PEORIA -- A new study of the impact of the arts on business shows big money generated by non-profit arts groups.
The other news: fears that development will make Peoria's Warehouse District so pricey that artists will be driven away to cheaper digs.
But first the biz information. Arts Alliance Illinois, an advocacy group, met with Peoria officials and arts advocates at the Peoria Riverfront Museum on March 21 to release the information. Arts Alliance was part of a national 2010 survey of not-for-profit groups which included those in the Peoria Tri-county region.
In Peoria, they found the arts to be a $20.4 million industry, based on responses from 30 organizations out of 50 contacted. Over 349,000 people attended the events, with 850 jobs generated in these groups alone. They also generated $2.2 million in taxes to governments.
In Illinois, the figure rises to $2.8 billion overall, 78,000 jobs, $314 million in taxes. "Arts are big business," said Randy Cohen of America for the Arts, which coordinated the research.
In Peoria, beyond ticket prices, each person spent almost $16 on the event if they lived in the area, and double that if they came from beyond the Tri-county area. Of the non-locals, 55 percent said they came to Peoria for the arts events. And 46 percent of the locals said they would have gone elsewhere (Chicago?) to see such an event, if it didn't occur locally.
These are conservative figures, since not all organizations responded, and some schools, colleges and universities were not included, Cohen said.
A panel discussion included assistant city manager Chris Setti who discussed the Warehouse District and its development, to be built around the arts. But there's a problem, he said.
Speculators have bought up the property, and want so much money for it that developing affordable living spaces for artists may not be possible, he said. He's been in touch with a national group, Art Space, which uses tax credits to overcome this problem.
The Warehouse District is needed to attract young people to Peoria, said city council menber Ryan Spain, also on the panel. Surveys show they want to live in downtown settings, he said, but they need "affordable environmnents."
He added, "this is our challenge. I believe the arts will play a leadership role in this development."
-- Elaine Hopkins
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