Controversial Donovan Park pavilion project nixed by Peoria Park Board

PEORIA — A day after a stinging defeat, supporters of a proposed outdoor venue at Donovan Park are left wondering what's next after the Peoria Park Board voted to cease any further discussion of the Pavilion in the Park.

"This really isn't about us. This is about their decision to shortchange the city of Peoria. it's Peorians and Peoria who are going to be injured by this," said Sara Connor-James, one of the lead organizers of the group, known as PAV or Pavilion Arboretum Ventures.

The unanimous vote Wednesday night at the board meeting means that despite being discussed for two years and being the topic of heated board meetings, the idea is dead in the water. Connor-James said the PAV board was meeting Thursday afternoon to plan its next step.

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However, an opponent breathed a sigh of relief.

"We are delighted with the Park Board's decision to terminate all discussions with the pavilion developers to build their concert venue at Donovan Park once and for all," said Bridget Burke, a member of Friends of Open Space - Donovan Park. "People representing all walks of life from all over the community came together to defeat this proposal. The people have spoken and the board listened. We should be proud that they acted as the stewards of the public's land that they were elected to protect."

Emily Cahill, the district's executive director, said the vote puts the project back to square one, meaning that if they did want to come back with another idea, they'd have to start with an initial letter of inquiry asking if the district was interested.

What was the PAV plan?

Connor-James and PAV had hoped their revamped plan to put a 2,000-seat venue in Donovan Park, a former golf course that has been allowed to revert to its natural state, would have been better received. It was an uphill battle, though, as board members signaled last year they weren't thrilled with the idea. PAV pulled the idea last fall before a board vote, which would have likely mirrored Wednesday's decision.

PAV hoped to address the concerns over lighting and sound and that the district was being taken advantage of by only getting $100,000 off a venue that could generate far more in revenue. Others didn't like the idea of having a brick-and-mortar facility in Donovan.

PAV pointed to hundreds of trees and plants being planted as a result of the project, as well as environmentally friendly pavers that essentially made the parking lot a large grassy field that was able to park several cars without damaging the ground.

Connor-James said the $100,000 per year provided as part of an agreement with the not-for-profit PAV was only a starter number. Rather, she said, that could go up in later years. Initially, the group was looking at $100,000 a year because it didn't know what attendance would be.

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Worries about location and equity

And some board members didn't like the Donovan Park location because the district had an amphitheater at Glen Oak Park — or because areas in the southern part of the city weren't considered. Others were worried about the social equity aspect of putting the facility so far north.

Eventually, the group pulled the idea from the board's agenda before a vote after a public hearing showed much neighborhood opposition. Trustees at that meeting were largely opposed to the idea. It was brought back last month by PAV, which wanted to "continue the discussion." Board President Robert Johnson Sr. said in the name of transparency that he would allow the debate, which featured advocates on both sides.

Cahill said the process worked the way it should have.

"The Peoria Park District is grateful to the PAV organizers and our community for supporting an open and transparent evaluation of this opportunity," she said. "This is how public stewardship works and it is a great example of a successful process. This is what we will continue to do as we work collaboratively to evolve to meet the changing needs of our Peoria communities."

Burke said Donovan wasn't the right spot for the 18-acre development.

"There are so many actually forlorn places around the community that could benefit from the economic development and promise of jobs that the pavilion promoters claim exist," she said. "The Park Board's decision to take a pass on this project at Donovan should not be fatal to the developers' dream of bringing this venue to the area.

"The pavilion and Donovan Park were not a good fit for many different reasons," she said. "If the developers are serious about benefiting the community, they should continue to engage with other potential partners to build this interesting seasonal concert venue."

Connor-James said PAV was planning its next steps and would reveal some of those at a news conference Friday. Some of the options could be other parks or locations within Peoria or other cities altogether.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Controversial Donovan Park pavilion project nixed by Peoria Park Board