The Peoria City Council is gathering more information before it votes on the option to relocate the LST 325 on the riverfront. Some consider the idea a trifecta of sorts given the proximity of the Caterpillar Visitors Center and the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
But some council members question the length of the 5 to 10 year contract and the docking location. The ship has lived in Evansville, Indiana for the last decade.
Peoria Assistant City Manager Chris Setti says they’ve heard a lot of public interest. But he says Evansville is an aggressive competitor in the bid for the LST Ship Memorial Foundation contract.“They’ve actually seen their numbers increase for attendance over the last couple of months because the folks of Evansville want them to stay. They have at least three of the members of their board of directors that live in Evansville. So you would assume to some degree they have more of an allegiance to staying in Evansville. It’s only a nine member board, and it’s got to be a majority vote of their board as well as the city council.”
It will cost an estimated $1.5 million to relocate the ship to Peoria. But it’s been well received on the Peoria Riverfront twice docked near the Riverplex.
The city plans to hold public meetings on the subject before the council votes on the matter next month. Meeting dates and times have not yet been set.