The Peoria Park District Board talked about closing Donovan Golf Course as part of an effort to fill a projected $1.3 million spending gap. Staff originally proposed closing Newman Golf Course to save 400-thousand-dollars. But Park District Board President Tim Cassidy says turning Donovan into a park could make more sense:
“That part of town doesn’t have a passive open air park, the Newman part of town does with Bradley Park. Donovan is surrounded by three highways, there’s main arteries and a hospital. Newman has homeowners on its boundaries.”
Cassidy says the Park Board is also considering proposals by the Peoria Area Water Wizard swim team to fill a deficit at the Central Park Pool. The swim team wants to raise monthly membership fees, boost marketing efforts and apply for grants to help increase membership diversity. Cassidy says the proposed efforts would only pay for half of the pool’s annual operating deficit.