PEORIA (25News Now) – The Peoria City Council unanimously approved two measures Tuesday night to fund renovations to Dozer Park, the Peoria Chiefs baseball stadium.

The first step was to adapt the financial plan to reflect these changes and the second step was to approve an amended restructuring agreement.

The changes will help the Chiefs fund fan safety improvements, field improvements and player locker room improvements.

Until now, the infrastructure around the stadium was financed through tax increases.

“Going forward, we will use the TIF increase – if this development agreement is approved – to fund some rehabilitation work on the existing facility and bring it up to modern minor league standards. This is a prerequisite for their ongoing affiliations with the various leagues,” said Patrick Hayes, Peoria’s city attorney.

The Chiefs will submit annual reimbursement requests, and if there are TIF-eligible expenses, they will be reimbursed by the city.

“They only pay a little over $100,000 a year in taxes, so that’s what they’re getting reimbursed for,” City Manager Patrick Urich told 25 News. “That covers part of the cost of the renovation.”

The reimbursements will cover $1.8 million of the cost of improving the park. The Chiefs would then also have to pay for renovations valued at over $980,000.

The agreement always included a provision that the city would have to dip into the general fund if the Chiefs stopped receiving TIF reimbursement, but Hayes doesn’t expect that to happen anytime soon.

As of now, the TIF district is scheduled to be dissolved in 2035.

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