News, Press Releases - Friday, March 12, 2010 12:52 - 0 Comments

Museum project completes first step

With years of talk about a Downtown museum, a public referendum to help fund it and months of organizational meetings and power struggles, it seems odd that only the first official step in the creation of the Peoria Riverfront Museum was completed Thursday.

But that’s what happened.

The approval of the bylaws coupled with the upcoming appointment of 12 at-large members of the board of directors will allow for the Articles of Incorporation for the museum to be filed with the Secretary of State’s office. The new 501(c)(3) corporation will then be the entity responsible for executing an operation agreement with the county and a site redevelopment agreement with the city, county and Caterpillar Inc.

The bylaws were approved 14-1, with board member Brad Harding dissenting and three members absent. The next step is to appoint the new board and approve operating and redevelopment agreements so construction can begin hopefully yet this season, county officials said.

Members of the museum collaboration group, including Lakeview, the Illinois High School Association, African American Hall of Fame Museum, Peoria Historical Society, the Peoria Regional Museum Society and Caterpillar already agreed to the bylaws.

Also on Thursday, the County Board approved a joint agreement to secure federal funding to build a parking deck. Full Press Release…