More like this, please
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I think this could be a boon for Peoria…
Development of the Dee Hengst Amphitheater along the Illinois River in Peoria’s Festival Park is advancing, with contracts approved for preliminary design, engineering and construction.
“It’s going to happen, and I think sooner than everybody thinks,” Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said in an interview for WCBU Reports.
Ali believes the 5,000-seat outdoor performance venue will provide an economic impact and cultural benefit for the entire region.
“It’s going to mean attracting people from all over, not just Central Illinois but I think beyond,” said Ali said. “We’re going to attract artists and performers to this outdoor amphitheater that may not have considered coming here before.”
While the project is primarily funded by an $11 million donation to the city from the Hengst Foundation, Ali said it’s looking like the cost may go slightly above that amount.
Rendering…
The Peoria riverfront has such untapped potential. It’s a great town and I think the Dee Hengst Amphitheater could spark a major revival. So, my hat’s off to Peoria leaders and my fingers are crossed for the future.
* But the state needs to step up…
Ali said plans for a $26 million redevelopment of the riverfront on the opposite side of the Murray Baker Bridge remain on the table, but the city is still waiting to receive $15 million in approved funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. When that might arrive remains unclear.
“That’s the million dollar question — multi-million dollar question — because we have $25 million allocated for Main Street; we have $15 million allocated for the riverfront; we have another, I think, $1.5 million allocated for some lighting that’s in the Bradley area, actually Upper Main Street,” she said.
“It’s just a matter of working with the state to get those funds released, and we’ve been waiting quite a while.”
- Incandenza - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 9:21 am:
== The Peoria riverfront has such untapped potential ==
Agreed! Rezone the downtown to allow dense development. No city whose core downtown is a massive parking lot is going to be seen as attractive to millennials looking for where to live.
- MadCo disease - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 9:27 am:
Millennials? You might as well market to boomers.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 9:35 am:
===Amphitheater===
Back in my day an amphitheater had at least some walls. Good idea, but not thrilled by the design that will require performances to completely rely on electronic amplification. (Probably a reason why these two words are closely related…) I’m not saying that they’ve got to build a band shell down on the river like it is the 1940s and we’re trying to lure Karl King to town, but the design featured here removes almost all elements of a design with a purpose and just throws up an expensive facade to hide a rigging system.
Hope that’s not the final version. It even lacks the charm of brutalism.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 9:36 am:
Good on Peoria. Been years since I’ve been on the riverfront, but I wondered why it wasn’t developed more.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 10:01 am:
Sounds like a great idea.
One possible reason the riverfront hasn’t been developed more is that some spots are vulnerable to flooding if you build too close. We seem to get those “once in 200 years” floods more often than that.
A similar amphitheater, much smaller in scope, is planned for Ottawa.
- Stix Hix - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 10:06 am:
-It even lacks the charm of brutalism-
For sure. I’m squarely with Candy D on this one in every respect. As a classically trained snob I avoid going to amplified band or orchestra concerts. It won’t play in Peoria for me, this way.
- fs - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 10:12 am:
I like it. I wish Springfield would finally start doing something similar on the Y block.
==Amphitheater==
I feel like Candy may still be upset with Dylan for going electric
- Banish Misfortune - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 10:24 am:
Disagree with those advocating for walls. I go to a lot of Grant Park Symphony and Chorus concerts at Millennium Park. Being outside, in the city, by the lake is part of the attraction. It would not be as appealing if it was enclosed. And the sound is great, even though amplified.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 10:36 am:
It’s probably for the best that the recent proposal for a similar amphitheater in nearby Washington, IL was withdrawn by the private funder, apparently influenced by local pushback on the cost of supporting infrastructure and typical NIMBY concerns. The one in Ottawa also seems to be drawing controversy with similar concerns, as well as its ability to draw a crowd when everyone else seems to be building one.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 10:48 am:
- Back in my day an amphitheater had at least some walls. -
Kind of defeats the purpose of being on the river.
- Leatherneck - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 10:51 am:
=I wish Springfield would finally start doing something similar on the Y block.=
I prefer that the Y Block stay Green Space.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 11:42 am:
===stay Green Space===
It’s an empty yard. And the YWCA was a great spot years ago that brought people downtown.
Springfield gets what it deserves, I suppose.
- Louis G Atsaves - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 11:46 am:
The Peoria proposal looks pretty nice. Good for them.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 11:53 am:
I saw The Urge play the Peoria riverfront in 1992 for Steamboat Days on what appeared to be a semi flatbed.
That was great.
This would probably be better.
- P. - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 11:53 am:
Imagine if we taxed the historic amounts of mass hoarded wealth we could have even more nice things.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 12:03 pm:
===Imagine if we taxed the historic amounts of mass hoarded wealth===
That idea will stay imaginary unless you change the state constitution.
- Annon'in - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 12:11 pm:
The Peoria project should be terrific. The original had the Foundation hiring & paying a professional manager Hopefully that ideas continues.
- Leap Day William - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 12:19 pm:
I saw CAKE play on the riverfront under the bridge last year in a grass field. It was a great show, but was thinking the whole time how an amphitheater would look really great there. Good for them and I hope this moves forward.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 12:38 pm:
Great for Peoria - I feel the same way about Waukegan’s lakefront/downtown (untapped potential). The state’s department of tourism also needs to do more to encourage Chicagoans to take a drive along the Illinois river and make a day of it in Peoria/wineries along the way/etc.
- Our Joe - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 12:40 pm:
===professional manager===
Very happy to see this for Peoria. But yes, if it is going to be successful in getting concert bookings, professional management will be essential
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 12:41 pm:
- Springfield gets what it deserves, I suppose. -
You said it. It’s depressing going downtown and seeing how it’s been left to rot for decades.
- Flapdoodle - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 2:19 pm:
“Back in my day an amphitheater had at least some walls.”
The classical Greek dramatists managed with a minimum of structure; perhaps modern Peoria can manage to do the same.
- Old Guy - Wednesday, Jun 10, 26 @ 3:34 pm:
But it’s not 250 feet tall w/ gilded eagles on the top…