Representatives with the Hengst Foundation say the $12 million Dee Amphitheater project in Washington is "totally autonomous" from a proposal rejected by the Peoria Park District in 2022 — despite sharing some key players and other commonalities.
The Hengst Foundation envisions a 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater on a portion of the 223 acres currently owned by the city of Washington along U.S. Route 24 and Dallas Road. The project is described as the dream of Jim Hengst, a biotech entrepreneur and Washington Community High School graduate who wants to build the venue in honor of his late wife, Dee.
Retired Caterpillar general counsel R. Rennie Atterbury is president of the nonprofit Hengst Foundation's board of directors. He also served as secretary of Pavilion Arts Centre Ltd., the 501(c)(3) organization that advocated for an indoor/outdoor performing arts pavilion on 18 acres in the southeast corner of Peoria's Donovan Park.
Nick Maloof, who now serves as the Hengst Foundation board secretary, was also involved in the Donovan Park effort, though he did not apparently serve in a board member capacity.
The Hengst Foundation said the two projects don't share a common heritage, however.
"The Park District’s rejection of the Pavilion in The Park project did not lead to the current concept known as The Dee Hengst Amphitheater. The projects were and are totally autonomous," a Hengst Foundation spokesperson said in an emailed response to questions about the origins of the current endeavor.
Rather, the spokesperson said it's a personal connection and shared interests that led to the current partnership.
"Rennie Atterbury and Jim Hengst both served on the Eureka College Board, where they established a strong mutual respect for one another," said the spokesperson. "Both gentlemen love Central Illinois, share a passion for music, and both have an admirable track record for doing ‘good’ and ‘giving back’… It was only fitting that they team up once more to achieve Jim Hengst’s dream of building an amphitheater named in his deceased wife’s honor, in the town they both loved and grew up in."
What was the Pavilion in the Park initiative?
The Donovan Park project proposed 1,500 seats under a canopy and an additional 500 seats outdoors.
Atterbury, along with Maloof and Gary and Sara Connor James, made a presentation to the Peoria Park District board of trustees finance committee in October 2019. Other board members included Carl Cannon, Jay Goldberg, Karen Stumpe, and Thomas Hammerton.
The backers of the Peoria International Performing Arts Pavilion compared the venue to the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, N.C. or the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Ill. It was touted as a way to bring new economic, cultural, and educational resources to Peoria.
Private fundraising would have raised the money for construction, and a $2.5 million endowment would also offer financial support. The pavilion was to remain privately operated and managed for at least 30 years on rented park district land in what was termed a "public-private partnership." The park district was promised $100,000 a year.
The project initially garnered some warm reactions from park board members, but sentiments later soured after public opposition solidified. The Friends of Donovan Park group objected to the loss of green space, noise, and light pollution that could affect stargazing at the nearby Northmoor Observatory.
The proposal was first withdrawn in 2021 after park board members expressed their opposition, but it was reintroduced the next year. The park district board ultimately rejected any further consideration of it in December 2022. Following that vote, Pavilion in the Park president Sara Connor James said the group was open to seeking other partners and locations, including outside of Peoria.
There is some crossover between the artists envisioned for the Pavilion in the Park who are now pitched as potential performers for the Dee Amphitheater. Those include Lee Greenwood, the Gatlin Brothers, and John Tesh. Peoria Symphony Orchestra concerts are also mentioned as a possibility in documents for both projects.
What's the latest on the Dee Amphitheater?
The initial idea for an amphitheater on Washington's 223 acres were first discussed publicly in a September 2022 city council committee of the whole meeting, two months before the Peoria pavilion's final rejection. At the time, Washington Mayor Gary Manier said an unnamed benefactor was willing to put in $12 million towards a potential project. Several alderpersons were intrigued, but also said they'd like to see a business plan or feasibility study.
That deeper dive came back to the council some two years later. The benefactor was revealed to be Hengst, and the effort to build a Washington amphitheater in honor of his late wife Dee was now supported by a foundation formed in September 2023 that included Atterbury, Maloof, and Manier's wife, Lada. Tax returns indicate Maloof was paid $30,000 by the foundation in 2023, while Atterbury and Manier did not collect any compensation for their work.
Residents of subdivisions neighboring the 223 site are expressing concerns with projected noise levels and the viability of a performing arts venue in a community that already has a 1,020 seat theater at Five Points. The Hengst Foundation hosted a Jan. 22 open house to address those questions, and the city council is now asking the developers to participate in a town hall style event, as well.
The amphitheater has become a hot-button political issue in Washington ahead of the April 1 election. Manier isn't running for a seventh term, but current alderpersons Lilija Stevens and Mike Brownfield are both making bids for the job.
A "straw poll" on delaying any action on the Hengst Foundation proposal until after the election was pitched by Stevens this week. That temperature check split 5-4, with Manier breaking the tie in favor of continuing the process.
The second draft of the feasibility study projects profits after the first year of operations in 2026, but progressively deeper deficits for the Dee Amphitheater are anticipated after property taxes kick in come 2032.
The study says the amphitheater could bring an economic impact of over $86 million over 10 years for Washington, including $55 million in new direct spending. An additional 5,550 net new hotel room nights over the next five years are also projected.
A FAQ on the Hengst Foundation's website says the issue of whether the city will sell or lease its property is still not set in stone, but the city has requested a current appraisal of the land it bought for $4.9 million back in 2012. The FAQ states the foundation would like to lease at least 20 acres, and potentially up to 40.
A letter from Atterbury read to the council at a committee of the whole meeting on Monday said the project would impose "no significant financial burden on the city." The foundation says it intends to establish an endowment to support the facility and make up for any revenue shortfalls.
The Hengst Foundation plans to pay for construction and management of the Dee Amphitheater itself, but is asking the city to chip in $3.5 million for infrastructure. The city plans to ask the foundation to set aside funds to pay for demolition of the amphitheater should it fail.
The contents of a proposed non-binding letter of intent with the Hengst Foundation are expected to come forward at a future Washington City Council meeting.
