By Jason Crane
The Aurora City Council honored Ayden Zwick, a liver transplant recipient, and multi-sport Aurora Christian athlete at the Tuesday, Feb. 11 City Council meeting.
Zwick has a passion for football and was granted a trip to the Super Bowl by Make-a-Wish with his mother Erin. He shared his experience at the Super Bowl and other activities in New Orleans. Mayor Richard Irvin presented him with a personalized street sign and the Excellence in Youth Leadership Award for being an example of strength and resiliance.
•The meeting with several presentations and input from individuals can be viewed on the city government of Aurora’s YouTube page after the 4-minute mark by clicking here.
•The City Council approved the following items on the agenda:
•Approval was given to an Ordinance for the revision to the River Street Plaza plan description for the Property at 100 S. River Street, and a Resolution establishing the maximum number of Class D: Downtown Fringe On-Site Consumption liquor licenses and self-service endorsements, related to an application from Rec Haus LLC.
City government of Aurora documents show the Property, which is the former Pocus automotive building, was approved in 2017 to allow additional uses to provide the community with a creative social space on both the 1st and 2nd story of the building known as “Society 57”. However, Society 57 never expanded into the 2nd floor and only occupies the 1st floor of the property which is being used as a coffee shop and event space.
The proposed Rec Haus, would be an upscale activity and game bar which will offer a diverse array of interactive games such as bocce ball, shuffleboard, pool tables, darts, modern pinball, and a wide variety of arcade games. They will partner with neighboring restaurants to provide food options for guests to order from their tables by scanning a QR code to order online for delivery to Rec Haus.
In addition, customers will be welcome to bring their own food, use DoorDash or Uber Eats or choose from a selection of packaged snacks onsite such as chips, pretzels, popcorn, flavored jerky, chocolate, and assorted candy.
Rec Haus submitted an application for a self-service endorsement asking for approval to operate a self-pour beverage wall.
•Approval was given to a Resolution approving the reappointments of Gousia Wajid, Srivani Vokkarane, and Sharon Garcia to the Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board.
City government of Aurora documents show the nominations brought forth represent three veteran candidates:
Ghousia Wajid is a resident of Ward 8 and seeking a third term.
Srivani Vokkarane is a resident of Ward 10 and seeking a third term.
Sharon Garcia is a non-resident and seeking a sixth term.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing the reappointment of Margaret Stokes and Josh Harris to the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents the reappointment of two veteran candidates.
Margaret Stokes is a resident of Ward 8 and is seeking a second term.
Josh Harris is a resident of Ward 10 and is seeking a fourth term.
•Approval was given to a Resolution for the reappointment of Meredith Lindgren to the City’s Advisory Commission for Disabilities.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents one veteran candidate.
Meredith Lindgren is a resident of Ward 4 and is seeking a second term.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing the reappointment of Michael Pegues to the Innovation and Technology Advisory Commission.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents the reappointment of one veteran candidate.
Michale Pegues is a resident of Ward 9 and seeking a second term.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing the reappointment of eight members to the Tree Board.
City government of Aurora documents show in June of 2021, the City Council approved changes to Chapter 2, which included a sunset provision for all board/commission members. The sunset was included to bring the board/commission terms into compliance with the new dates provided in the ordinance, as well as survey members if they wished to continue to serve or step down.
The nomination brought forth represents eight veteran members seeking a second term. They are: Alex Voigt, Cathy Hayen, Nick Day, Ed Sieben, Adrian Perez, Ian Wade, Bill Donnell, and Bill Chinetti.
•Approval was given to a Resolution to approve an amendment to an agreement with Wesley United Methodist Church in the amount of $37,000.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to amend the resolution in order to cover additional expenses that are anticipated as a result of more severe weather than original predictions indicated. With two months of winter weather remaining, 100% of budgeted funds have been expended. Current weather forecasts indicate the potential for an additional 25 nights of temporary warming center (TWC) openings, requiring an additional $37,000 to be budgeted.
The City published a request for proposals (RFP) September 13th, 2024 seeking qualified proposals to be host to the TWC for the 2024-2025 winter season.
Wesley United Methodist Church was the sole respondent to the RFP.
The TWC has been open an average of 25 nights per winter over the past three years. Forecasts for the 2024-2025 winter season indicated more cold nights and more severe weather than normal, so 30 nights were budgeted for a total of $44,700. As of January 28th, all 30 nights have already been authorized.
