ROLLER SKATING RINK WILL SOON BE ON ITS WAY TO PEORIA THANKS TO SOME STATE FUNDS. <> OUR BEN FRIES WAS AT LAKEVIEW PARK TODAY AND JOINS US NOW LIVE IN STUDIO. BEN … WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CITY? <
SKATE LOOP IN LAKEVIEW PARK… MORE ACCESSIBLE PATHS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED IN DONOVAN PARK. STATE AND LOCAL PARK OFFICIALS SAY THESE ADDITIONS WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY. <<(4 MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDS WILL GO TOWARDS A NEW ROLLER SKATE PARK IN LAKEVIEW PARK AS WELL AS PATHWAY IMPROVEMENTS IN DONOVAN PARK.
PEORIA PARK DISTRICT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EMILY CAHILL SAYS THE NEW ROLLER RINK WILL BE AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY. EMILY CAHILL| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR| PEORIA PARK DISTRICT "Placing a loop here rather than putting a large rectangle of concrete means that our skating loop can welcome skaters, it can serve as the
Backdrop for public art, and it can host gatherings of people for a concert or other social gathering." THE FUNDS WERE SECURED BY 92ND DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE AND SPEAKER PRO TEM FOR THE ILLINOIS HOUSE OF REPRESENATIVES JEHAN GORDON- BOOTH. SHE SAYS THIS IS SOMETHING USUALLY RESERVED FOR LARGER CITIES THAT PEORIA WILL
ALSO GET TO HAVE. JEHAN GORDON-BOOTH| SPEAKER PRO TEM | ILLINOIS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES| (D) DISTRICT 92 "I love dreaming about Peoria, I love dreaming of the things that we have that we can make greater, but also the things that we don't have that would be a great fit for families in this community."
THE POTENTIAL OF VIOLENCE AT THE PARK WAS ALSO MENTIONED. CAHILL SAYS IF ANYONE WANTS TO CAUSE PROBLEMS... THE SITUATION WILL BE HANDLED APPROPRIATELY. EMILY CAHILL| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR| PEORIA PARK DISTRICT "The actions of a few should not limit the experiences of the many, and we feel very strongly that having a wide variety of
Activities across our different park locations throughout the community is essential to positive activity." DAWN GILBERT... A MEMBER OF P-TOWN ROLLERS AND OTHER REGIONAL SKATER GROUPS... SAYS SHE IS HAPPY TO FINALLY HAVE HER HOPES FOR A NEW SKATE PARK REALIZED. DAWN GILBERT| P- TOWN ROLLERS"I have personally emailed, messaged, written actual
Letters to the Peoria Park District, to the Riverfront community, to anybody who will listen to me, so it's just really nice to feel like we're finally getting heard.")>> <> THERE IS NO OFFICIAL TIMELINE FOR THE RINK TO BE BUILT BY… BUT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EMILY CAHILL SAYS SOMETIME NEXT YEAR
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