Potential amphitheater faces criticism from some Washington residents

Yahoo

11-02-2025

WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A potential amphitheater has been the talk of the city of Washington over the past few months, for what some say it could bring and also for the concerns others have.
An in-depth discussion happened at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, which features city council members in a non-voting fashion. Council members, residents, and project leaders gave their input.
The $12 million 'Dee Amphitheater' would be mostly covered by the Hengst Foundation, a private donor, and be built on land near the intersection of U.S. Route 24 and Nofsinger Road. The area is commonly referred to as the '223' property.
Washington residents raise concerns over the possibility of a new amphitheater
The city would be on the hook for about $3.5 million in infrastructure costs for the 5,000-seat venue but receive money from the foundation for leasing the space. A detention basin built near the amphitheater would also be expected to be maintained by the city.
Some residents spoke in support of the project, such as one man who thinks it would be a 'great opportunity' for the city.
'I look at the amphitheater as such a great amenity to this town, like the libraries, the parks, and Five Points. I've seen so many comments on Facebook against the amphitheater, but people that are against something are the most vocal,' he said.
Others spoke against it, like one woman who questioned the kind of artists the venue could get to perform.
'If people want to go see a big name, they go to Chicago or St. Louis or Bloomington or Peoria. Who are we going to attract? We're going to get the same people we get at Five Points,' she said.
Project leaders like Nick LeRoy spoke as well, who takes care of entertainment for the Hengst Foundation, and helps book concerts around the Midwest.
He said that musical artists want to play in tertiary markets like Washington, as it can be hard to compete for tickets in big cities like Chicago and Los Angeles where there are hundreds of concerts per night. He also downplayed concerns over the amphitheater being 'in competition' with Five Points.
Another concern raised by residents has been the potential noise of the venue being a nuisance to surrounding homes. But LeRoy said the decibel level should be so minimal that it shouldn't affect anyone, which was met with some laughter from the crowd.
He finished by saying he understands the concerns from residents, but that there are also plenty of 'misconceptions.'
City staff members have reached out to current and former members of the Decatur Park District to discuss the city's Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater, and it was determined that the area that noise reaches would not impact nearby residents.
Still, some attendees contended that the two amphitheaters are completely different from each other, as the Devon is built near Lake Decatur while the Dee Amphitheater would not be built near a body of water.
Council member John Blundy expressed his own concerns about a letter of intent between the foundation and city that is expected to be discussed at a city council meeting in the near future.
Blundy believes that not nearly enough questions have been answered and that he would not vote in favor of one at the moment, saying his two criteria have not been met for the project. Those two criteria are that it cannot be a burden to taxpayers, and it cannot be a nuisance.
He took a straw poll at the meeting regarding a future town hall regarding the project, which was unanimously voted 'yes' by his fellow council members. While that wasn't a binding vote, it could be something to watch out for in the coming weeks.
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