PEORIA, Ill. – Multiple Peoria Park District facilities will be receiving improvements over the next year.
The park district board approved the projects at their meeting on Wednesday.
One of them is a renovation of the Golf Learning Center on Radnor Road into a TopGolf-like facility. The more than $4.4 million work includes turning the center into a two-story, 21-bay electronic driving range, a full-service bar and restaurant, and a golf simulator room.
Executive Director Emily Cahill says the changes are part of a growing trend in cities across the country.
“What do you do with a driving range in 2024? Certainly, the very first answer that most people say is ‘well, you need to have some technology driven virtual golf experience,” Cahill said.
Cahill says the reimagined facility will make golf more accessible to people of all skill levels, and give out-of-town visitors another entertainment option in the Peoria area.
The renovations are expected to be finished by spring of next year.
The park district board also approved more than $2 million for design and construction administration services, focusing on renovations to the Tropics/Conservation building and the Tiger exhibit. Cahill says the exact work is not known yet, but there are some top priorities.
“To make sure our animals have an enriched experience while they are living with us at the zoo. And that’s making sure their spaces are inviting enough and have enough different activities in them to keep the animals engaged,” Cahill said.
Cahill says the park district will seek input from the community, staff, and local leaders on what improvements should be done. She says the goal is to have an idea of the work to be done by the end of the year, with a capital campaign to raise money for the work.
The board also accepted a proposal from the 22 Veteran Artists group to lease the Detweiller Riverside Clubhouse building for social gatherings and art.
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