By Ricky Rieckert
As we enter the New Year, I hope everyone had a great time with family and friends, over the holidays.
I had some feedback on Fox Street (now E. Downer Place) from some friends.
First off, directly across from the present City Hall, is the building that ran from Water Street to the Fox River, with the bridge on Fox Street, by what I call the east branch.
Most of the downtown area is built on an island.
My friend Tom, told me that the store, next to the River was called, the Arnesen and Michael Show Store, co-owned by his grandfather, Clyde Michael until approximately 1950, when it closed and he retired.
Also, on Fox Street, was the original Fox Theater, west of the east branch bridge, and just past the river walk towards Main Street.
I had mentioned this building in a previous issue.
The Fox Theater was briefly known as the Coliseum Theatre when it opened up in 1910. It could hold 1,160 persons.
It was named for not the theater chain, but rather for the former name of the street it sat on, Fox Street, which, in turn was named for the Fox River, which the City of Aurora sits on.
The building’s facade is of red brick and ornate cream-colored terra-cotta, including a medallion over the large arch window depicting a fox.
The Fox Theater closed in 1930 and partially razed.
It has since been used as retail and office space, though it has been vacant for many years.
Just recently, a group called Aurora Downtown acquired the former theater, with plans to redevelop it, either for cultural purposes or for a mixed retail/loft use.
The group has pledged to retain the facade, which is the building’s best-remaining feature.
The Fox Theater is different from another Fox Theater in Aurora, not far away on Main Street, (Galena Boulevard), which was originally called the New Fox Theatre, between Water Street and the Broadway Restaurant on Broadway on the Northside of Main Street.
It was a 600-seat Art Deco House, open from 1937 to the late-1970s.
The New Fox Theatre was built on the site of the old Aurora City Mills. It was closed in 1951, but later reopened and continued until the late 1970s.
I have more Fox news for next week.
Hope you enjoy.