The Journal Star’s Editorial Board has low expectations. How do I know that? Because they say in their editorial today that recent changes to the proposed downtown museum make it “a slightly less impressive facility, from a size and architectural standpoint.”

Slightly?

Since the original plans came out, the size of the museum has shrunk by over 25% (110,000 to 81,000 square feet), yet the price tag has remained the same. Fundraising has been stalled for months. The only architectural feature that could have been considered “impressive” — the floating globe in the glass box — has been axed. What’s left? This:

I would say the JSEB is easily impressed. They’re like the proverbial frog in the stove pot who lets himself be boiled to death because he doesn’t notice the gradual increase in temperature. The downtown museum has changed dramatically for the worse from what was originally proposed, yet the JSEB, et. al., focuses only on the incremental change and says it’s not that bad. It’s only “slightly less impressive.”

No, it’s not impressive at all. It’s not what Peoria was promised originally. It’s a bait and switch. It’s basically just moving Lakeview Museum downtown and adding a few permanent exhibits. And on top of it, they want to remove the retail portion of the plan — the only remaining vestige of the Heart of Peoria Plan (or Demetriou plan or any consultant’s plan for downtown).

As a friend of mine would say, “God love ’em for trying.” But that’s not the vision for the Sears block. That’s not even “slightly” the vision. If we’re going to focus on the “big picture,” as the JSEB exhorts, then let’s commit to getting the best development for that block instead of settling for mediocrity. I think we have enough mediocrity in this town.