BY DAVID PITTMAN

The proposed Donovan Pavilion in Donovan Park is a project in the wrong location, proposes an improper use of park land, creates permanent loss of open green space without replacement, and may have a negative financial impact on another public entity, Peoria Civic Center. As of August, the Donovan Pavilion project also suffers from inadequate public hearings and transparency. Park District open space is precious and not to be handed over to private developers without lots of public discussion and a critical review of the proposal.

PPD Mission

I believe the fundamental role of the PPD is to give the public high quality, well maintained, properly budgeted experiences in our community in a completely transparent manner. Finding revenue to balance the budget is therefore secondary to the primary mission of the Park District.

Location

The Donovan Pavilion project is the wrong location for a project that does not fit the long term Master Plan of Donovan Park, which emphasizes natural areas and multiuse recreational trails.

The Peoria Astronomical Society has pointed out the damage the project will do to its observatory’s night sky. Relocation of the observatory will be very expensive but has not even been considered by the developer or the Park District.

The Park District should do no harm in seeking out public/private projects. This project will harm the Peoria Astronomical Society’s observatory.

Private competition using parkland against a publicly funded venue

The Donovan Pavilion project directly competes against the Peoria Civic Center, which is a publicly owned entertainment venue that features the same type of artists and music that Donovan Pavilion claims it will bring to Peoria. Both advertise music artists like James Taylor, for example. Why should PPD land be involved with direct competition? The Donovan Pavilion was originally a facility like the Chicago area Ravina on the Lakes, outdoors in a natural setting. The latest version of this project is just one more climate-controlled building seeking an audience that can afford the expensive ticket price.

The PPD sponsored Donovan Pavilion will also compete with the Masonic Temple’s 1,500 seat indoor entertainment center and compete with the 400-seat Peoria Women’s Club auditorium, currently under restoration as an entertainment venue. These beautiful historic landmark locations are entirely privately funded. Why should they be forced to compete with a publicly/privately supported venue at Donovan Park? This is NOT what our taxpayer dollars are supposed to do.

Many other private entertainment opportunities exist or will soon exist. Wrong choice of venue.

Replacement of open space

While the Peoria Park District has relationships with other private organizations, they either do not harm open space, or if it does impact open space, the exact acreage is replaced in the contract agreement. That replacement requirement does not exist with the Donovan Pavilion contract.

For example, the Riverplex, a partnership with OSF, was supposed to be different than other private sector exercise-based business operations and not in direct competition. Open space land replacement was required when that downtown riverfront project was approved.

In another example, the PPD agreement with the Kim Group for the development of the existing buildings at Kellar Station (former IDOT buildings sold to the PPD in 1999), did not harm any open space. Here is an example of a community benefit, public/private partnership.

Historically, the Park District has protected its open space and limited developers to projects that benefited the community. When Proctor Center was built on the South Side in 1927 by the Park District, it was to provide a unique public service, that was of no interest to the public sector. When the PPD became involved in the City of Peoria Riverfront redevelopment, it was to benefit the community, not to just enhance PPD revenue.

The River Trail apartments that would have destroyed Constitution Park failed to help the surrounding community and was a typical example of a developer trying to use public land for private profit. It failed for lack of public support and eventually, financial investment support.

If one of the primary goals of the PPD is to protect open green space, then the Donvan Pavilion fails to meet the test. Open space would be permanently destroyed without replacement. Donovan Park will be subjected to parking lots and lighting that damages the observatory’s view of the night sky while wildlife habitat is destroyed with no replacement land. If the PPD insists on pushing this square peg into a round hole, then the developer should finance relocation of the observatory and provide a suitable replacement land area for the PPD.

Donovan Pavilion’s financial success will harm the Peoria Civic Center, and if it fails financially, the Peoria Park District is left holding the bag.

The PPD should include the entire business, municipal and private citizen community in an assessment of the potential success or failure of this project. For example, the public does not yet know what the PPD plan will be if Donovan Pavilion financially fails, leaving an ecologically damaged park.

The PPD has not shared the outcome of a discussion, if any, of economic impact anticipated by Peoria Civic Center Authority Board of Commissioners from this project. The Masonic Temple and the Peoria Women’s Club developers should also be consulted. Park District taxpayer should know if market analysis suggests there is not enough money for all venues to succeed and increased competition will be harmful to all the venues.

The Civic Center Authority is a public commission that is funded by Peoria taxpayers. Loss of Civic Center revenue will harm Peoria taxpayers. The Donovan Pavilion is a private for-profit project that needs to survive based not on break even accounting but on a profit created from the wallets and purses of customers who are choosing not to attend the other emerging venues in Peoria.

Public opinion and citizen

The Park District should initiate a series of public meetings to encourage public engagement with this decision. The Donovan Pavilion developer group should be notified that the contract MUST meet public approval and requires additional community dialogue in order to reach agreement. Instead of just a matter of raising sufficient funding, the Pavilion at Donovan has yet to persuade the public of the value of the project.

Get involved in this decision

The Peoria Civic Center Authority Board is a governing board of seven commissioners appointed by the Mayor of Peoria and with the consent of City Council. The PCCA Board meets once a month at the Peoria Civic Center. Always refer to the current agenda for meeting information.

The Peoria Civic Center Authority currently has two committees that also meet monthly: Finance Committee and Capital Committee.

FY22 Voting Members:

Matt Bartolo, Chairman, Yvonne Greer-Batton, Vice Chairman, Karrie Ross, Treasurer, Richard Semonis, Secretary, Michael Eddlemon, Christell Frausto Aboytes, Robert Manning

FY22 Non-Voting Members:

Deborah (O’Fallon) Roethler,Assistant City Manager, Sid Ruckriegel, Council Liaison, Joseph D. Dalfonso, PACVB, Lon Lyons.

Public input

The Park District should initiate a series of public meetings to encourage public engagement with this decision.

See Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Open-Space-Donovan-Park-105803908475005