Wesley United Methodist Church (WUMC) has successfully operated the TWC for 30 nights under the terms of the current agreement. The City will continue to reimburse WUMC for expenses for paid staff members, unarmed security, building use, training, background check fees, and air purifiers.
The agreement gives the City the right to approve and amend the budget as needed.
The City will continue to use its resources to assist in the provision of de-escalation, CPR, and first aid training by APD and AFD for new volunteers and staff members of the TWC.
WUMC will continue to collaborate with area subject matter experts Hesed House and Association for Individual Development (AID), as well as the Kane County Health Department, Senior Services, and Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office’s Office of Collaborative Diversion. In addition, WUMC will partner with other faith-based organizations including Fresh Start City Church, New England Congregational Church, and Becoming Church.
WUMC is contracted through March 31, 2025.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing the director of the Purchasing Department to enter into an agreement with Matrix Consulting Group, in the amount not to exceed $141,080 for a staffing and strategic planning study for the Aurora Police Department.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to authorize the director of the Purchasing Department to enter into an agreement with Matrix Consulting Group in the amount of $134,362 plus a 5% contingency of $6,718 for completion of a staffing and strategic planning study for the Aurora Police Department.
The Aurora Police Department maintains a longstanding commitment to the safety and security of the citizens of Aurora. Part of that commitment includes the ongoing dedication of resources, including personnel, facilities, and equipment, in pursuing these goals, and City leadership has steadfastly supported this mission.
The police department has been working to assess the organization’s staffing needs, including appropriate staffing levels, allocation, assignment, and deployment. Through various organized and informal surveys, the police department has learned that the overwhelming feedback from the community indicates a strong demand for more police officers and greater officer presence in their neighborhoods. Part of this assessment not only ponders staffing numbers but also seeks to enhance personnel deployment in the most efficient and impactful manner throughout the City.
Various national standards advocate per capita staffing levels. The police department appreciates this guidance and would like to employ a more strategic, analytical, and community-level approach to Aurora’s needs. For this reason, the police department began to explore the expertise of various consultants equipped to analyze current and projected staffing needs specific to Aurora, provide guidance on a strategic plan, and make specific recommendations that could directly benefit the Aurora community.
After a careful formal bid process, facilitated by the City’s Purchasing Division and including an consultant in-person interviews, Matrix Consulting Group was selected to perform a multi-task analysis staffing and strategic planning project, which will include stakeholder input, the formulation of a comprehensive evaluation and descriptive profile of the police department, an in-depth analysis of current workloads and staffing, time-specific patrol capabilities, incident and crime locations, a projection of future service demands and staffing needs and an assessment of the need for a geographic deployment restructuring.
Matrix Consulting Group has submitted a proposal to conduct a police department staffing and strategic planning study under RFQ 24-032.
Once approved, this contract will be paid from account 101-3536-421.32-61 in an amount not to exceed $141,080.00.
Impact statement:
The approval of this Resolution will allow the police department to engage a highly qualified consultant to conducting a staffing and strategic planning analysis, providing greater service to Aurora’s citizens.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing the chief financial officer of the City to execute an agreement for ambulance billing services with EMS Management & Consultants (EMS MC).
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to enter into an agreement for the provision of ambulance billing and collection services with EMS MC. EMS MC acquired Andres Billing Services in 2024 and assumed the City’s ambulance billing contract with Andres. EMS MC has provided a proposed agreement for a 12-month period ending February 28, 2026.
In 2008, the City entered into a contract for ambulance billing services with Andres Medical Billing. Andres has billed and collected charges for ambulance and paramedic services on behalf of the City since that time until 2024. During 2024, Andres Medical Billing was acquired by EMS Management & Consultants (EMS MC). EMS MC assumed Andres’ book of business and contracts as a result of the acquisition. EMS MC has been providing services since the acquisition under the terms of the Andres contract from 2008.
The City and EMS MC have been working on a successor agreement to the Andres contract to update the contractual arrangement. The services performed include billing Medicaid and Medicare as well as 3rd party insurance companies for ambulance runs completed by City Fire personnel. EMS MC will also bill the patient if and as applicable based on the City’s medical billing policies. EMS MC also provides the applicable reporting for those services to the City.
