Mayor: ‘This is an incredible night for the city of Peru,’ Doug and Rorie Schweickert Charitable Trust donates $1 million for park upgrades

Tuesday’s Peru City Council meeting was so highly anticipated by Mayor Ken Kolowski, he said he was more nervous Tuesday than he was when he was sworn-in.

During the meeting, the Doug and Rorie Schweickert Charitable Trust presented a check for $1 million to the city.

The trust’s funds will be used for the creation of a 2,600 square-foot building in Washington Park and various Veterans Park improvements that will be an enhancement to the existing ball field, home to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp.

While Doug and Rorie Schweickert were not able to be in attendance, they issued a news release that said they want the funds to benefit the many families in the Illinois Valley.

“Our ancestors were brick masons from Germany and settled here in 1849,” Doug Schweickert said. “The market has been good to us and my wife and I want to enhance the athletic, cultural and educational facilities in the area for future generations.”

Kolowski was grateful for the families’ donation and said the families’ support of the city has been important to Peru.

“Their $1 million donation will afford the residents and visitors of Peru two amazing recreational spots to enjoy year-round family fun,” Kolowski said. “Schweickert’s dedication has been instrumental to the city’s success and growth over his 40-plus years of service in our community.”

The Veterans Park improvements will bring new dugouts, group umbrella picnic areas, drink rails, a new press box and drop backstop netting to clear various lines of sight.

The preliminary designs for this development will also include a curved 30-inch brick backstop and offer visitors a variety of different seating options from premium front row to small groups to high-top tables and chairs.

The home of the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp will be constructed with 614 additional seats as the structure will be known as the Schweickert Stadium.

“We’re setting this up as a phased plan to improve upon the existing Veterans Field,” City Engineer Eric Carls said. “In this phase we are leaving existing concession stands and restrooms in place and hoping to build upon this plan in the future.”

Fans of the Pistol Shrimp may see some changes before opening day of the 2022 season, but with the winter here and the many supply chain issues any project faces, the majority of the construction could be scheduled to take place before the 2023 season, according to Carls.

“There are some potential changes that may take place before the season,” Carls said. “We may have some of the new backstop in and some of the nets may be able to be constructed along with some of the flatwork and concrete work for where the seating will be placed.”

The planned structure at Washington Park will be a building located next to the existing ice skating rink that will provide restrooms, lockers, concessions, skate rental area and warming fireplaces.

“This building will be located in the location of an old existing garage, south of the Splash Pad,” Carls said. “It will be a wonderful asset to the park and to more specifically hopefully draw in another youth sport into the city of Peru.”

Carls is hopeful this project can be sent out for bid in the spring or summer of 2022. He said there is a possibility the structure could be completed by next winter.

The structure in Washington Park will fulfill many necessary purposes for its visitors and will be named the Schweickert Arena.

The city and Carls are excited for the opportunity these funds provide and look forward to creating these structures families will enjoy for many years to come.

“It’s a wonderful donation by the Schweickert family and I know it’s very much appreciated by everyone in my office and here with the city,” Carls said. “We’ve been pretty fortunate to be working with them on this project.”

Schweickert, who served as the city attorney for 40 years, has left a lasting impact on the lives of the overall community through his support and donation, but he also has personally affected the lives of those he used to work closely with.

“When I came to Peru eight years ago, he took me under his wing and taught me a lot,” Carls said. “I’ve worked very closely with his wife as well and she has been instrumental in shaping the youth. I’ll tell you personally the news release doesn’t do it justice. They are amazing community members.”

Kolowski couldn’t thank the family enough for its generosity to the city, as the planning and construction teams began to aggressively turn the plans into a reality.

“This is an incredible night for the city of Peru,” Kolowski said. “These are additions that are going to be around for generations to come. On behalf of myself, the aldermen, the city staff and the citizens, I’d like to thank the Schweickert family for this incredible donation.”