The organization leading development plans for an outdoor amphitheater along the Peoria side of the Illinois River says it is forging ahead despite the death of its founder late last year.
Jim Hengst, the Washington Community High School graduate and retired biotech entrepreneur, died Dec. 21 at a Florida hospital. He was 72.
Hengst launched the Hengst Foundation in hopes of pursuing a performing arts venue in Central Illinois to honor his late wife, Dee.
“Unfortunately, he won’t see it come to fruition, but hopefully his relatives that are left will,” said family spokesperson Gary Manier, the former Washington mayor.
“It’s just something he wanted to do for his wife, and he wanted to call it ‘the Dee;’ he didn’t want to put his name on it. It was kind of a late-in-life love story.”
Hengst is survived by his nephew Mark Hengst and Dee Hengst’s daughter, Michelle Lott. The philanthropic foundation announced Hengst’s death in a media release sent this week to WCBU.
“That was his family’s decision, so we needed to honor that,” Manier said of the delay in making a public announcement, declining to elaborate.
Hengst’s death came weeks after the Peoria City Council approved acceptance of an $11 million donation to develop “the Dee” in open green space between the Murray Baker Bridge and the Peoria RiverPlex.
“The city is so appreciative of Jim Hengst and the generosity of the Hengst Foundation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich said Thursday in a statement to WCBU issued while on a Sister City delegation trip to Friedrichshafen, Germany.
“We look forward to executing on Jim’s vision of the Dee Amphitheater for the entire region to enjoy.”
Manier acknowledged the project is likely to cost more than the $11 million provided by the foundation.
“I’m not sure what the final price is. It’s a little bit more, but I think that there’s enough folks around that’ll kick in, and we’ll get this thing done,” he said.
Manier said Hengst was “very much aware” of the city’s vote to accept the donation. The foundation had shifted its focus to Peoria after abandoning its original plans to pursue a 5,000-seat amphitheater project in Washington on a portion of vacant farmland owned by the city.
“He really wanted it in Washington, his hometown, but it didn’t work out,” said Manier. “He was disappointed, but then he saw some pictures of the riverfront and the bridge all lit up, and he thought, ‘Man, that that might be a good location.”
Manier said the foundation continues to work with architectural firm Epstein Global, Terra Engineering and Core Construction, in collaboration with the city and the Peoria Park District, on finalizing construction plans.
“Hopefully someday we’ll get a soon we’ll get a groundbreaking ceremony to kick this thing off,” said Manier. “A lot of people think, ‘OK, he donated $11 million for an amphitheater,’ and it’s not as easy as just putting up an amphitheater.
“You have to look at how it’s going to operate, landscaping, entrances, security. There’s a lot that goes into it, and those different people are helping us work through all that.”
Manier said Hengst intended the amphitheater to become a major asset for the Peoria area, a vision he shares as well.
“I think it’s exciting for the riverfront to transform,” he said. “The CEFCU stage is great, but this is going to be state-of-the-art, second-to-none — a little bit bigger acts will be able to perform there.”