The proposed agreement is similar in scope and scale to the contract that the City had in place with Andres. One major change to the contract is the fee charged for the services. Andres contract called for a fee of 5% of collections. The new contract with EMS MC incorporates a reduced fee of 4% of collections. City officials anticipate that the savings for the reduction in fees could approximate $50,000 annually. Additionally, the EMS MC contract provides for City personnel to have access to service and reporting portals to assist in the tracking and record keeping related to the services provided.
The initial term of the contract would be a 12-month period from March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026. Like the Andres contract, the proposed agreement with EMS MC contains automatic renewals of one year duration subject to a 60-day termination notice. Additionally, either side may terminate the contract for any reason whatsoever with 60 days’ notice to the other party.
It is the intent of the City’s Finance and Fire Department personnel that City officials will undertake a competitive process within the next 24 months to provide the best value vendor for ambulance billing services. In the meantime, it is important to have an up-to date contract with EMS MC while that process is pending.
Impact statement:
Passage of the Resolution will allow for an updated definition of terms with the City’s ambulance billing vendor and would also allow for potential savings of $50,000 annually.
•Approval was given to an Ordinance reserving 2025 volume cap in connection with private activity bond issues, and related matters.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain the City Council’s approval of an ordinance that will serve to reserve the City’s 2025 private activity bond (PAB) volume cap.
PABs are tax-exempt securities that are issued in the name of a state or local government for a variety of purposes that advance public interests. Classifications of PABs include, but are not limited to, economic development revenue bonds, industrial development revenue bonds (IDRBs), single-family mortgage revenue bonds, and multi-family mortgage revenue bonds. In essence PAB’s are an economic development tool that allows for the issuance and use of tax exempt bonding for qualified private development projects. This lowers the financing costs for the project.
Although PABs are issued under the authority of a state or local government, the government concerned typically has no responsibility for repaying the debt. The development project concerned is usually responsible for repaying. PABs are commonly referred to as “conduit debt.”
The Internal Revenue Code places a “cap” on the dollar amount of certain PABs that a state or local government may issue in a calendar year. At this time, municipalities are limited to an amount equal to $130.00 per resident per the current US Census Bureau population estimate.
The Illinois Private Activity Bond Allocation Act requires that Illinois municipalities declare their intent to use their allocation of volume cap for the current year. Any volume cap that is not “reserved” is automatically ceded to the State of Illinois.
Based upon the City’s estimated population of 177,563 Aurora’s volume cap allocation for 2025 is $23,083,190. Some of the 2025 volume cap may be dedicated to the issuance of IDRBs in support of manufacturing enterprises in the City. Any volume cap not used for IDRBs may instead be used for single-family mortgage revenue bonds and/or mortgage credit certificates.
•Approval was given to a Resolution establishing the maximum number of licenses for tattoo and body art establishments in accordance with Chapter 25, Article XI “Tattoo and Body Art Establishments”.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to update the number of available licenses for tattoo and body art establishments.
In 2023, the City Council approved substantive changes to Chapter 25, Article XI “Tattoo and Body Art Establishments”. The changes included the ability for new businesses to open using the 1/2-mile distance buffer between any new tattoo establishments consistent with the City code. The City uses this same set back distance with alternative financial institutions, tobacco/alternative nicotine and cannabis dispensaries.
At the time of the Council amended Chapter 25, it afforded itself the discretion to adjust the number of available licenses by separate resolution. As is the case with other forms of licenses, the City Council authorizes a number of licenses equal to the number of establishments holding them, and then adjusts that number following the submittal of a complete application.
Revenue and Collections has a complete application for a new establishment. This resolution seeks to increase the number of available licenses from four to five.
Resolution 24-311 previously approved the applicant for a license at a different location at 559 High Street in Aurora. The applicant has since decided to move his business to a new location. He allowed his current license to expire, and ceased operations as of December 31, 2024 while he awaited permitting for a new location at 261 E. Indian Trail Rd. Aurora, Ill., 60505.
This change will allow a new tattoo and body art establishment to open in Aurora.
•Approval was given to a Resolution to approve the purchase a 3-year renewal subscription of the ePremium platform from Event Approvals, Inc., Vancouver, Canada in the amount of $48,500 annually, for a total award of $145,500.
City government of Aurora documents show the purchase of the ePremium platform from Event Approvals will allow for more efficient registration, invoicing and payment collection for Special Events.
