The developers of a proposed $12-million, 5,000-seat amphitheater on 20 acres of city-owned farmland in Washington made another pitch for the project Monday in front of about 100 residents who packed the City Council's meeting room at Five Points Washington.
But it was city staff members -- specifically, Planning and Development Director Jon Oliphant, City Engineer Dennis Carr and Finance Director Joanie Baxter -- who provided concrete information in a lengthy report on how the city can pay for an estimated $3.5 million of infrastructure work on the "223" farmland property the city owns and new revenue streams that could open for the city if the amphitheater was built.
Not one city infrastructure project would need to be cut if a road is built from the realigned Dallas Road to the entrance of the amphitheater plus water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer infrastructure are added, according to city staff.
A spreadsheet shows the city would earn a total of $3.8 million from revenue produced by the amphitheater from 2026 to 2034, covering its $3.5 million investment.
The Dee Amphitheater is a dream project of former Washington resident Jim Hengst to honor of his late wife Dee. The not-for-profit, Washington-based Hengst Foundation would build, operate and maintain the facility.
About 13 acres of the 20-acre amphitheater site could be used for community events like Good Neighbors Days, which does not have a permanent home.
The city purchased the "223" property, located along U.S. Route 24 and Nofsinger Road, in 2013 to slow residential growth that threatened to tax city infrastructure and crowd already full schools.
"What we didn't know then was an EF-4 tornado would hit our town just a few weeks later," said council member Brian Butler, who was on the council at the time.
"Then Caterpillar would leave Peoria, and we'd have a pandemic and record inflation," Butler said.
"This is a generational opportunity for Washington. We've been looking for 11 years for a catalyst for development on this property, and these people came to us with a great project.
"We're a bedroom community with limited resources. We don't have an interstate or a river. We don't have a Bass Pro Shop or a big industrial area. That's why this is such an amazing opportunity. I don't get why people are questioning it."
Undoubtedly the major questioner of the project is council member John Blundy, who listed several concerns Monday during a nearly 4 1/2-hour council committee of the whole meeting, most about the rosy conclusions drawn by the project's feasibility study.
One of Blundy's concerns involves Mayor Gary Manier, whose wife Lada serves on the foundation board. Blundy thinks that could be at least a perceived as a conflict of interest.
The mayor disagrees.
"The foundation is not-for-profit. My wife doesn't make any money from it," Manier said after interrupting Blundy. "She writes checks. She and Dee were classmates. She's helping out."
Blundy doesn't think Manier should be involved in any votes on the amphitheater project.
Manier voted to break a tie a few weeks ago when a motion was made by council member Lili Stevens to discuss council not voting on approval of the amphitheater project until after the April 1 election.
Manier, the city's longest serving mayor, is not running for re-election to a seventh term.
The city has money in funds to pay for the needed infrastructure work for the amphitheater, according to the staff report.
The report suggests selling or leasing at least a portion of the land for the amphitheater, which would increase its property tax revenue. The foundation would pay property taxes whether it purchased or leased the land.
Based on an estimated $140,000 annually in property tax revenue generated by the amphitheater, the Central School District would receive $56,000 each year and Washington Community High School would receive $49,000.
New revenue opportunities produced by the amphitheater identified by the city staff report include more home-rule sales tax money, more motel tax money, the creation of a business development district and BDD sales tax, and the creation of an amusement tax.
Five of seven speakers during public comments expressed concerns about the amphitheater project.
Kevin O'Brien of Washington, an economics professor at Bradley University, warned that a feasibility study, like that done by the amphitheater developers, about something that doesn't exist "makes a lot of assumptions."
While it's great for Washington to have nice things, O'Brien said, is providing infrastructure for the amphitheater the best use of the city's limited resources?
He also advocated that council not vote on approval of the amphitheater until after the April election, when voters will elect a new mayor and three new council members.
"It would be unfair to dump this huge project in the laps of all the new people," he said.
Bob Montgomery, who owns a family farm just east of the "223" property, asked a list of 10 questions involving topics ranging from noise issues to artificial lighting's impacts on crops to trash to preventing concert-goers from parking in his field and adjacent neighborhoods.
"In the 93 years our family has owned this farm, a lot has changed," Montgomery said. "Our commitment to the land has not."
Gravel parking spots will be gone
Also Monday, the council:
- Gave city workers the go-ahead to remove gravel parking spots in front of homes in the Felkers subdivision and on Holland Street. The parking spots are on city land on roads that do not have curbs and gutters.
- Instructed City Attorney Derek Schryer to prepare an ordinance regarding term limits for elected city officials. The ordinance could come up for a first reading Dec. 16.
