The Revitalization of Glen Oak Park
I recently had the good fortune to be invited along for a private viewing of the construction going on at Glen Oak Zoo, renamed the Peoria Zoo. It was quite fascinating to see how it is all coming together and how classy the expansion will look. I have no shame in saying I am and always have been fully behind their effort to expand the Zoo, to the disdain of some of my fellow bloggers who shall remain nameless. In thinking about the Zoo as a part of the park as a whole, it struck me that several things are all coming together at once to breathe life back into what used to be the crowning jewel of the Peoria Park District.
1. The Zoo. Can anyone honestly say they were happy with the former zoo? It was o.k., but definitely nothing to write home about. We visited once in a while, and I was glad that they finally got the Lions out of the 12×12 cement jail that used to house them, but it was sorely lacking any sense of a modern zoo. I enjoy taking my kids to the zoo, but I didn’t enjoy taking them to Glen Oak Zoo. It was downtrodden and dated, but it was still our zoo. With this expansion we can finally enter the 21st century with a modern zoo that will be every bit as remarkable as the ones we travel to visit, albeit on a smaller scale to suit our population.
If you are concerned about the chopping down of trees, at least you can take solace in the fact that any usable tree was milled and re-used. They are not being chopped up for mulch. I understand there is a money issue involved here of some concern, but sometimes a leap of faith is necessary. This is one time where it is necessary and will be enjoyed and praised for years to come. Until you schedule your appointment to see it close-up, you’ll just have to take my word for it. You can count me in as being behind the zoo.
2. The Children’s Museum. I think I’ve covered this topic once or twice already, but needless to say we’re going to have the finest one in Illinois outside of Chicago.
3. Glen Oak Park School defeated. Glen Oak Park is a Park, not a School Playground. ‘Nuff said.
4. Historic Designations. It is the duty of the Park District to be stewards of the property they are in charge of. They have not done so. Historic structures have been allowed to deteriorate beyond repair. Abandonment and neglect seemed to be the name of the game and we were losing more of our treasures, the Parapet & Cannon, and the Suspension Bridge being the two most obvious. It’s unfortunate that upkeep had to be forced, but so be it. History lost cannot be brought back.
All of these major events combined tell me that Glen Oak Park is going to shine and thrive once again. I have no doubt that Peorians will look back at this time in our history and praise the great revival of the crown jewel of our Park District.
December 17th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
OK so you like the new zoo. I was looking at some pictures over at your other site, Name this Landmark” and couldn’t help but wonder. I wonder how all these animals, some of which are native to Africa will like the snow and 10 below weather here. I guess they could be kept coup up in a small cage for the winter but hey, that is what the old zoo did, get animals in a small cage. It looks nice and I am sure it is top notch but like anything this park district does, it looks like a money hole. I mean really? Sure the old zoo was, well, a joke. Does Peoria really need a zoo? I can drive 3 hours in either direction and see a top quality zoo that we will never match and one visit there can hold a lifetime of memories. We shall see how this unfolds.
December 17th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Emtronics. I’ll tell you who will visit the new zoo. Me. No, I think it’s silly to think people will bypass the St. Louis and Chicago zoos for this. But I loved GOZ as a kid. I went multiple times every summer. It helped that the thing was within walking distance, and that I would hang at the park anyway. Of course, it was just 75 cents admission, as I recall, and no one was in any particular mood to stop a grade-school age kid was going in without paying anything at all.
I am sick at the loss of the trees. I will also miss the ball diamond. And I do think they needed to square away the other problems at GOP before embarking on this venture.
But I have no problems, per se, with the zoo. The decision is made. I hope it succeeds.
December 17th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
So the weather in Chicago and St.Louis is always sunny and warm? You imply that you love those zoos, but what do they do with the animals in the Winter? Likely put them in warm interior areas, the same that will happen here. The only way you can justify your argument is to say no cold temperate areas should have a zoo, period.
“Does Peoria really need a zoo?”
I guess that’s what you have to decide on your own. We have two options here- expand the zoo or get rid of the zoo. I vote for expansion.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Completely off the subject. If the Park District can come up with funds, grants and loans to build a zoo and a 5 mile bike trail, why can’t they do so to fix the suspension bridge and Parapet & Cannon? To me it means one thing: they don’t give a sh*t. The park board is taking a page out of the city’s book. The old part of the park (kinda like the east bluff and southside) deteriorate while we build nice shiny new things over virgin territory (think north Peoria \ Grand Prairie Mall area).
December 20th, 2007 at 5:05 am
What I really said: cold or no cold, the PPD doesn’t need to be spending all this money on something like this when the rest of GOP and other parks suck. (ex. what the Chef posted is one) Zoos are nice but Peoria won’t support this one.
December 20th, 2007 at 9:47 am
My point is the new projects IN CONJUNCTION WITH the forced saving and rehab of history is what will return Glen Oak to place families will come to as it once was.
And I do think Peoria will support the Zoo.
December 20th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
PI –
Yes, it would be nice IF they rehab the parapet, cannon, bridge, roads, etc. in conjunction with the new zoo, but I will believe it when I see it.
December 20th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Agreed.