Since 2019, the City has successfully utilized eProval from Event Approvals to gather registration information online for all Special Events and Special Use Permits. In 2021, Resolution R22-047 approved the first renewal as well as the addition of the Applications Payment module allowed applicants to complete the payment process online.
The eProval solution utilized by the City is priced at $46,000 annually. With this renewal, the City is requesting a sixth application type to be added to the agreement for processing of liquor license renewals. This renewal will bring the annual fee to $48,500.
In addition to the new addition of liquor license processing, the ePremium platform will allow the City to provide the following functions:
Agency workflow
Invoicing
Application fee calculations and payments
Application summary (PDF)
Permit generation (PDF)
Automated permit numbering
Payments report and export
Custom payment reports
Invoice report and export
Public application information
Custom communication workflow
Funding is available in account 101-1280-419.45-02.
Impact statement:
Efficient online registration and payment for City services is expected from residents. The purchase of the ePremium platform continues to improve the City’s efficiency in processing registrations for Special Events.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing the 2025 ward neighborhood clean-up and shred events in all wards in the city of Aurora.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain City Council approval for the 2025 ward neighborhood clean-ups and shred events.
Annually, the city of Aurora alderwomen and aldermen decide when neighborhood clean-ups and shred events will be held. Decisions are based on available funds for the current year.
The 2025 Neighborhood Clean-Ups and Shred Events are proposed for wards 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10. Groot and Accurate Document Destruction will be contacted to provide disposal services. Clean-up costs are determined by the amount of debris removed and number of labor hours invoiced by Groot for their personnel.
The cost of the shred events is determined by the number of trucks requested.
•Approval was given to a Resolution approving the reappointment of Nelson Santos, William Kirwan, and Roderick Young to the Aurora Airport Advisory Board.
City government of Aurora documents show in June of 2021, the City Council approved changes to Chapter 2, which included a sunset provision for all board/commission members. The sunset was included to bring the board/commission terms into compliance with the new dates provided in the ordinance, as well as survey members if they wished to continue to serve or step down.
The nomination brought forth represents the reappointment of three veteran candidates. Nelson Santos is a non-resident seeking a second term. William Young is a resident of Ward 8 seeking a second term. Roderick Young is a non-resident seeking a second term.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing approval of the Spring 2025 Historic Preservation Grants and allowing the Mayor to enter into historic preservation grant agreements and addendums.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to authorize the execution of historic preservation grant agreements with owners of properties within the historic districts or local landmarks to foster the continued preservation of Aurora’s historic neighborhoods and landmarks.
In 2019, City Council approved a new historic preservation grant program. The preservation grant program is a reimbursable grant for exterior historic rehabilitation projects. The maximum is $20,000. All grants at or under $10,000 require no cash match. All grants over $10,000 require a dollar-for-dollar cash match for every dollar over $10,000. The final $1,000 of the grant is additional funding for the use of local contractors. Properties must be owner-occupied and designated as historic within the city of Aurora and must meet all other eligibility requirements.
City Council approved additional funds for 2025 for a five year period. The remaining balance in account 101-1840-463.50-43 is $910,000.
Staff members received 14 applications representing the local districts, the National Register district, and Local Landmarks. The work is all exterior ranging from tuckpointing, window repair, chimney restoration, siding repair and painting to structural stabilization and porch restorations.
On December 9, 2024, the Historic Preservation Grant Committee reviewed the 14 applications submitted for the Spring 2025 Historic Preservation Grant Program. Based upon the merits of the projects, the Historic Preservation Commission recommended funding 13 projects. One was suggested to not be funded due to the nature of the project being a non-historic, rear deck. Some of the projects the Committee supported the general idea of the project but had some changes regarding material and execution of the project, which will be outlined in the Agreement.
As outlined in the proposed Spring 2025 Historic Preservation Grant Summary, the following are recommended for approval. The preservation grants applications are requesting a total of $204,903 in grant funding that would see $433,129 of work being invested in the historic districts and landmarks.
