Aurora to Unveil New Downtown Master Plan Thursday, June 16
If you’re working on a Mac laptop, ,old down the CONTROL button and click on the image to see a larger version of the graphic. Or click on this link for the PDF.
There was a time — not all that far in the past for those of us who’ve lived in Kane County for a generation — when Aurora’s downtown was a destination.
People flocked there to shop at the multi-level department store, stay in the Leland Tower, experience the sights and sounds of a sophisticated island city just 35 miles west of downtown Chicago.
City officials have done much in recent years to re-establish that downtown vibrancy — the Waubonsee Community College downtown campus, the fantastic success of the Paramount Theatre, the moving of the library and incentives for tech businesses, infrastructure investment, the outdoor events at venues like Millennium Plaza and RiverEdge Park — but progress hasn’t stopped by any stretch of the imagination.
Back in January, residents were invited to help shape the future of the downtown area in a series of planning sessions. Tomorrow (Thursday, June 16, 2016), the city of Aurora, in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), will host a public open house to unveil the findings of its downtown master plan.
Residents, business owners and other interested key stakeholders are invited to attend between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Waubonsee Community College, 18 S. River Street.
During the open house, the initial plan recommendations and key findings will be available for public review and comment. Using a traditional open house format, the event will allow attendees to learn more about these initial recommendations and provide input at their own pace at any time during the three hour window. Representatives from the city of Aurora and CMAP will be available to gather feedback, answer questions and provide clarification.
The Downtown Aurora Master Plan will update, complement and enhance the 2005 Seize the Future Master Plan that was formulated to strengthen downtown Aurora’s vitality and create a more livable and walkable downtown.
Additional information about the planning process and a PFD copy of the draft Existing Conditions Report can be obtained at http://cmap.is/lta-aurora.
Some of the Findings
Aurora’s downtown plan will focus on three goals: creating a walkable downtown, exploiting the Fox River’s scenic beauty and preserving and enhancing its environment and strongly encouraging downtown residential development.
Here’s some of the executive summary:
A review of the various transportation options available in downtown Aurora highlights many recent improvements including new pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure, as well as two-way street conversions.
Existing opportunities to creating a more walkable downtown area and improving safety for all modes include addressing jurisdictional hurdles, push-button wait signals, and infrastructure built around the personal automobile. Gateways into downtown lack distinction and due to traffic speed and narrow sidewalks, some thoroughfares are not comfortable to walk along.
The Fox River is the heart of the downtown study area, and the city has proven its interest in improving the river’s visibility and quality with a number of green infrastructure projects and open space development. The river provides recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and some of the drinking water for Aurora residents and other users.
While Aurora’s drinking water is of good quality, the river itself suffers from impaired water quality, attributed to man-made dams, urban runoff, combined sewer overflows, and point source discharges, which can increase the cost of purifying the water before it is distributed to residents. Increasing the recreational use of the river and enhancing overall enjoyment for residents and visitors is a high priority for many, as evidenced by the recently completed River Edge Park development.
Finally, downtown has an older and smaller housing stock with many studio and one-bedroom apartments. Although building codes have been modified recently to help facilitate redevelopment, there is a perception that some codes and requirements, such as having retail on the first floor, may still be obstacles. The City has many buildings of architectural significance, and passionate groups dedicated to protecting them.
High-level arts, such as the Broadway Series at the Paramount Theatre, have been a great success in Aurora, attracting thousands of visitors to the area on a regular basis. Numerous museums and institutions offer culture, classes, and valuable programs that are often underutilized by the community.
About the City of Aurora
Located 35 miles west of Chicago, Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois with a population of 200,456. Aurora is known as the “City of Lights” because it was one of the first in the nation to illuminate its streets with electric lights. Situated along the Fox River and the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88), the city extends 46 square miles encompassing Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will counties. Aurora also is home to six public school districts and seven townships. For the latest news, access to an archive of past news releases or to follow the city on Facebook or Twitter, visit the city’s website at
