of time and MONEY this really is.
Please reference my blog: Museum Square – does it fulfill Peoria’s vision? Jan 17, 2006 – “Gentlemen when it comes to this ‘museum,’….
2.) $65 million? The final cost shoulb be….? Who knows. How much to renovate one of the older buildings downtown? Of course I can’t wait to see what type of exhibits will be displayed and what, if any preparations are being made for artifact/collections storage?
3.) A museum is supposed to serve as a documents and artifacts repository…any plans for that? Peoria Pub Library was snubbed when they offered to help in developing a REAL library and archives. Whose running the show and more importantly….whose “LEGACY” is it really? I expected more from Ardis, but now that he is one of the good-old-boys, who knows?
I challenge anyone to defend this new museum project!
Thank you,
Scott
P.S. Please excuse my grammatical errors in last.
SC
more of the same. The only thing they want from us mice is our money.
CJ – I would do this if I had time. Would you mind researching other museums built for corporations like Cat? – ie. does Kodak have a museum in Rochester, NY, and what kind of $$ does it bring if any. That’s the only one that comes to mind, but well, maybe Ford somewhere in Michigan. I know Corning has one in upstate NY. Blanking out for others. Or anybody else who reads this? You could too. Google is my best friend, could be yours!
I’m curious to see what this has done, if anything, for other cities. We may be assuming the worst (despite the fact that I’m pretty much in agreement on the corporate subsidy of the whole thing).
And what is up with the CHildren’s Museum the Jaycees want to build? That’s a whole separate thing, right?
Thanks – Peoria Newbie
Bait n Switch !!!!
I will go see the museum once; now, how many like me will it take to make this fiasco a going thing? What a white elephant we will have on our hands. I love Cat and all it does for this community, but it should handle its’ own showpiece, and not in our space! Doesn’t anyone have any better idea what to do with this priceless land-looks like the Heart of Peoria plan fits the bill. Will someone with some smarts get involved please!
Dear Roman II,
Someone with smarts?!?!?!? I thought that is why we had those ‘experts’ at Lakeview [you know Lakeview…. the little art museum who is running the show]. Oh, I almost forgot….we now have the ‘Circle of Mayors,’ out for our pocket change. Remember all these guys? They were all responsible for making Peoria the boom-town it is today. One last thing, it is amazing that of all the people who ARE making the major decisions concerning this museum, none of them have any professional training or education in the museum field [except the puppet mouthpiece Jim Richerson – and look where he has been the last few years!!].
Sorry to sound so bitter.
SC
Sound like the Glen Oak School/Glen Oak Park Site saga. and also the Glen Oak Zoo project. If either project is so wonderful the funding and support would come rolling in and have overwhelming community support. Aslo if it is to be a region based museum why was other mayors or village presidents left out. Or is the City of Peoria the region only for funding?
I do know that the John Deere Pavillion seems to do well for the Quad Cities. I mean, the JDP or the Cat museums are not going to be the Shedd Aquarium, but I do think they will bring people to Peoria, even if just for the day.
It is not always just a matter of economics however, we can always try looking at the [actual] cost of our museum…compared to the projected annual earnings. What will the economic impact be on Peoria? People paying a few dollars for a ‘regional’ Peoria museum are not going to be coming from out-of-town, staying in hotels, shopping at all of the great stores on the riverfront [what stores?], etc. They will spend a few hours at the museum…and leave. The museum alone does not stand a chance. Maybe if coupled with other ‘attractions’…….. but oops, all of the riverfront property is gone!
The real question should be; will this museum really be what a museum is SUPPOSED to be? I have yet to see anyone question what types of exhibits will be displayed, how indepth [really] will the area history and archaeology be represented in this ‘museum?’ I have a sinking feeling that this institution will be merely devoted to the fine arts [Lakeview?].
SC
Those who question the viability of the museum should note that the original plan we were sold, included shops, apartments, some open space , all in a pedestrian friendly environment. The original plan would have enabled the block to be a cogent piece of the fabric that is downtown with or without a successful museum. The shops would still be there. The apartments/condos woulds still be there. And if… the museum failed the space it held could probably be easily used for other purposes. Form defines function.
Instead Mayor ‘Bait n Switch’ Ardis wants us to buy a homogonized block with only two uses with buildings that … would serve poorly any other use.
As to Cat having a museum… well the John Deere pavilion is nice. I am sure it serves John Deere quite well. Caterpillar would likewise benefit from having a similar attraction. But Cat does not need it to be subsized or support with public moneys in any way. Nor does it need to be on that block, which was acquired with public moneys. Cat has a bunch of land sitting idle in East Peoria. That Cat seems to be hijacking the block for its own ends, not in favor of the original concept, is disappointing.
I agree with Mahkno. Well said. Except I wouldn’t blame this on the mayor. He’s just one vote. It was a council decision to approve the site plan.
All this is true. I can understnad CAT donating a large chunk of the funding for this project, it is only nature that they would like to see their ‘name’ plastered around a little. About letting mayor off the hook… I don’t know. It seems that he is just going along with what ever plan they set in front of him. In the end, Ransburg, Maloof, etc. get what THEY wanted along. Is Ardis politically impotent here?
What about renovating one of the older buildings downtown?
SC
Yes CJ, Ardis was and is only 1 vote.. but he seems to want to champion this endeavor, therefore he should be willing to accept responsibility for his votes and the failure leadership he is providing.