77 S. View Street – local landmark – tuckpointing – $21,000
211 West Park Avenue – Tanner – porch restoration – $7,040
219 West Park – Tanner – masonry porch restoration – $16,758
329 S. Lincoln Avenue – near eastside – back porch restoration – $11,353
338 Grant Place – near eastside – window restoration and new wood storm windows – $21,000
415 Oak Avenue – Tanner – wood storm windows and storm door – $16,090
427 W. New York Street – Tanner – porch restoration – $15,483
464 Palace Street – Tanner – wood storm windows and window repair- $12,751
535 W. Downer Place – local landmark – carriage house restoration – $21,000
625 Oak Avenue – Tanner – siding restoration, lead abatement and painting – $21,000
729 W. Downer Place – local landmark – wood storm windows – $12,930
734 Palace Street – Riddle Highlands – window restoration or replacement – $19,698
985 Sheffer Road – local landmark – stucco repair – $8,800.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing a redevelopment agreement (RDA) between the city of Aurora and JH Real Estate Partners, LLC (JH) for the redevelopment of the property at 2 S Broadway, commonly known as the Aurora National Bank building.
City government of Aurora documents show the RDA will facilitate JH plans to redevelop the formerly known Aurora National Bank building at 2 S Broadway into a mixed-use building composed of 30 brand-new market rate apartments.
The RDA codifies the commitments from JH that trigger City incentives that will be paid by the City as described below.
The City will have no upfront financial obligation in this deal and any incentive granted will be earned by new (incremental) taxes generated.
JH Real Estate Partners LLC, (JH) whose managing members are Jay Punukollu and Harish Ananthapadmanabhan is the owner of the 40,000 building which includes 15,000 square feet commercial space leased to Fifth Third Bank which is not part of the financial incentive and agreement described below.
JH is a well-known experienced developer which has successfully taken on the long-vacant Hobbs challenge to much acclaim and both the residential and restaurant spaces have been very successful.
The redevelopment of this building is another excellent opportunity to fill a housing demand and repopulate Downtown in support of downtown businesses.
The proposed residential redevelopment of approximately 40,000 square feet comprised between floor 4 to floor 8 aims to repurpose office space into 30 new market rate apartments. Residential parking is available within the site and satisfies current and future needs of the ancillary commercial uses on the first floor.
This redevelopment is a cornerstone of the “second wave” of projects for the downtown wherein the City’s goal is to eliminate grants, and provide only loans that will be repaid, or provide “pay as you go” funding from newly created ongoing revenue sources.
The source of funding for this project contains the following:
1) private equity in the amount of $3,132,586.00.
2) Developer’s thirty party loan in the amount of $7,775,000.00
3) Historic Tax Credits in the amount of $4,505,340.00
4)Deferred Developer fee of $1,140,593.00
5) The utilization of the current Galena Broadway TIF to use the Tax Increment with NO upfront financial contributions by the City.
JH has noted that the Hobbs residential development has no school age residents and therefore requested the 100% allocation of the tax increment. This said, the agreement provides for revenue sharing with other taxing bodies according to a simple formula as follows:
1)If 1 to 5 students reside at the new development, then 10% of tax increment will be distributed to all taxing bodies.
2) If 6 to 10 students reside at the new development, then 20% of the tax increment will be distributed to all the taxing bodies
Distributions to the Developer and to the taxing bodies (if applicable) will come from the incremental property tax revenues generated by the 2 S Broadway development only and will occur until the expiration of the TIF or until the Incentive Cap is reached, whichever occurs sooner. There is no upfront City financial contribution to this development.
COA carefully reviewed the development team and would not greenlight the development until it satisfied itself that the team had the wherewithal to complete this complex project. Aside from JH, the development team includes Studio GWA, an architectural, design and planning firm that has proven its expertise and technical acumen to tackle the before mention and known Hobb’s project; and Brick and Birch Construction (a full-service construction company with historic restoration experience). Together with JH’s financial and entrepreneurial resources, this team possesses the construction, architectural and historic expertise warranted by this prominent development.
JH’s commitment to this project and the increased viability of downtown properties is demonstrated by their willingness to commit $3.1 million (just over 20% of project funding) and defer their developer fee over a 12-year period in an amount of $1.1 million (7% of project funding), and guarantee a loan of $7,775,000 or a total of $11,975,000.
The developer can commit these resources due to the projection of very competitive rents for each apartment, which shows the continued increase in value of the downtown.
While increased rents have risen to a point where grants are no longer necessary, the post Covid inflation in construction costs creates a persistent, albeit much lower gap that will be filled by using the pre-existing TIF that was created 4 years ago in anticipation of such needs.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing a redevelopment agreement (RDA) between the city of Aurora government and JH Real Estate Partners, LLC (JH) for the redevelopment of the property at 62 S Broadway, commonly known as the Franz building, and the vacant lot at 66 S Broadway.
