Save Riverfront Park!

June 2017

Riverfront ParkTell Your Peoria City Council Member to Vote NO on the River Trail Development Agreement Extension

The Peoria City Council will be voting Tuesday, June 27th to extend the River Trail Development agreement for sale of Riverfront Park. This is the 5th extension of the due diligence issues with the developer and city. The National Park Service has not yet decided on the city proposal.

1. Email and/or phone City Council members who are either not clearly taking a stand or want to sell our public park and are listed below. Ask them to Vote NO on the River Trail Development agreement extension. 
  • The city park land is worth more than the selling price being paid.
  • Once this public property is sold the city has lost control of this prime riverfront area forever.
  • The replacement property is less acres and not of equivalent open space value and use.
  • Business-wise the cost numbers don't add up, The project is now estimated at $32 million (up from $24 million); two years of the TIF are gone; the apartments are now described as "market-rate" and not luxury apartments.

Selling Riverfront Park is the wrong thing to do for the future of Peoria. There are many places needing development and investment downtown. The City Council should vote to represent the public and not to please the current Mayor and Chicago area developer.

2. Attend the Tuesday, June 27th 6 p.m. Peoria City Council meeting to show continued public support for saving Riverfront Park! This is at Peoria City Hall, 419 Fulton St., 4th Floor Council Chamber.  

3. Write a Letter to the Editor that development needs to happen in a lot of places but not in Riverfront Park, or make a donation to Friends of Riverfront Park to help with Legal Defense expenses at Friends of Riverfront Park, or mail to: 

Friends of Riverfront Park
c/o 1825 E. Maple Ridge
Peoria, IL 61614.

 

Ask these city council members to vote NO on the River Trail Development Agreement:

Eric Turner  (Council Member at Large)
Home: (309) 339-8896
Cell: (309) 253-2489
Email: weturner@peoriagov.org

Zachary M. Oyler  (Council Member at Large)
Cell:  309-214-0640
Email:  zoyler@peoriagov.org

Sid Ruckriegel  (Council Member at Large)
Cell: 309-857-8000
Email: sruckriegel@peoriagov.org

Denis Cyr  (5th District Council Member)
 Cell: 309-214-0626
Email:dcyr@peoriagov.org

Jim Montelongo  (4th District Council Member)
Cell: (309) 213-1581
Email: jmontelongo@peoriagov.org

Tim Riggenbach  (3rd District Council Member)
Cell: (309) 369-5233
Voicemail: (309) 494-8991
Email: triggenbach@peoriagov.org

Denise Moore  (1st District Council Member)
Cell:  (309) 213-6628
 Email: dmoore@peoriagov.org

Jim Ardis  (Mayor)
 City Hall Phone: (309) 494-8519
Email: JArdis@peoriagov.org

Thank these council members for their support and consistent voting to save Riverfront Park!

Chuck Grayeb  (2nd District Council Member)
Cell: (309) 213-6629
Email: cgrayeb@peoriagov.org

Beth Akeson  (Council Member at Large)
Cell: (309) 696-7530
Voicemail: (309) 494-8689
Email: bakeson@peoriagov.org or bethakeson@comcast.net

Beth Jensen  (Council Member at Large)
Cell:  (309) 863-0160
Email: bjensen@peoriagov.org

 

Crowding four, 4-story apartment buildings and a new street in the north end of Riverfront Park will forever alter this park and destroy future benefits this open space can provide for generations to come. The land will be lost to the public. The proposed replacement land is smaller in size and part of it already could be improved for the public as it is owned by the Detweiller Trust, but currently leased to the private Peoria Boat Club. The city is paying way to much for the 1.3 acres Simantel property which has an assessed value of less than half of what the city plans to pay.

The National Park Service (NPS) has not indicated if they will approve the park land sale and proposed replacement land. City Hall has had to correct information and mapping sent to NPS and also had to re-do property appraisals to meet NPS guidelines. Unfortunately, discrepancies in city claims and Friends of Riverfront Park concerns about the sale and proposed replacement properties remain. The underlying principal is still the same and that is to Save the Park for the People! 

PLEASE! Take Action Now!