Peoria Stadium again... thoughts?
Running Central owner and group want to transform Peoria Stadium
Though everything is negotiable at this point, the leader of a group that wants to turn Peoria Stadium into a modern multi-use sporting events facility has asked Peoria Public Schools to donate the stadium site for the project.
Adam White, co-owner of Running Central, and five others, including Journal Star Sports Editor Kirk Wessler, submitted the only written plan in response to the school district’s requests for formal proposals in October.
White, who spoke by telephone, made the request during the district’s building committee meeting Wednesday, though the written plan mentions purchasing the site, rather than asking the district to give it away.
The committee discussed his plan and initial plans on how to spend new sales tax revenues for wide-ranging building improvements over the next five years.
School Board member Dan Adler, chairman of the building committee, was not surprised by White’s request. “That’s a classic opening position,” Adler said.
While White acknowledged the group’s plan is a “starting point for conversation,” he said a land donation would make the project affordable for the estimated $10 million to $15 million investment it will take to totally rebuild the stadium.
“A renovation is one expensive Band-Aid that won’t generate the revenues to allow it to sustain itself.”
The district spends about $300,000 a year to maintain the stadium site, but it would cost more than $1.8 million do much-needed renovations. White pointed out if the district had spent what it takes to properly maintain the stadium, an estimated $750,000 a year, “we wouldn’t be talking now, the facility would be in great shape.”
In the past few years, ideas for the 82-acre property along War Memorial Drive have gone from selling it to Wal-Mart Inc. to, now, White’s call to give it away. Though the Peoria Park District’s long-term lease on part of the site complicates any future plans, White is asking for the entire site. He said the group needs assurance that the district’s plans for the land won’t change when the lease expires.
White and his group propose building a state-of-the-art athletic complex that would maintain the covered grandstand and host turf sports, regional and national track and field meets, and other events such as marching band competitions. The group also includes Jim Grube, Johnny Wheat, Philip Lockwood and Craig Dahlquist.
The complex would be owned and operated by a not-for-profit organization, which would allow PPS to use the facility for 10 football games a season at no charge.
In light of Peoria High School’s state championship football season, committee members were quick to note high schools might also need the facility for playoff games. Other issues related to football scheduling also would have to be discussed.
Adler said the overall plan fits with the district’s goals of maintaining green space on the site. The committee is preparing a list of questions for White.
“But if they really have a plan to invest $15-$20 million and we get out from under maintenance costs, that would be a huge win for the community,” Adler said.
Pam Adams is the Journal Star education reporter. She can be reached at 686-3245 and
[email protected]. Follow her on Twitter
@padamspam.
