Peoria Riverfront Museum Problems

All County Board members plus administration received a letter from Peoria City Mayor Ardis dated 4/21/10 saying although construction contracts will not be required in advance of closing, nevertheless we note that there has been considerable delay in getting versions of the proposed Agreement to the City. Ardis concludes "The point of this letter is to express that the City is ready and willing to move forward with the Project, but will do so with reasonable time to review the necessary documents and does not intend to vote on the agreement just days after it is received in final form."

I don't blame the mayor or the City of Peoria on any of the delays. But there is the possibility this Contract will be "dumped" on the City as the time marches on.

So what is the problem? The problem is Lakeview Museum has handled this Project poorly from the getgo. In fact, a $11 to $14 million Endowment fund needed to operate the museum is anywhere from $9,400,000 upwards, short. In fact, the whole Project may be short over $14 million. I think donors would be disturbed to find that over $11 million cash has been spent on this Project with NO GROUND AS YET BROKEN.

There are five entities involved in coming to an agreement; Lakeview Museum, the Peoria Riverfront Museum, (new group, new board, etc.), the City of Peoria, Peoria County and Caterpillar. Most of those on the county will quietly acknowledge that working with the Lakeview Museum, which includes getting accurate financial information and a current operating statement, has been anything but easy. Mark Johnson, formerly the liaison person from Caterpillar and now a hired liaison employee for the County has said the situation is a "mess".

Lakeview reports they raised $400,000 in their recent fund drive. I understand that most of this "new" money is in the form of pledges. According to Lakeview financial documents, over $1 million in pledges were cancelled by June 30, 2009.

The Project is in jeopardy of losing the $3.8 million secured by then U.S. Representative Ray LaHood in 2007 to be used to finance part of the $8+ underground parking deck.

It is my opinion that the County Board has some reluctance to start on the $8+ million dollar underground parking deck until Lakeview has guaranteed the money has been raised. I doubt that many of their constiuents might raise some concern. I also know that the majority of the bard is influnced by unions who are demanding the Project get started becuase their workers need jobs. (So do many workers in the non-union private sector)


No guarantee that the funds have been raised has been made to the full County Board. It would be most unfortunate to the taxpayers if this Project moved forward without the funding being guaranteed. Taxpayer of one class or another may be paying for something that perhaps a majority of people did not ever want and making up deficits for the next 50 years or more.

Show us the money. The Museum groups have not been able to do so. This information is of public record. In the end, at this late date, a pledge is still just that; a pledge. And to my knowledge, the larger pledges have not been certified. Caterpillar says the PRM can count on thier pledges and of this, I have no doubt.