Tag Archives: Museum Block

City of Peoria, Museum Block

Museum vote spurs more downtown-killing development

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Gee, I can hardly contain my excitement over news that downtown Peoria is going to get a new skywalk.

“We decided to move ahead with a skywalk project connecting 401 Water Street with buildings being renovated on Commercial Street,” said developer Kert Huber.

“It’s a $5 million to $6 million project. We’re doing this because the museum went forward. If the citizens of the area hadn’t got behind it, I would have walked away,” he said.

And then where would Peoria be? Imagine what would have happened had we lost this skywalk project: All those high-end condominium residents would have to walk outside to visit renovated buildings across Commercial Street. Oh, the indignity! Thank heavens the museum referendum passed so we didn’t miss this exciting development. [end sarcasm]

The real shame is that these skywalks, which are becoming more and more common in Peoria regrettably, will only hurt downtown commerce, not help it. Studies I’ve quoted in a previous post tell the story. Here’s a quote from Kathleen Hill:

Skywalk design in North America has frequently been critiqued for the barriers it has created between different levels of pedestrian circulation. (Cornell University, Transport and Society May 10, 2007) Skywalks are pedestrian bridges linking buildings at the second floor level creating a second-level city….

Critics of skywalks maintain that their proliferation has reduced street level activity. Kent Robertson (Pedestrianization Strategies for Downtown Planners, Journal of the American Planning Association, Summer 1993) states that businesses located on the street level have closed due to lack of pedestrian traffic and property values have declined. Kurt Anderson (Fast Life Along the Skywalks, Time Magazine, August 1988)
reports this lack of street level pedestrians and activities creates the perception of an inactive and dull downtown, stating that skywalks negatively impact street level retail and social activities.

Some city planners feel that street level retail shops are the key to a vital and multi-use downtown. Critics are also concerned with the privatization of these public spaces and a separation of people based on class. Many of the skywalks link upscale hotels, shops and professional offices signaling to many low and moderate income people that they are not welcome.

So in addition to a museum block that will be devoid of street life because of its defective design, it’s spurring more development that will likewise keep pedestrians off the street. But since Peoria’s mantra is “all development is good development,” the project is promoted as an exciting, positive change for Peoria.

Caterpillar, Museum Block

Cat talking points on museum

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In the post office box of the Citizens for Responsible Spending, we anonymously received this memo purportedly from Caterpillar, dated April 9, 2009:

Build the Block: Peoria Riverfront Museum and Caterpillar Visitor Center Leader Talking Points (Peoria Area)

Caterpillar is pleased about the vote to move forward with Build the Block. We made a commitment in 2002 to support a new regional museum and we will stay true to this commitment. Caterpillar’s funding of this project will be in the near future, but will not occur in 2009.

  • The budgeted cost of the Visitor Center is $41 million. Planning for this project will be modified to reflect our current financial circumstance.

  • The Caterpillar Foundation has pledged $13.5 million to the museum. We have made the decision to temporarily suspend outright cash payments, however, the Foundation will continue to match payments to the museum project from employees and retirees.

The Visitor Center will benefit Caterpillar in many ways:

  • Enhance the overall customer experience when Caterpillar dealers bring customers to Peoria to visit the company.

  • Provide a complete perspective of our commitment to customer success, regardless of where they are working around the world.

  • Exhibits will focus on the value of our equipment, engines and services and the long-term relationships which offer customers a superior value in providing solutions to their business challenges.

Hmmm. So much for stimulating the economy while so many people are facing hard times. Evidently the new plan is to wait for better economic times to build.

Caterpillar, City Council, City of Peoria, Museum Block

Sears block may remain parking lot until 2010

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There are a couple of items regarding the Sears block on the City Council’s agenda for Tuesday night, Dec. 9.

The first one is a six-month deadline extension of the Museum Block Redevelopment Agreement. The original redevelopment agreement was signed way back in 2004, and the deadline for the agreement was December 2006. Each year since then, the deadlines have been pushed back as the council waited for the museum group to get the funds they needed; there was always one more avenue that was sure to bring in the money. Each attempt to secure the needed funding has failed.

The latest plan is to ask Peorians in the midst of a recession to voluntarily raise sales taxes on themselves via referendum to pay for the construction and ongoing maintenance of the proposed museum. The county board will be discussing this ballot question soon, even as Caterpillar contractors are being laid off, and other local bodies (such as the school board) are realizing dramatically lower tax revenues due to the current economic climate. Could the museum folks and our elected officials from the city and county be any more out of touch? Why are they continuing to pursue this?

No doubt there will be a fourth amendment on the agenda for June 2009 after this latest plan fails and all the players look for a way to get that tax money anyway by circumventing the voters (anyone want to take bets that they’ll be asking the Public Building Commission for the money?). That seems to be the M. O. of our “public servants” these days.

Even if the museum project folds up after June, we’re still going to have a big parking lot on the Sears block because the council will also be approving an agreement to extend Caterpillar’s lease of the block for use as a parking lot until December 31, 2009. Why not extend it only until June 30, just like the redevelopment agreement? Under this parking plan, the city would potentially be unable to pursue other development projects for this block until 2010.

Both of these items are on the consent agenda, which means there will be no discussion on them unless a council member asks for them to be voted on separately.