Aurora BOREALIS SUMMER 2013 Mayor Thomas J. Weisner RIVEREDGE PARK OPENS JUNE 14! PAGE 3 INSIDE THIS EDITION PAGE 4: MAYOR’S DESK: PAGE 7: CRIME REDUCTION Aurora offers fun for the entire family draws international attention PAGE 5: PARKING METERS PAGE 16: FOURTH OF JULY are a part of downtown’s past fireworks & festivities return to downtown Jose Varela, Jr. JUNE 14 DR JOHN with JJ GREY & MOFRO JUNE 15 BUDDY GUY with THE STONE FOXES, TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS, and ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND DOWNTOWN ALIVE CONCERT SERIES GET THE LED OUT: AMERICAN ENGLISH & 97NINE FULL MOON FEVER: JUNE 28 TOM PETTY TRIBUTE THE AMERICAN LED ZEPPELIN AUGUST 23 AUGUST 28 630.896.6666 or RIVEREDGEAURORA.COM 3 The wait is over! A SUMMER OF FUN RiverEdge Park opens June 14 AT RIVEREDGE PARK! vision that began six years ago to highlight the Fox In addition to the Blues on the Fox Weekend River as downtown’s major catalyst for attracting and the Downtown Alive series throughout the A residents, businesses, and development, is coming summer, RiverEdge Park will also feature: into clearer focus with the opening of the RiverEdge Park Music Garden and John C. Dunham Pavilion. AMPED UP ADVENTURE RACE! “The opening of RiverEdge Park’s Music Garden ushers in June 16 a new and exciting era of culture, music and celebration for Aurora that will be enjoyed by families across the entire Chicago region,” said Mayor Tom Weisner. “This world- class facility is destined to become a source of community pride, and will serve as an economic catalyst for the future growth of downtown Aurora for years to come.” Inspired by outdoor entertainment facilities like Chicago’s COLOR VIBE 5K RACE! Millennium Park and Northerly Island, and Milwaukee’s July 6 Summerfest, the RiverEdge Park Music Garden debuts over Father’s Day weekend with the 17th annual Blues on the Fox festival. Throughout the summer, it will stage major concerts, regional acts, and the City’s best musical PUERTO RICAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL! talent including the Downtown Alive! concert series and July 27 & 28 Independence Day festivities and fireworks. RiverEdge Park boasts state-of-the-art acoustics, flexible seating allowing for up to 2,500 seats in front of the stage, general admission for 6,000-8,000 people, plus a rooftop deck that can host 300 VIPs. DISNEY’S BRIDGIT MENDLER! The City has partnered with the Aurora Civic Center August 28 Authority (ACCA), which manages the historic Paramount Theatre, to oversee the daily operations and programming schedule of the Music Garden. During the past two years, ACCA has been responsible for Downtown Alive! and looks to build on its success at this exciting new venue. The City used the park project to revitalize former industrial JOAN SEBASTIAN & property and cleanup the banks of the Fox River. Aurora RAMON AYALA! secured $15 million in grant money to use toward the venture, including $8 million from the Illinois Department Sept. 13 of Commerce and Economic Opportunity – River Edge Revitalization Zone program, $3 million from the Fox Valley Park District and $2 million from the Dunham Fund. FIESTAS PATRIAS An additional $2 million grant from the Kane County Forest Preserve District will be earmarked toward the future AURORA! pedestrian bridge that will cross the Fox River. Sept. 14 & 15 For more information, and a complete list of scheduled events, visit the park’s website at www.riveredgeaurora. com. … AND SO MUCH MORE! www.riveredgeaurora.com City of Aurora Summer 2013 Customer Service, 630-256-INFO City of Aurora www.aurora-il.org 3 Aurora is ready for prime time! From the Mayor’s Desk The Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual State of the City Address Aurora offers more family fun than ever on March 21. Before a capacity crowd of over 400 elected officials, business and civic leaders, Mayor Tom Weisner reviewed the Dear neighbor, accomplishments of 2012 and previewed It’s shaping up to be the most exciting of the arts and entertainment expansion in some of the exciting initiatives for 2013. summer Aurora has ever seen, with the our downtown. Gorman and Company, a With the theme “Ready for Primetime”, opening of a new, outdoor entertainment nationally renowned urban redeveloper, some of highlights of the State of the City venue and a jam-packed schedule of has a contract to purchase the two Address included: family events in our beautiful downtown, historic buildings that, until recently, • Zero homicides in 2012 and violent and elsewhere throughout our city. served as Waubonsee Community crime rates that have decreased 40% College’s downtown campus. Gorman in the last 5 years – and 9% in 2012 The Celebration of Summer begins hopes to convert these buildings into alone! with the opening of Aurora’s