City government of Aurora documents show the RDA will facilitate JH plans to redevelop the formerly known Frantz building at 62 S Broadway into a mixed-use building composed of ten brand-new market rate apartments, and a brand-new restaurant on the ground floor of the building, with an outdoor patio on the vacant lot.
The RDA codifies the commitments from JH that trigger City incentives that will be repaid to the City as described below.
The City, with the intent of divesting vacant surplus properties, on March 31, 2024 published a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). The RFQ sought experienced residential and commercial developers willing to enter into a public-private partnership to repurpose a defined real estate asset for retail, restaurants, apartments and other uses that could complement and capitalize on their location in the heart of downtown Aurora.
The RFQ process required substantial work to qualify for participation including the submission of plans, costs, and projections. While a number of verbal inquiries were received, no other applicant was willing to invest the resources that JH Real Estate Partners, LLC (JH) did to present the vision for Frantz that was supported by extensive due diligence. As a result, JH, whose managing members are Jay Punukollu and Harish Ananthapadmanabhan was the compelling choice. JH is a known experienced developer which has successfully taken on the long vacant Hobbs challenge to much acclaim residential leasing success. JH has also proven records of successful restaurants reassuring Aurora downtown is a regional destination.
From the City’s standpoint, it has a rare opportunity to fill a demand and repopulate the downtown, reactivate a vacant building and an empty lot on the south end of the Broadway corridor; gateway to the downtown.
JH, differently than the model applied to Hobbs, will be solely the landlord and the catalyst for a new restaurant tenant to occupy the ground floor.
The combined development is comprised of approximately 15,558 square feet at Frantz at 62 S Broadway, and approximately 5,821 square feet at the vacant parcels to the south, addressed 66 S Broadway. The redevelopment plan calls for 10 residential units above the ground floor, with a combined above grade retail space of about 5,186 square feet. Limited residential parking will be made available through a parking agreement with COA, on the vacant site addressed 54 S Broadway.
COA owns the Franz building and has had title for almost 30 years after the gym was closed. At this time, the building is valued at $6,000 although this does not include the extraordinary (and partially unknown) costs of stabilizing the old building. The City plans on donating the building to the developer as part of the bundle of rights and obligations laid out in the RDA. This donation will occur after all building working drawings have been completed, building permits have been approved and financing has been verified. The timing of the City’s incentives has been calibrated to dovetail a successful outcome.
The total funding package contains the following:
1) private equity in the amount of $964,887
2) Developer’s loan in the amount of $2,100,000
3) Historic Tax Credits in the amount of $2,005,651
4) Deferral of their development Fee of $ 507,054
5) 100% of the increment in a newly created Tax Increment Financing district (TIF).
JH has noted that their other downtown apartments have no students. This said this agreement provides that should one student reside at the address, then 10% of tax increment will be distributed to all taxing bodies, and if 2 or more students reside at the address then 20% of the tax increment will be distributed to all the taxing bodies.
There is no upfront City contribution or financial obligation for this project. Reimbursements to the developer for item number 5 above shall come from a proposed new TIF district for the development. The reimbursements will be limited to the incremental property tax revenue generated by the Franz Development over the life of the proposed TIF District or until the incentive cap is reached, whichever occurs sooner.
COA carefully reviewed the development team and would not greenlight the development until it satisfied itself that the team had the wherewithal to complete this complex project. Aside from JH, the development team includes Studio GWA, an architectural, design and planning firm that has proven its expertise and technical acumen to tackle the before mention and known Hobb’s project; and Brick and Birch Construction (a full-service construction company with historic restoration experience). Together with JH’s financial and entrepreneurial resources, this team possesses the construction, architectural and historic expertise warranted by this prominent development
Impact statement:
The residential units will complement the current landscape of housing stock and fill a proven gap. JH have actively recruited restaurant users that will expand dining choices downtown and help service existing and new residents and visitors. It will help anchor the southern sector of the downtown area and set the stage for new developments as the 100 N Broadway project (DAC), Frantz residential and Aurora National bank building are being redeveloped. Sales and Food and beverage taxes will increase. There will be a positive spillover for the emerging development on Broadway. The Paramount, The Venue and other locales will be able to increase and maintain their audience.
