Peoria Park District Officials Side With Activists

Shocked, shocked I tell you, on this latest development. 

WEEK TV-25 posted a story yesterday tell us that,
 
"Members of the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees are siding with Friends of Riverfront Park against the sale of land near the Detweiller Marina."
 
Obviously, local activists are always in need of a cause, and have found one. They are the usual suspects which agitated for years to get the Peoria, Peoria Heights & Western Railroad (aka "Kellar Branch") abandoned in favor of a recreational trail. 

I still wonder why O'Brien Steel wants to relocate its crane system and steel storage area. It would seem they need the existing space for expansion of operations, but I've not seen any announcements. 

The firm is a distributor for steel products like I-beams and pilings, and fabrication, welding, heat treating and processing. It has four steel service centers and four processing facilities (Peoria does both) in Illinois and Wisconsin. 

Relocating the crane system and steel storage area into the marina property will also include construction of a rail siding off the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad mainline, which runs along the east side of the existing facility. Installation of rail infrastructure can be costly, and if O'Brien is funding it themselves (i. e., no state or federal grants), they apparently intend to make heavy use of it. 

In 1993, O'Brien generated 271 carloads. That was when the Kellar Branch itself was used for unloading steel and loading scrap metal. When a private rail spur was constructed in 1995, the firm was expected to add more 150 carloads. I don't believe this happened, but with much business growth in the last 30 years, there is potential for several hundred annual carloads. 

Possibly, they are being pressured by suppliers to install rail facilities. The rapid rise in diesel fuel pricing in 2021-2022 might have prompted renewed interest in rail for inbound steel and outbound scrap metal. Although diesel fuel prices have moderated since then (save for the recent spike due to the Iran War), this was a reminder that industrial firms must consider all transportation options. 

The existing storage area had rail access but that is covered with I-beams and concrete barriers. The track is buried in the mud. Perhaps the proposed storage area will be needed to separate inbound deliveries from outbound scrap metal shipments? I recall years ago (2005-2010), that when the Central Illinois Railroad Co. was switching this facility, such activity could probably conflict with company operations. See two videos below. 


November 20, 2007


January 26, 2008

I don't know if Park District opposition can block the sale of Detweiller Marina land, but perhaps O'Brien Steel should explain the reasoning for its plans. 
 
- David P. Jordan

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