PEORIA, Ill. (25News Now) – The Detweiller Marina Neighborhood Association urges local leaders to keep the land in public hands rather than sell it to a steel company.
The Detweiller Playground Trust Board has been working since 2025 to sell a portion of the marina property near Caroline Street to O’Brien Steel, which would use the eight-acre property for outdoor steel storage. The Illinois Attorney General approved the proposed sale last year.
The treasurer of the Detweiller Marina Neighborhood Association Tim Herold, is disappointed with the board of trustees and said the board lacks transparency.
He believes that having J.R. O’Brien, the executive vice president of O’Brien Steel, serve on the board presents a conflict of interest. He added that the association is taking legal action against the Playground Board of Trustees but is pleased that the Park District is moving forward with efforts to accommodate the situation.
According to Thomas Detweiller’s will, it appears to name five board trustees and state that all of them must be residents of the City of Peoria.
According to the 2024 tax filing, it appeared to have six members listed, with addresses that appeared to be from different locations in the area.
The possible sale has drawn concern from the Detweiller Marina Neighborhood Association, which said the property should remain available to the public.
During this back-and-forth between the three parties, the Herold said the association has one goal.
“To the park district or the City of Peoria and keep it in the hands of the people of Peoria, as Thomas Detweiller intended,” said Tim Herold, Treasurer, Detweiller Marina Neighborhood Association.
Park District Responds
In a press release, the Peoria Park District President said this:
Following is a statement issued by Robert L. Johnson Sr, President of the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees:
I want to thank the members of our community who, since this spring, have remained engaged in advocating for the future of the Detweiller Marina and Playground property at the foot of Caroline Street along the Illinois River. Your participation has helped ensure that the importance of this property—and its continued public use—remains at the center of the conversation.
At its September 23 meeting, the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees authorized Board representatives to begin outreach to key stakeholders, including the Detweiller Marina Trust, to explore a sustainable path forward for the property. Our goal is to work collaboratively toward a management and ownership structure that can preserve the property as an intact public recreational asset while also addressing its long-term financial sustainability.
As Park Board President, I am pleased to help lead this next phase of discussion. The Detweiller Marina property represents an important combination of natural environment, recreational opportunity, public access to the Illinois River, and connection to Peoria’s history. We believe there is an opportunity not simply to preserve those qualities, but to consider how this property might be thoughtfully reinvested in and reimagined for future generations.
The site also sits within an area deeply connected to Peoria’s earliest history along the Illinois River. That history—including the Native peoples who lived along the river, Peoria’s early French settlement, and Jean Baptiste Point du Sable’s documented connection to Peoria before his eventual settlement in Chicago—adds another dimension to the significance of protecting meaningful public access to this part of our riverfront.
Thomas Detweiller’s 1947 vision was grounded in providing the people of Peoria access to the Illinois River for recreation and enjoyment. The Park District has shared a longstanding relationship with this property, and the Board believes it is appropriate for the District to participate actively in conversations about its future.
This action is the beginning of that process, not the end of it. We will need the continued participation of residents, the Detweiller Trust, governmental and community partners, and other stakeholders as we consider what a financially sustainable and publicly accessible future for the property can look like.
Thank you again to the residents who have invested their time, their voices, and their energy in this issue. The Park District’s mission calls us to enrich life in our community through stewardship of parks, recreation, and open space. We look forward to bringing that mission to the table as we work with others to determine what comes next for this important piece of Peoria’s riverfront.
Detweiller Trust Responds
The Detweiller Playground Trust president, Andrew Schneider, said J.R. O’Brien has not been part of the process at all regarding the marina, adding, in a statement, he said this:
“We appreciate the opportunity to comment; however, requesting a response shortly before a broadcast and only after multiple discussions with other parties have occurred limits the meaningful opportunity to respond.
The Detweiller Trust continues its deliberate process; however, it’s surprising the Peoria Park District leadership is focused on press releases and media outreach before the courtesy of contacting the Trust.
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