•Approval was given to a Resolution authorizing a redevelopment agreement (RDA) between the City of Aurora Lofts on River LLC (Barrera) for the redevelopment of the property at 251 S River Street, commonly known as the Company 251 building into a 48-unit apartment complex.
City government of Aurora documents show the RDA codifies the commitments from the developer that trigger City incentives that will be repaid to the City as described below.
The city of Aurora has seen substantial development and redevelopment in all corners of the City. This includes the downtown and its various submarkets that encompasses plans now underway for a reimagination /redesign of Broadway, the theater/Stolp District dotted with new restaurants and entertainment, River Street with its historic residential renovations including the Esser Lofts and the Hobbs apartments and restaurants, the land on the west side of the river north of New York being master planned as the Riverfront North neighborhood, the transit-oriented development surrounding the Aurora Transportation Center anchored by the DAC apartments, etc.
This RDA relates to a key property within the burgeoning Warehouse District defined as the area south of Benton to North Avenue. The seeds of the redevelopment of this stretch are visible in the Society 57 coffeehouse/gathering destination, the revitalization of the commercial spaces and coveted waterfront residential units at River Street Plaza, the almost completed apartments at 110 Cross and the Foreign Exchange Brewery.
The developer, Ferando Barrera is an Aurora native with more than 10 years of real estate industry experience. Mr. Barrera’s portfolio of real estate consists of 150 residential units.
The owner of company 251 has decided to sell after renovating two of the four stories as a banquet facility. Despite early success, post COVID changes in the business that include couples looking for less traditional wedding locales together with inefficiencies of using only half the building (the top two floors were never touched and remain in raw condition) prompted the pending sale. The goal is to create a TIF that includes this building as well as the areas immediately adjacent to the property. That will help spur reuse of nearby buildings, many of which are vacant or operating at low capacity.
Consistent with the second wave development that takes advantage of the increased residential rents that in turn have increased values, the proposal is to offer an “upfront TIF” to the developer. Simply put, this means that COA will advance $2,000,000.00 to ( BARRERA) subject to conditions outlined in the RDA and get paid back with a return on this investment by the increased taxes created by redeveloping the 48 units. The current real estate taxes on the property are only $15,000.00. As perspective, 48 units would be the larger than any of the four historic rehabs that have occurred over the last six years (Terminal, Hobbs, Keystone and 80 South River) Facilitating this redevelopment will anchor the southern portion of the district and prompt a filling in of the buildings between. Based on the developer pro forma the revised taxes are projected to be $115,000.00 upon completion and complete lease up and reassessment.
The funding for this development comes from the following sources:
1)Property Acquisition loan – $2,000,000.00
2)Property Acquisition equity – $500,000.00
3)Construction loan – $2,723,000.00
4)Historic Tax Credits – $3,515,000.00
5)Owner Equity for Construction – $3,134,935.00
6)Deferred Developer Fee – $1,076,278.00
7)City TIF Loan – $2,000,000.00
Funds for the City TIF Loan are recommended to be taken from the new City Transformation Fund. As approved in resolution R24-352, which established an amount of $9.0 million for use by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development for the purposes of providing incentives that must be reimbursed to the fund. In the case of this development, the reimbursement source will be the newly created TIF district as outlined herein. A budget amendment will be presented in the future to account for the disbursement from the Transformation Fund.
This development represents the first efforts at redevelopment in the “warehouse” district immediately south of the Downtown. Unlike the first efforts of rehabilitation in the downtown beginning in 2018, this agreement does not include any grants. It is the City’s goal to continue redevelopment projects with no grants, and with lesser and lesser tax incentives as values in various districts continue to improve.
Impact statement:
The approval of this agreement will improve property values in the areas adjacent to the downtown, provide additional residents in immediate proximity to downtown entertainment and restaurant businesses and provide for an anchor in this new district for future economic growth.
No action was needed at the Committee of Whole meeting for a discussion on modification of the mileage reimbursement amount for the aldermen.
*2025 alderperson allowance for mileage:
$500 a year, $42 a month – 59. 5 miles a month, less than 2 miles a day. Federal mileage reimbursement is 70 cents a mile.
*Proposal to increase mileage to $100 a month for each alderman, about 4 1/2 miles per day.
*Resolution back dated to effective date of 1/1/24.
Mayor’s vehicle allowance to be $6,408 a year; $534 a month.
