By Jason Crane
The Aurora City Council is considering providing funds for improvements to the Stolp Island Parking Deck to enhance the experience for visitors of a new theater in the first floor space of the parking deck, which is set to open in July.
The funding likely will be approved at the full City Council meeting, Tuesday, June 11.
The agenda at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, Tuesday, June 4 presented a Resolution authorizing the director of the Purchasing Department to execute various contracts and make additional purchases related to improvements to the Stolp Island Parking Deck.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to award contracts to Graybar, to furnish lighting for the parking deck, to Aurora Sign to fabricate and install signage on the deck, and to F.H. Paschen for painting and the application of new window tinting.
The City has been working with the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA) for the creation of the new theater in the first floor space of the parking deck, which will open in July.
At this time, there are a few issues that need to be addressed before the opening. Due to the location of the entrance to the theater, new signage is required to make it easier for patrons to determine where they need to go for the show; this will include the construction of graphics in the windows and banners adjacent to the new marquee. The existing exterior lighting needs to be replaced because it is aged and replacement parts are no longer available. In addition, the lighting will be upgraded to have color changing capability to change via any themes in the downtown and/or complement any show at the theater. Some minor painting is required this year. The existing window tinting is not consistent, and some areas are peeling.
Regarding the selection of Aurora Sign for the wayfinding signage, this company was previously hired by ACCA to design, fabricate, and install the marquee sign above the theater entrance. The process was started by ACCA quite some time ago and the installation is set to commence in the coming weeks.
When the additional wayfinding signage and decorative elements were identified, the City worked with Aurora Sign to come up with various concepts that would complement the theater marquee.
City government of Aurora documents state that consistency in the vendors for the wayfinding signage and the marquee is critical. They will need to be of the same materials and colors, otherwise the aesthetics will not be correct. F.H. Paschen manages the City’s JOC and was asked to find contractors able to complete the painting and tinting.
The City allocated funding for this project in the 2024 budget for a total of $638,000.
The contracts will be awarded to Graybar in the amount of $70,000 (quote is $58,210.03, including an allowance in case additional parts are required) and to Aurora Sign for $270,000 (quote is $255,145.40, with a contingency amount to account for any issues that arise during the installation).
The contract with F.H. Paschen for tinting and painting will be for $160,000, including the proposed amount of $147,983.71 and then an additional contingency. There will be miscellaneous smaller purchases that will need to be made, such as conduit, wiring, installation hardware for the lighting, etc. It is anticipated that these smaller purchases will be completed following procurement procedures, however City staff members are seeking approval to be able to make these purchases as needed and seeking approval of additional funding of $50,000. The largest amount of this expense will be wiring and conduit. The total amount associated with this project is $550,000 which is within the $638,000 budget.
The City Council gave consent to the following agenda items likely to be placed on the Tuesday, June 11 full City Council agenda:
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of Mayte Acosta, Lincoln Majersky, and Harshitha Chanda, to the Aurora Youth Council.
The nomination brought forth represents one new candidate.
Mayte Acosta is a resident of the Fifth Ward and a junior at Aurora Central Catholic High School.
Lincoln Majersky is a resident of the Fifth Ward and a student at West Aurora High School.
Harshitha Chanda is a resident of the Ninth Ward and a student at Oswego East High School.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving appointment of Gerald Paulson to the Aurora Veteran’s Advisory Council (AVAC).
The nomination represents one new candidate. Gerald Paulson is a resident of the Fourth Ward.
If approved, two vacancies remain open on the Council.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of Jean Hess, Emily Hinton, and Gabriela Gaytan to the City’s Advisory Commission for Disabilities.
The nomination represents three new candidates.
Jean Hess is a resident of the Third Ward.
Emily Hinton is a resident of the First Ward.
Gabriela Gaytan is a non-resident and the parent educator at Family Focus.