'Hope and optimism': Peoria City Council reacts to 'beautiful' plan for riverfront

After five years of development, Peoria's sweeping new plan for its riverfront was unveiled to the Peoria City Council on Tuesday evening in a showing that unanimously impressed the council.

"Beautiful" was how councilmember Bernice Gordon-Young described the plan, saying it made her feel "hope and optimism" for Peoria. Councilmember Chuck Grayeb said the plan fit Peoria's identity.

"We are not a cornfield city, we are a great city by a great river, and we have not capitalized on that, and this plan will actually do that," Grayeb said.

What's in Peoria's new riverfront plan?

Under this proposed plan, which awaits City Council approval in early August, Peoria's riverfront will undergo an almost complete renovation between the Bob Michel and Murray Baker bridges.

A dog park, sports courts, an adult fitness area, kayak launch and barge park will be added on the riverfront's south end near the Bob Michel bridge under the proposed plan.

In the middle of Riverfront Park, near River Station, there will be an expanded boat marina, a "great lawn," a swing park, a "river's edge" area, and a proposed spot for a new riverboat to replace the Spirit of Peoria, which left Peoria in 2021.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to have a beautiful riverfront once again," councilmember Denise Jackson said. "I think as was mentioned, at some point we anticipate we will have another beautiful boat to dock there and to make use of again. ... We are the River City, and I believe the river is one of our best assets."

Farther north, near the Gateway Building and Murray Baker Bridge, the clock tower square will undergo a complete overhaul, complete with a new fountain. An art sound garden is in the plans, as well as a new interactive water feature.

On the north side of the Murray Baker Bridge, a festival grounds with a bandshell and two other possible stage areas will be built.

"It is very exciting," councilmember Mike Vespa said. "When people cross I-74 into our city and see something like this, it impresses them, and it will impress a lot of people already here, too. It will draw large crowds and I think that will do a lot for security."

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How far along are the plans for the Peoria riverfront?

The Peoria City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission still have to approve the proposal at their next meetings in early August.

The developers called Tuesday night's proposal a "long range," "30,000-foot view" of the plans. Grayeb countered that notion.

"We should not be at 30,000 feet anymore, folks," Grayeb said. "We just shouldn't. We should be ready to land the plane."

Grayeb said the city should already have a good idea by now of what it wants to see at a revitalized riverfront, given there has already been years of thought and public input. A construction timeline for the project remains unclear, as it depends on when the state releases funds.

City Manager Patrick Urich said, when construction does begin, following the state's release of funds, it will likely take "at least two" construction seasons to complete.

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How much will Peoria's riverfront plan cost?

The estimated cost for the plan, $15 million to $25 million, was intentionally set as a wide range by the developers to create flexibility depending on how costs shake out during construction and whether any private funding is available.

Urich said he thinks the riverfront plan can be done in phases, depending on how and when funding comes in.

The state government is kicking in $15 million for the project. If the project goes over $15 million, additional funds will be needed. Mayor Rita Ali said the city can seek money from the federal government if needed.

"I think that we can phase this, I think that's one of the things we will have to come back to (the council) with design elements that maybe we have to say, 'This comes at a later date because this is what we want to do first,'" Urich said.

Urich said he does think there will have to be an element of private fundraising on the project and said there is interest in it.

He added it will be similar to the process done in the 1990s when private funds were raised for the Gateway Building on the riverfront.

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Flood mitigation a "hyper focus" of planning

Peoria's riverfront is a notorious hotbed for flooding. That will not change under the new riverfront plan, but the planners from Terra Engineering say this new riverfront concept will make the park more "resilient" to flooding.

"I think it is important for folks to understand there is still going to be flooding in the area, that is not going to go away," councilmember Tim Riggenbach said. "We are protecting the building, protecting the future docking area, but there will be flooding, we're on the riverfront. So let's make it clear that the expectations of the public understand that's being accounted for in the plan."

The park's new landscaping and pavement will all be designed to withstand the Illinois River's floodwaters, which, almost annually, cover the riverfront.

A removable flood wall will be added to protect River Station and a floating breakwater and wave attenuation wall will be put in place just south of the Murray Baker Bridge.

The federal government kicked in almost $300,000 of funding for the designing of flood mitigation, but it will not be enough to cover what is in the new plans. The construction costs for flood mitigation will be around $3 million.

Terra Engineering told the council it will apply for another federal grant to cover the construction costs.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Beautiful' Peoria riverfront plans elicit 'hope and optimism'