East Peoria Levee Park development project entering final phase

Mike Kramer, Pekin Daily Times
·2 min read

Phase Three in the development of East Peoria’s Levee Park has begun, and city officials hope the project will be completed as early as this fall.

“We’re looking forward to a completion of the project this construction season,” said Ty Livingston, City of East Peoria director of planning and development. “However, there’s always a chance the project is wrapped up after summer or early fall.”

Last month, the East Peoria City Council authorized the purchase of splash pad equipment and coordinated LED lighting from Vortex Aquatic Structures International for $122,000. If the splash pad has been installed by early fall, it will open to visitors.

Should the greater Peoria area run out if warm weather before installation is complete, the splash pad will not open until next spring.

Livingston expects the city to incur infrastructure costs associated with the splash pad. They will include the installation of vortex equipment, which will require plumbing, electrical and concrete flatwork.

“Right now, an RFP (Request for Proposals) is being developed by our project engineer, Midwest Engineering Associates, that will be put out for bid this spring,” he added.

To fund the Levee Park project, the city received a $400,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources last year, with a $400,000 match from the non-profit organization East Peoria Community Foundation. In addition to the splash pad, Phase Three calls for additional seating around the splash pad and leading from the amphitheater stage. Livingston believes project estimates are favorable that the funds will be sufficient to cover the remaining work.

“The splash pad is one of the key pieces to the park’s design,” he said. “We’re looking forward to having families enjoy this space, along with residents of the new Blutowne Apartments, in the years and decades to come.”

Development of Levee Park began in 2018 with the dedication of a reading garden to mark the completion of Phase One. Phase Two included the construction of a multipurpose plaza, sidewalks, a stage, and raised planting beds.

This article originally appeared on Pekin Daily Times: East Peoria Levee Park development project entering final phase