Those who visit RiverFront Park will find the veterans’ memorial there has been refurbished.
The RiverFront Freedom Memorial, which honors those who have made possible the freedoms we all enjoy, features five flags to represent each branch of the military and an 80-foot-tall lighted flagpole flying a 20-foot by 30-foot American flag. Surrounding the flagpole is an 800-square foot courtyard with a large five-pointed star in the center surrounded by memorial brick pavers.
The memorial was originally constructed in 2009 and was showing signs of age and the effects of weather. Visitor concerns about the memorial’s condition were coming in more frequently, including those from people who had purchased memorial pavers only to find them covered with dirt or shifted out of place.
Thanks to donations of equipment from Sunbelt Rentals, labor and equipment from S&G Decorative Concrete Supply, funding of the repairs by the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce, and in-house labor from the City of East Peoria, the memorial’s paver and concrete sections have been refurbished. The total cost for the repairs was $795.62.
The memorial paver section was scrubbed with cleaning solution and power washed. The pavers were removed, and the sand base was replaced and compacted using a commercial compactor. Each paver was reset in its original location and compacted, and locking sand was swept across them to fill in the spaces. The area was then sprayed with water to activate the polymers in the locking sand.
The concrete areas were scrubbed with cleaning solvent and patched, and two layers of both stain and clear coat were applied.
In addition, the wall lights were upgraded to LEDs which the city already had in stock.
Those interested in purchasing a memorial paver can contact the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce at 309-699-6212. The pavers can be engraved with a custom message. There are four paver options with prices ranging from $100 for a 4-by-8-inch paver with three maximum lines to $2,000 for a 24-by-24-inch paver with 10 maximum lines.