PEORIA, Ill. – The city of Peoria is taking the first steps in building an amphitheater along the riverfront.
The city council unanimously accepted a Letter of Intent from the Hengst Foundation to build the 5,000 seat facility with a donation of $11 million to the city.
City Manager Patrick Urich says the proposal would place the amphitheater south of the Riverplex, with the main stage facing towards the downtown area. The facility would also include concession stands, restrooms, ticket booths, and a back of the house staging area for performing acts.
Other elements of the non-binding portion of the proposal include removable seating because of the area designated as a flood plain, the naming of the facility as the Dee Hengst Amphitheater, and a dollar from each ticket sale going to the foundation for its charitable mission of scholarships.
The Hengst Foundation is also requesting specific companies involved in the project; Core Construction, Epstein Global Architects, and Terra Engineering.
A construction timeline of 12-18 months for the project was given in council documents prior to the meeting.
The project was previously proposed for Washington, but was withdrawn after questions about the plan were raised by the mayor and council there. That’s when At-Large Councilman Zach Oyler says he saw an opportunity for Peoria.
“The city manager and I were having a discussion and I said ‘We need to go see what it takes to get it here’,” Oyler said.
City leaders see the amphitheater as part of achieving its goal in its 2023 Riverfront plan. Mayor Rita Ali says the amphitheater would make one of Peoria’s assets better.
“This donation from the Hengst family only enhances our river and our riverfront, it takes it to another level,” Ali said.
Urich says a formal donation agreement could come within the next couple months.
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