What to know about major upgrades coming to the Peoria Park District

Yahoo

23-04-2025

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — As summer nears, the Peoria Park District shared updates on some major projects and the progress made.
One project the district has been overseeing is some updates to the Golf Learning Center, which will bring a Top Golf-like experience, said Emily Cahill, the park district's executive director.
It will be a two-story driving range that will use the same software, provided by Top Tracer, that is seen in Top Golf's around the country.
'It is that Top Golf-like experience. It's actually the same software and play experience you would have if you went to a Top Golf, it's just in our 21-bay-sized facility,' she said.
The facility will be run by the park district, and they are working to finalize a deal to bring in a local restaurateur to bring food and drinks to the new facility.
The overall project will cost for the new structure as well as renovations will cost about $6.5 million. $5 million of that cost will come from grants through the state and the rest including operating costs will come from the park district.
She said they hope that the new experience will be ready to go by Labor Day.
Cahill also said that, along with the new structure, they will be renovating the inside of the golf learning center building to include some party rooms, a restaurant as well as two golf simulators that can be rented out.
The second update Cahill had, was on the new Lakeview Splash Pad and demolition of the old pool which has finally be demolished. It's been closed since 2018. Cahill said it was just time and it needed to go.
When it comes to the splash pad at the park, construction had been slowed due to all the rain the city had seen, but she is confident it will be up and operational by mid-July.
A big reason for the decision to bring a splash pad was the need in the central part of the city to have a water feature for people to enjoy.
'So when we closed the pool, we knew that the central part of the community needed access to water and looking at just what our opportunities were, a splash pad makes a lot of sense for us because it is something that doesn't require lifeguards,' she said, reducing the cost to the district.
Splash pads also have a longer season of operation than a regular pool. That's because the start of school means the teenage work force has to quit and thus, causing it to close in early August.
But a splash pad can remain open and is about 10% cheaper to operate than a pool, she said.
'So it's an opportunity for us to provide that experience, let kids and families run around, have a great time, but not have the significant costs that come with a swimming pool,' Cahill said.
The splash pad will cost about $1 million with its costs covered by a state grant that also pays for outdoor bathrooms.
The last project with the district is renovation of its venerable ice rink, Owens Center, and replacing some of the machinery that chills water to make the ice.
Right now, the Owens Center is under a six-week closure that will allow them to do maintenance to the rinks, such as painting the lines, fix leaks as well as general repairs.
These repairs are to help the ice rink make it until they can begin to replace the system that freezes the ice as required by government mandate.
'So everybody in the country, including the Civic Center, has to change out the plant that they have that makes the ice frozen,' Cahill said. 'Everybody was using a product that's no longer allowable by the federal government. So we all have to switch to a new system that's more environmentally friendly. That switch for us will take place sometime in early 2027.'
Along with changing of the ice plant, Cahill said that they are also planning to completely renovate the Owens Center interior starting in 2026.
Part of the renovations will include better food and drink options than their current concession stand, as well as making viewing for friends and family better, and even renovating locker rooms.
All together, the Owens Center renovations will cost the park district around $15 million.
Cahill said a big factor in their decisions to take on these projects was to bring more fun things for people who live in the community.
'Experiences are what people are after more than things these days. And so to be able to, in your own backyard, visit a zoo where you see animals from all over the world, go to a world-class children's museum, be able to ice skate at our renovated ice center, be able to go to splash pads or pools or to walk on more than 50 miles of trails,' she said.
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