So now the verdict is in: On April 14, only three members of the Peoria City Council voted to stop the sale of nearly six acres of Riverfront Park for a private apartment development.

The rest voted to proceed with plans to sell it, despite their ‘hand wringing’ to the contrary, as Chuck Grayeb put it during the long debate over the issue. He nailed it:  “This is a stupid idea” he said.

Stupid? Or worse? Let me count the ways.

1. No responsible government ever, ever sells precious park land. Peoria Park District board member Robert Johnson told the council as much, but the majority ignored him. The park district has stood firm against attempts to buy its land, he said.
2. Despite what has been claimed, this is not a ‘market rate’ project. It’s filled with government subsidies, from the cheap price for the land to the inevitable request to waive the sales tax on the building materials. That means extra profits for the developer.
3. This is a TIF district, which means the property taxes on the project will go to pay off the bonds the city must borrow to build the infrastructure, which takes another acre or so from the park. It will be two decades before the city or schools could realize any property taxes from this project.
4. This is a brownfield site, and thus OK for a park but questionable for a place where people, perhaps with young children, will be living. Supposedly it will be cleaned up. Hummmm.
5. This site lies between two chemicals plants and an active railroad. Hardly the best location for apartments.
6. This carries financial risk to the city, as was explained to the council on April 14. What, really, can stop the developers from getting some profits then selling, with that process repeated until it is in bankruptcy. See the large vacant hotel downtown for an example of what can happen.
7. There are significant conflicts of interest in this deal. Developer Glen Barton reportedly gave campaign contributions to some of the council members voting to proceed with this project. The contractor is said to be a cousin of another prominent Peorian, who may have suggested the deal or even put it together for a fee. We need more transparency.
8. This project is not supposed to happen unless the city replaces the lost parkland with land of similar value and character. But the requirements are very vague. Don’t count on that occurring.
9. Why is this project happening in a park, when there are many tracts of land on the near northside of Peoria near Riverfront Park that are vacant and for sale? They wouldn’t require new infrastructure from the city. It all seems to make little sense except as a profit grab for the well connected.

So what can be done to stop this fiasco? Mayor Ardis had the nerve to say that even though hundreds of people have signed petitions against the project, and many, many filled the council chambers until after midnight to speak and watch the voting, they don’t represent public opinion. Oh yeah? So put it on the next ballot and let the people decide whether to gut Riverfront Park so a few wealthy investors can make a few more dollars before they ditch it.

Elaine Hopkins, Peoria, IL.