Park Possible

The Peoria Park District works every day to evolve to meet the changing needs of our community! What’s ParkPossible? Anything that we can collectively think of! On this page, you’ll find additional information on current projects/ideas/possibilities that we want to share and imagine with you, our PPD family. Our goal is to be transparent with our information and provide updates as often as possible to keep you in the know!

We invite YOU to engage with us through this site to learn more about our work and to provide your feedback and ideas so that we create the best possible Peoria Park District.

As we dream together, we have to balance fun and fiscal responsibility; to continue to be bold and innovative while serving our users in the best possible ways; and to evolve and grow with our community. We very much look forward to the community conversation that is an essential part of our process.

Upcoming Opportunities for public input/discussion:

Talk About It Tuesday: August 31 from 4-6pm on the porch of the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum
Public Input Session: September 1 from 6-8 pm in the Glen Oak Amphitheatre
Talk About It Tuesday: September 2 from 4-6pm at Morton Square Park (as part of Parks on Tap!)
~~Talk About It Tuesday: September 7 from 4-6pm on the porch of the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum-~~ CANCELLED!
Talk About It Tuesday: September 14 from 4-6pm in Donovan Park near Cyd’s in the Park
Talk About It Tuesday: September 28 from 4-6pm in Donovan Park near Cyd’s in the Park
Talk About It Tuesday: October 5 from 5-7pm at the Noble Center in Lakeview Park 1125 W. Lake Ave.
Public Input Session: October 12 from 6-8pm at the Noble Center in Lakeview Park 1125 W. Lake Ave.
Talk About It Tuesday: October 19 from 5-7pm at Luthy Botanical Garden 2520 N. Prospect Rd.
Public Input Session: October 26 from 6-8pm at the Noble Center in Lakeview Park 1125 W. Lake Ave.

You can also join us each Friday at 10am for a 10 minute live Q&A with PPD Executive Director, Emily Cahill. You can pre-submit questions to us via Facebook or during the live in the comments!

Glen Oak Park

History: Built in 1894, Glen Oak Park was the first park in the Peoria Park District system. Today, it is home to Peoria Zoo, Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum, Luthy Botanical Garden, Glen Oak Lagoon, Glen Oak Amphitheatre, Rotary Adventure Grove, three playgrounds, two shelters, as well as tennis courts and pickleball courts. With all of these amenities, Glen Oak Park ALSO serves as the neighborhood park for the East Bluff and North Valley neighborhoods.

Acting as both a regional draw and a neighborhood park with usable green space of only about 42 acres, the District recognizes the need to reimagine the park in order to maximize its impact for both groups.

As part of its COVID response in 2020, the District suspended operations at Glen Oak Amphitheatre, which is home to an average of 15 large public gatherings per year. The remainder of the year, the large footprint of the amphitheater is inaccessible behind a barbed wire fence, which also obstructs sight lines to the Glen Oak Lagoon.

Upcoming Opportunities: District staff and board are facilitating a process for public input that began with the press announcement in early August that will continue through mid-September that will guide decision-making and resource allocation. The next public input session/Talk About It Tuesday/Thursday are listed above. You can also join us each Friday at 10am for a 10 minute live Q&A with PPD Executive Director, Emily Cahill. You can pre-submit questions to us via Facebook or during the live in the comments!

View the recorded Public Input Session here from August 16th in Glen Oak Park.

Future Focus: The proposed plan includes a new fully accessible playground, new recreation shelters, new restrooms, and new basketball courts.

More resources:

Glen Oak Park Staff Recommendations
Glen Oak Park Map with Staff Recommendations

Contact: Please e-mail us at [email protected]

Donovan Park

History: During the October 14, 2020 Peoria Park District Board of Trustees Meeting, Pavilion Arts Centre (PAC) gave a brief introduction and presented their vision and ideas for the Pavilion. At this meeting, there was not a vote by the Board. The Board agreed to offer consensus support of the project; including the dedication of up to 18 acres of land for the project and authorized staff to move forward with preparation of the terms and conditions of the lease agreement for the project, which will come before the board for approval upon completion.

Upcoming Opportunities: Check back for more information!

Future Focus: View the presentation, given by PAC to the Board here. Their presentation begins at approximately the 18:30 mark and ends at 1:09:00.

More resources:

Please find the approved 10-14-20 Board Meeting Minutes that summarizes the presentation on pages 3 and 4.
Donovan Park Site Analysis, Master Plan and Management Schedule

Contact: Please e-mail us at [email protected]

Other Information:

If you have any other questions about ongoing projects, please contact us here!

To see a list of all of our projects currently out to bid, please click here!

I Want To: