Galesburg has commissioned a study to determine two things: whether the city could support an events center, and whether the vacant Armory on Broad Street could serve that purpose.
Aldermen agreed to spend $28,000 on the survey. The city said it should take about six weeks to complete the report. On-site inspections will be done as part of the study.
City Manager Todd Thompson said the center would allow for larger events to be held in Galesburg. He said the city’s current largest facility is at Lake Storey. It can hold up to around 300 people.
“People have to leave town if they want to have a large event that seats 500 or 600 people,” Thompson said.
Thompson said weddings, concerts, and even sporting events could be held at the events center, and it could help the city attract smaller conferences.
“Several years ago, we had the Illinois Main Street Conference in town, and we had to hold that in three different locations, and people were driving back and forth. And that’s really not ideal,” Thompson said.
Thompson said if the plan goes through, the Armory could also host the city’s community center. He said if the survey finds the Armory is not suitable for an events center, the city might explore whether local hotels could expand.
