PEORIA, Ill. – Officials with the Peoria Civic Center and Peoria Civic Center Authority are defending themselves amid growing calls to keep the Peoria Rivermen there when the current season ends.
At issue for some is the system that makes the ice in Carver Arena being old and difficult to maintain.
But one person says it’s not like they don’t want to fix the system.
“There are so many other projects that had priority…the roof, the beautiful glass wall that you see in front of the theatre, the parking lot, the heating and cooling units that also heat and cool City Hall,” said Yvonne Greer-Batton, Chairperson, Peoria Civic Center Authority Board. “All of those things take great priority over the ice plant that is primarily used to serve the Rivermen team.”
Officials say the Civic Center is not in the business to make money, as much as it is to not be a burden on taxpayers.
They initially said they would agree to not talk about it in public. But Civic Center officials now blame the Peoria Rivermen for putting issues between the two sides out in the public. The current lease with the Rivermen expires with the season.
“I understand that it is easy to vilify our General Manager, Rik Edgar, because his name is the only one apparently that’s being given,” said Greer-Batton. “But, I am here…because the full weight of the Civic Center Authority is by his side. He does not unilaterally make these decisions. It is why we have a governing authority.”
Among accusations, being made by the Civic Center Authority Board: the Rivermen are not putting promised money toward keeping a deteriorating ice plant running, not to mention what may be declining attendance.
“For three years, there’s been nothing from the other side of the table solutioning — just saying ‘Give us another lease,’” said Edgar. “Part of that is, and I think folks need to understand, we put a provision in our contract with the team because we knew the dire straits of the ice plant.”
Edgar claims those dire straits have cost the Civic Center hundreds of thousands of dollars to just keep the ice plant somewhat working. He claims any cost over $10,000 was to be the responsibility of the Rivermen. But the Civic Center has paid over $100,000 toward those costs in some instances.
It’s more than a little complicated for the Peoria Civic Center to book events outside of a Peoria Rivermen game, said Edgar.
“The Rivermen lock in their schedule months in advance,” said Edgar. “When we go to book an event, if we get a show, we have to pay the Rivermen a fee to book our own building to take one of those dates. We often don’t book the shows because the promoter is not going to eat the fee that we have to pay to book our building.”
Edgar and Peoria Civic Center Authority officials say as issues mount with the Rivermen, people have to realize that when the center is asked to “save the Rivermen,” it’s not just up to them.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Yvonne Greer-Batton is married to WMBD’s Greg Batton. Efforts are being made to book the Rivermen on WMBD to get their side of the story.)
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