No action was needed at the Committee of Whole meeting for revised Aldermen’s Office Policies.
City government of Aurora documents show the following information was presented for discussion only at 01/21/25 3pm RAP Committee.
All requests from alderpeople for City staff members to attend meetings, events, or more information regarding a specific topic need to go through the chief of staff.
Alderpeople must utilize their ward volunteers for all event preparations, including the picking up of supplies and food.
Alderpeople/alderperson who wish to meet with constituents, organization representatives, etc., at the Aldermen’s Office, shall only meet in one of the three 1st floor conference rooms, from Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm only. The chief of staff must be notified for any exceptions.
No individual or organization shall be allowed to meet or host an event at the Aldermen’s Office without an alderperson present for meeting or event. Any such requests needs Chief of Staff approval.
The Aldermen’s Office Staff members shall not maintain individual alderpeople’s social media accounts. Alderpeople should follow the guidance in the City’s social media policy. In regards to each individual alderperson’s official social media page (i.e., FB), do not delete comments from the page.
Limit of 250 (double sided) copies of event/informational flyer made using office copier.
Alderpeople are limited to their annual office budget for tickets to Events/Golf Tournaments.
Alderpeople shall be expected to use the tickets requested and paid for by the Aldermen’s Office for Events/Golf Tournaments. If sick or unable to attend, ticket can be transferred to constituent. Alderperson shall notify the chief of staff.
Alderpeople are limited to their annual mileage budget for mileage reimbursement. Reimbursement paperwork must be submitted either monthly or quarterly in the same year as the travel expenses occurred.
As budget permits, alderpeople will be eligible for up to 2 shirts or the equivalent per year.
The Aldermen’s Office will not pay dues to area social service groups, NFP, associations, etc.
Alderpeople shall pay for all ward mailings, including postage, utilizing their ward/at-large funds.
As the budget permits, Aldermen’s Office will pay for only one hotel night at IML Lobby Day in Spring field and Fall Chicago Conference–all cancelations must be made by deadline.
Alderpeople who choose to have a newsletter, shall write their ward newsletters. Staff members will provide research and will gather information from other City departments, providing editing support as well as working with print companies on design and mail house for delivery.
Alderpeople participating in public meetings remotely, via Outlook’s Teams App, are required to follow the protocols established with the Communications Department. Alderpeople shall…
Use their iPad, laptop or mobile phone to access Outlook’s Teams App use a CoA themed background;
Join online 15 minutes before start of meeting;
Be seen and heard while voting on items discussed and not eat while participating in public meetings.
No action was needed at the Committee of Whole meeting for a Resolution approving a final plan revision on Lot 3 and 4 of Fox Valley Villages Subdivision, Unit 27A at 4173 Ogden Avenue for additions to the vehicle dealership.
City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner, Valley Honda is requesting approval of a Final Plan Revision for Lot 3 and 4 of the Fox Valley Villages Unit 27A Subdivision which includes adding four new additions to the building.
The proposed additions are for a new car delivery addition, new tunnel car wash, tool room, and addition to the service area.
In 1999, the first final plan was approved per PDFNL99-012. In 2011, a revision to the final plan was approved per PDFNL11-001. The final plan revision was for an addition to the showroom and office.
Concurrently with this proposal, the Petitioner is Requesting approval of a Major Variance to reduce the side yard setback from twenty feet to three foot six inches. The petitioner is requesting the variance because the dealership is adding multiple additions to the building and the addition on the west side of the building would overlap the fire access lane and parking spaces. By allowing the setback to be three foot six inches, the addition would be able to be added while also moving the parking spaces and drive aisle to the west. The addition to the west is to extend the entrance to the service area of the dealership as well as adding additional service bays.
Building and sign elevations as well as a landscape plan were submitted with the final plan. The building elevations show new signs and the new remodeled façade plan. The exterior will be blue and white aluminum composite metal, white EIFS panels, and grey split face C.M.U. The landscape plan shows the 5 trees that were on the east side of the sidewalk, removed and new trees planted on the west side of the sidewalk.
The proposed addition to the west side of the building will add a third entrance door to the service area. The dealership has 41 service bays. As a result of the four proposed additions, 8 existing parking spaces will be removed. Parking is still up to regulations even with this change. 21 service parking spaces will be moved farther west due to the proposed service area addition as described in the major variance request.