Time is ticking: Rivermen lease talks go on as fans and the City Council wait, watch

Dave Eminian, Journal Star
·4 min read
Dale Deon (4) and the rest of the Peoria Rivermen take the ice during player introductions before the start of their SPHL playoff game Saturday, April 16, 2022 at Carver Arena. The Rivermen advanced to the second round with a 4-2 win over the Pensacola Ice Flyers.
Dale Deon (4) and the rest of the Peoria Rivermen take the ice during player introductions before the start of their SPHL playoff game Saturday, April 16, 2022 at Carver Arena. The Rivermen advanced to the second round with a 4-2 win over the Pensacola Ice Flyers.

PEORIA — The Peoria Civic Center and the Peoria Rivermen are working on a new multi-year lease that would keep the 41-year pro hockey team on the ice at Carver Arena.

How are the talks progressing?

"The only thing I know at this point, is an update we got today (Thursday) from the Civic Center that they are in discussions with each other and both sides are working in good faith," Peoria City Council member Zach Oyler said Thursday evening. "I guess at the moment, I'm relying on both sides to let us know if there are any issues."

The Peoria City Council voted to send $20.5 million to the Civic Center via a March 14 unanimous vote to fill a shortfall on a repairs and renovations list for the facility. With that money came expectations from City Council that the aging ice-making system at Carver Arena be replaced and a long-term lease reached with the professional hockey team.

"We are in negotiations with the Rivermen and they are ongoing," said Civic Center Authority board member and former chairman Matt Bartolo on Thursday, following the board's regularly-scheduled meeting. "We are negotiating in good faith."

Rivermen and the Peoria Civic Center

What goes on in lease negotiations?

Lease talks have varied in the past from regime to regime at the Civic Center. They seldom took very long. There weren't a lot of things to haggle over and included things like rent, parking, concessions and playing dates.

How long is too long for this process to take? Does City Council have an idea of what's been offered, or if the two sides are close?

"A timeline? I would have liked it to already have been done," Oyler said. "But we're trying to be patient. We've all obviously known this was coming. Only a handful of issues exist, and I would expect those to be settled."

The Rivermen have a sense of urgency. The Southern Professional Hockey League 2023-24 schedule can't be made until Peoria has a lease. The league is on hold.

The team also cannot start its season-ticket renewal campaign or gain corporate support until they have a lease. Both of those processes are about a month behind, says the team.

Fans come to support Rivermen

There were about 15 Rivermen fans at the Civic Center's regularly scheduled board meeting on Thursday in the Lexus Club, an escalator ride above the lobby.

They listened as the board heard about bid processes opening for a new scoreboard, sound system and retractable seating, all projects on the board's wish list for Carver Arena.

These fans are anxious. Their patience is being tested. They were joined by Mike Olson, one of the biggest ambassadors for central Illinois hockey and sports in general. He spoke to the board.

"The reason ice was put in at the Civic Center (at urging of hockey advocates) and Mayor Carver, back at the time, was for recreation and entertainment for a group of people who have been pretty supportive over 41 years," Olson said. "People say 'Save the Rivermen.' Save the ice plant. We just had skating in here (a synchronized skating show) for four days. There were 30 teams here, 10 or 12 people to a team. They spent three days, three nights here. I think the HRA tax did pretty well.

"I've seen a mini-mites jamboree here, kids from all over (central Illinois) playing in that facility. … Guess where the Rivermen were yesterday? Serving food at Neighborhood House. They come into our community and they don't just sit around. They take part in our establishments (buy cars, housing, food, participate in charitable events) and they are also the ones who are basically running our youth hockey programs."

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria City Council and entire league wait on Rivermen lease negotiations