newest Artists Live-Work Lofts, a concept they riverfront attraction, RiverEdge Park. have succeeded at, elsewhere. And a • $126 million dollars invested by Aurora This permanent music venue is located Batavia-based developer is seeking a re- businesses and 800 new jobs brought on Rt.25 with the convenient Metra Train development deal with the City of Aurora into the city! Station (ATC) just across the street and to transform the former Elks Building the meandering Fox River bordering its • The $3.8 million dollars in TIF assistance (Benton St. and Stolp Ave.), a beautiful west side. Popular Blues on the Fox will approved by the City Council that and unique structure built in the 1920s christen the park on Friday, June 14 and brought another $27 million in private in Mayan Revival architectural style. Saturday, June 15, presenting the likes of investment and will generate nearly The developer envisions multiple arts Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Robert Randolph 300 more jobs! and entertainment uses for the building. and the Family Band, and others. And look for Aliano’s Ristorante for • The $8 million in property tax revenue Classic Rockers (Peter Frampton), fine Italian dining on New York Street’s generated in 2012 by TIF #2 (Chicago Country Singers (Loretta Lynn and Restaurant Row in late 2013 or early Premium Outlet Mall) that was only Randy Travis); Classical Artists (Fox 2014. generating $25,000 annually in 1989- a Valley Orchestra); Broadway (Idina 32,000% increase! New Downtown Library Menzel); Tribute Bands -- Full Moon In another boon for the arts in the • The $1 million Gigabit Challenge Grant Fever (Tom Petty), Get the Led Out (Led downtown, a new Aurora Public that Governor Pat Quinn presented Zeppelin); and Mexican super-celebs, Library is now under construction at the during his visit to Aurora that will help Joan Sabastian and Ramon Ayala, will be corner of River and Benton Streets. The provide schools, libraries, and among the Stars who grace the high-tech library, made possible by a $10.8 million healthcare facilities connectivity to stage throughout the summer and into grant from the office of Jesse White, City’s fiber optic network! September. The construction costs of the Illinois’ Secretary of State and Chief park have already been covered by grants • The $10.8 million dollar Library Librarian, will be largely technology- from The Dunham Fund, State of Illinois, Construction Grant that Illinois Secretary driven and will be accessible on-line from and Fox Valley Park District. of State Jesse White presented during Aurora schools and homes. his visit to Aurora for the construction Our top-notch, annual 4th of July I hope you and yours can participate in all of the new Aurora Public Library! Fireworks celebration will return to the the family-friendly activities that Aurora downtown riverfront, this year, for the • The $15 million in construction costs has to offer this summer. After all, we’re first time in a decade. There will be three covered by the State of Illinois, the Fox doing it all for you! main viewing areas: the new RiverEdge Valley Park District, the Dunham Fund, Park, McCollough Park, and Wilder Best Wishes, and the Kane County Forest Preserve Park. (See the back page for details.) that will allow for the Grand Opening of Aurora’s RiverEdge Park! Arts and Entertainment Growing in These are just the tip of the iceberg of what Aurora’s Downtown has happened and what is to come. Watch The huge success of the Paramount the 2013 State of the City Address by visiting Theater and the June opening of Mayor Tom Weisner the City’s website at www.aurora-il.org and RiverEdge Park may be just the beginning clicking on the ‘Mayor’s Office’ tab. 4 City of Aurora Summer 2013 Customer Service, 630-256-INFO City of Aurora www.aurora-il.org Parking Meters now part of downtown Aurora’s history Of all the recent exciting additions to downtown including RiverEdge Know Your Color! Park, the new Downer Place bridges and many others, residents and business owners are just as thrilled about something taken out of downtown--- parking meters. Color On-Street Parking Lot Gone are the hundreds of meters that have been in existence since Category Time Limit Time Limit 1948. They’ve been replaced by a color coded system for on-street and surface lot parking that carry different time limits where visitors Platinum 90 Minutes NA and residents can park their vehicles at no charge (see graphic on right). The new parking plan is designed to assure more equitable parking opportunities for businesses and patrons and allows them Gold 2 Hours 2 Hours to choose their most convenient option depending on the time they spend downtown. On-Street parking is enforced from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday Silver 2 Hours 3 Hours and 8 a.m.