Local: Landmark status for Hamilton Boulevard is a bad idea
Is Hamilton Boulevard more historic than, say, Washington, Adams or Jefferson? Well, the Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation seems to think so. They filed a request to have Hamilton declared a historic landmark all the way from Water Street to North Street. If this is approved, it means that the preservationists would have final say over any changes that happen to the road. Typically, this means that they want NO changes, or changes that puts the property closer to it’s original condition.
My two cents: This sort of thing happens all the time in Peoria. Someone wants to use their property the way they see fit in a matter that complies with the law. Unable to stop the property owner through the normal process, the preservationists try to stop it with a trumped up claim that the property in question is historic in some way.
This happened with the UU Church and with Roanoke Apartments.
Sometimes, the claim is simply that the property can be described as an example of some particular style of architecture. Not too long ago, some homes on North Knoxville were designated historic … mainly to keep them from being demolished to make way for an apartment building.
The claim now is that because Hamilton Boulevard was designed by the son of former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, and is in fact named after Hamilton, the property is “historic.” Well, so is every other street street in downtown Peoria, and many of them are named after people far more significant to American history — including George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
And as the Journal Star noted, historic designation for Hamilton Boulevard would effectively end Methodist Medical Center’s ambitious expansion plans, which include renovating Hamilton from Globe to Crescent. The road would be narrowed for several blocks, and the boulevards would be removed, which is, I think, what has the preservationists in a tizzy.
This is what should have taxpayers in a tizzy: Part of the deal is that if Methodist’s plans get approved, the hospital will pay for replacement of the sewer/wastewater pipes that run under this street. That means taxpayers won’t be paying for it. If the road is declared historic, Methodist won’t renovate and the city will have to pay for those repairs. Also, the city won’t get the $2 million in permit fees that Methodist is likely to have to pay to get permission to build. I wrote about the plan here.
Financially, this is a bad deal for the people who own this road — the people who live in Peoria. It’s bad for Methodist, which has legitimate reasons for wanting to expand. It would be bad for neighbors, who would benefit from a more walkable, more “New Urbanist” Hamilton Boulevard. Methodist would have to change its expansions plans and perhaps make use of property it has set aside for other uses, like that nice little corner park.
And I can only imagine the nightmare the the city would experience every time it tried to fix a pothole on Hamilton. Every amateur historian in the city would demand his or her two cents into what materials out to be used.
Naturally, I urge the city’s historic preservation commission to vote “no,” although I’m sure it will vote “yes.” Then it would be up to the city to vote this turkey down.
June 21st, 2008 at 11:20 am
Tear it all out, Start anew and have a city like the strip shopping and more cash stores. When will people see the historic, and planned parts of the city? after it is torn down and replaced with cheep structures? Most new structure are not built to last more than 30 years. MMC can do no wrong in some peoples eyes, they will throw $$ arround and get what ever they want. Where does the $$ come from? all that use healthcare. Duplacation of services in the healthcare field is watefull the constant one upmanship between OSF & MMC is not good for the paying public. OSF builds a new wing, MMC want to build a new wing, OSF moves out toward dunlap, MMC wants to move to dunlap also. Tit for tat.
It sounds if someone wants to thow $$$$ at the CityOf Peoria we should bend over backwards and kiss there feet reguardless od what they want to do. Sounds like what happens with the LDC.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I need more cash… sure wish I could find a cash store. These places are so hard to find!! Cash stores should be as ubiquitous as an ATM machine.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Martin: If your problem is that hospitals compete by expanding, then I aree you have a point. But twere not talkign about a classic old building someone wants to subdivide into rental units. This is a road. A street. It is supposed to be used, not preserved. The taxpayers have the right to use it. The PCC will decide later if Methodist’s plans improve it’s use. I don’t want decisions on use handed over to a group with one single agenda on their minds.
June 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Methodist Med Center has a long history of tearing down historic buildings and doing what it wants. For the real story on Methodist and the UU Church click on http://www.prairienet.org/~ehopkins/. Methodist also has its hands out for any taxpayer dollars it can find, from Medicare to Illinois state grants. Taxpayers and the public finance this so-called not for profit, so their dollars will fund this expansion. Is it needed? The state is supposed to control the arms race among the hospitals, but that was what the Rezko trial was all about. Meanwhile Peoria has little going for it except its interesting historic past, which big organizations ignore when it suits their purposes. Very sad. If the council has any guts it will make Methodist redo its plans to save what is left of Peoria’s historic heritage.
June 21st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
The process Methodist is using TODAY is the opposite of the process it used in the past. They have kept the neighbors informed (granted, they had to be reminded that neighbors are members of neighborhood groups), but I have found them to be open and wanting to work with the surrounding community.
And I am absolutely sure that the reason they are doing so now is because of the public relations fiasco that the was the last time they bulldozed buildings that were being considered for historic status. We have to be vigilant when working with these big institutions, and we have to make sure they follow the letter of the law regarding their institutional plans.
Regarding the UU Church. Methodist bought the property. A majority of church members agreed. Dissenting members of the church and preservationists tried to stop it from being demolished. The process was followed and Methodist prevailed. It was THEN demolished. Nothing “diabolical” about it. This is unlike the previous instance at the site that now houses the corner park.
Losing some boulevards is NOT “what is left of Peoria’s historic heritage.” Peoria has a lot more going for it than that.
June 21st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Les Kenyon has never seen an old building he doesn’t like. Maybe they could move them onto the museum site and kill two birds with one stone.
June 21st, 2008 at 6:36 pm
“This is a road. A street. It is supposed to be used, not preserved. ”
Does this statement include Grand View Drive?
June 21st, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I would favor historic preservation status for any historic home on the street. The street itself …?
June 21st, 2008 at 8:13 pm
The solution is simple: if everyone would just sign the petition at the end of this post the preservation argument will become invalid and Peoria will honor one of its own.
http://www.musical-saw.com/willie/id27.htm
June 21st, 2008 at 8:19 pm
There’s nothing funny about alcoholism and homelessness. Sorry.
June 21st, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Who’s being funny? Willie is a great person, I don’t begrudge him because he chooses to be free from possessions. Rather than sweep him under the rug as an “undesirable” just because he doesn’t slave away at a 9-5 for 30 years at a job he hates to pay for a cookie-cutter house and a gas guzzling status symbol, I choose to celebrate him as a shining example of someone who has taken his freedom into his own hands and shown us that all these “things” we seem to be so attached to and always be needing more of, are just that — things.
June 21st, 2008 at 9:16 pm
“I choose to celebrate him as a shining example of someone who has taken his freedom into his own hands …”
Except when it gets cold and he vandalizes someone else’s private property to get thrown into a nice warm cell. Or he assaults someone.
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
What is historic about Hamilton Blvd.? How does it differ from Main, Jefferson, Adams and other streets? Methodist Hospital serves a great and humanistic purpose for citizens of Central Illinois and should be given aid whenever possible and not to the detriment of tazpayers.
June 22nd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
[...] is something to consider in the face of self-declared defenders of history trying to stop the Methodist Medical Center expansion by having a slab of roadway declared a [...]