If Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting in Aurora is any indication, mayor Richard Irvin’s State of the City address March 5 at Aurora University will be laden with news of many new developments.
Aurora aldermen sent several downtown redevelopment agreements to the February 26 City Council consent agenda. Under consideration will be the redevelopment of The Terminal Building, 2 N. Broadway and the Keystone Building, 30 S. Stolp. On next week’s agenda will be the sale of the Vargas Building, 43 E. Galena Boulevard.
Urban Equity Properties’ plan is to renovate the upper floors of the Terminal Building into apartments and the ground floor into a restaurant. The building, formerly the Broadway Diner, has stood vacant for many years. The developer recently purchased the property.
The same firm is taking on redevelopment of the historic Keystone Building that is under contract by the developer. Six retail spots on the ground floor would remain, but the rest of the building would be redeveloped into 30 apartments.
The agreements between the city government and the Rockford developer include a number of city incentives. The redevelopment of the Terminal Building, a $6.5 Million project, will see about $1.88 Million in incentives, including a $1.2 Million bridge loan from the city government.
The city government would supply about $3.2 Million in incentives for redevelopment of the Keystone Building, approximately an $11 Million project. Approximately $1.7 Million of the incentives would be a bridge loan, according to David Dibo, Aurora’s Economic Development director.
Sent to City Council is a purchase and development agreement with Mora Holdings, LLC for the Vargas Building, former home of Culture Stock bookstore. If approved, the company will purchase the building from the city government for $1, with the stipulation that they spend “the necessary funds” to renovate the building. The Company is looking at adding restaurants on the upper and lower floors of the building. City staff members and Mora representatives are discussing floodway determination and elevation to ensure flood-proofing in the lower level, which wil have an impact the usability of the space.
If all goes as planned, Mora will offer Asian Fusion menu items, American food, and Italian tapas, in three restaurants, according to marketing representative Janet Alikpala. Mora restaurants are in Plainfield, Bolingbrook, and Oak Park.
Aldermen voted to send a redevelopment agreement with Aurora Town Center Associates, LLC to the next City Council meeting. The developer, a subsidiary of Cedarwood Development, Inc. of Akron, Ohio, is planning an assisted living facility adjacent to the intersection of Ogden Avenue and 75th Street on the Aurora’s far East Side. A second phase of the project will offer independent senior living.
Plans are for an 87-bed assisted living facility and a 144-unit independent living complex.
According to city government information, the Cedarwood development could bring the creation of almost 600 construction jobs and 130 permanent jobs to Aurora. The $29 Million development would provide for the extension of Commons Drive that would open up traffic to the south and take traffic burden from State Route 59.
In another matter, the Council discussed an upcoming grant submittal to the State of Illinois to improve accessibility for disabled patrons attending events at RiverEdge Park.
The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development will seek a $50,000 matching grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. If the grant is received, the city will pay its share of $51,000. Grant funds would create more parking for handicapped concert-goers and provide ADA-accessible golf carts for transportation to the venue. There will be improvements made to the main entrance and exit (Gate 2), and the purchase of ADA companion seats and racks.
Moving to the next Council meeting will be a resolution to approve the attachment of City of Aurora fiber to two ComEd poles at Cross and River Streets to allow OnLight Aurora to extend fiber optic cable to the River Street Plaza commercial properties. The ComEd Master Service Agreement requires City Council approval prior to attaching City of Aurora fiber to ComEd poles. The move is designed to allow further development and reuse of vacant and occupied commercial spaces in River Street Plaza.
• In an emotional end to the meeting, mayor Irvin and aldermen expressed their horror at the mass shooting Friday at the Henry Pratt Company, but their recognition of how the event has brought the community together and will make the city stronger.
Irvin gave kudos to the first responders, including firefighters who went into the situation without bullet-proof vests. The city government is talking about providing vests to firefighters, he said.
“Hats off to you, mayor, for being prepared and having the strength to endure it all,” Seventh Ward alderman Scheketa Hart-Burns said.
Third Ward Alderman Ted Mesiacos thanked deputy mayor Chuck Nelson for manning the phones and keeping aldermen informed while events unfolded.
Fifth Ward alderman Carl Franco said that “leadership emerges in these situations,” and applauded both mayor Irvin and Police Chief Kristen Ziman for stepping into their leadership roles Friday.
“You never want a terrible event to highlight your community,” said alderman-at-large Bob O’Connor. “But a horrendous event happened and now the world sees who we are. We showed the world we are a great community with great people working for us.”