WEEK/WHOI reports that Lakeview Museum lost $1.1 million last fiscal year (Jul. 2008 – Jun. 2009). Lakeview Director Jim Richerson says that’s because (a) they were “spending [money] for architects and engineers to advance the [Peoria Riverfront Museum] project,” and (b) donations “were down in 2008 because many were waiting to see what would come of the new museum project.”

Well, he’s certainly right about donations being down. Lakeview reported receiving $1,424,740 in donations, down 59% from $3,467,217 the prior year. As far as expenditures for the PRM, they say they spent $1,772,196 on the project. It doesn’t say how much of that went to “architects and engineers,” but it does say $704,847 was spent on “Public Awareness/Refere[ndum].” That means 40% of the money Lakeview spent on the PRM went toward an advertising campaign that promised (among other things) an IMAX theater and the use of 100% local union labor to build the museum — promises the museum group has signaled they may not be willing or able to fulfill now. They also reported $83,973 in “lobbying expenditures to influence a legislative body (direct lobbying).”

In other semi-related museum news, the slowly-disappearing Journal Star reports that Peoria Regional Museum Chairman (and former Peoria Mayor) Dave Ransburg is accused of committing fraud against Rubbermaid Inc. when he sold his company, L. R. Nelson Corp., to Robert Bosch Tool Corp. in 2008. Allegedly, Rubbermaid didn’t get paid the money L. R. Nelson owed them, but Ransburg and a couple other board members were compensated. So… Ransburg’s pledge toward the new museum may be in jeopardy.