HISTORY OF DOWNTOWN AURORA 1908-1940 Sears Roebuck and Company ordered, manufactured, and sold homes across America, many in Aurora. Aurora currently has and past planning efforts 136 authenticated properties, making it one of the largest concentrations of Sears homes in the The Sky Club atop the late 1930s country. Transportation Leland Hotel was a populat dance club and Arts, Culture, & Entertainment famous blues recordings were made here. The Blues on the Fox Festival celebrates Sustainability Aurora’s early blues history. Economic Development Long-range planning 1904 Aurora’s Carnegie library opens on Stolp Island. Photo from the City of Aurora. 1856 The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad 1928 The first vision of Downtown locates its roundhouse and locomotive shop in Aurora. It Aurora’s potential is developed by was the City’s largerst employer until the 1960s. Jacob L. Crane, Jr. and recommends 1887 A February flood destroys the establishing zoning districts for the original McCarty Mill. City. Image courtesy of Larry T. Nix, Library 1834 Joseph McCarty builds History Buff Blog. 1928 The Leland building, at 22 stories a campfire on Stolp Island and 1857 East and West Aurora high, opens as a first-class hotel and decides to invite his brother and jointly incorporate as the City of entertainment center. It was rumored to be a family to join him in settling the Aurora, agreeing to locate most spot used by Al Capone during Prohibition. It land along the Fox River. public buildings on or around is now an apartement building. Stolp Island, in the middle of the river. A post office is established and 1837 1921 The Chicago, the village is named Aurora, after the 1881 The City becomes one Burlington, and Quincy goddess of the dawn. of the first cities to use electric Rail company begins 1934 The boxcar lighting, and earns the nickname The eight-story Aurora 1917 hiring Mexican workers community in Eola is “City of Lights.” Hotel opens on Stolp Island and after a 1921 law closed because many is the tallest building on the island. restricted immigration workers were deported It was saved from demolition and from Europe. The back to Mexico during renovated in 1996 and now houses 1881 Aurora Public Library is workers lived in the Great Depression. 1854 West Aurora becomes established through City Ordinance. senior citizens. an incorporated village. boxcars in Eola, Photo from the Aurora Regional Fire Museum. an unincorporated community adjacent to 1894 The Aurora Fire Department’s Aurora. 1930 North Broadway Hose House and Police 1940 The Aurora 1850 Patrol building opened. Branch Railroad opened on 1950 September 2, 1850. 1910 1920 (no population data available) 1924 Old Second Bank was designed by George Elmsie. 1864 The Chicago, 1878 The Grand Army of It was added to the National Burlington, and Quincy the Republic (GAR) Memorial 1900 Register of Historic Places in Railroad constructs a Hall was completed. The 1845 East Aurora 1979 and a later addition aimed railroad line connecting memorial for Civil War veterans becomes an incorporated late 1910s Cars were first sold to match the original style. Aurora to Chicago. fought for veteran’s benefits 1890 village. and serviced on LaSalle Street in locally and nationally. 1907. Between 1912 and 1921, LaSalle Street saw an increase in auto-related 1880 businesses from three to fifteen. early 1800s The 1931 The Paramount area now known as 1870 Theatre opens as the first air- downtown Aurora is a 1860 conditioned building outside Native American village. About this timeline. The line across this timeline corresponds to population estimates for downtown Aurora. Census data, available from 1960 to of Chicago. 1850 2010 was used, with earlier years following trends in the City as a whole. Prior to 1960, there is no population data available for the downtown area. DOWNTOWN AURORA EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT Visit http://bit.ly/AuroraTimeline for a digital version of this document. 1993 The Aurora Downtown 2011 The Redevelopment Corporation (ADRC) Broadway Series debuts begins a strategic planning process 2011 to look at strengths, weaknesses and at Paramount Greyhound Theatre. 1975 Westfield Fox Valley Shopping opportunities for downtown on the discontinues bus Mall opens in eastern Aurora. heels of Hollywood Casino’s opening. service. Photo from the Library of Congress. 1993 The Hollywood Casino opens, 1993 The FoxWalk 2014 bringing a surge in tax revenues for 2011 Waubonsee Community College moves into Overlay District The Meyer downtown redevelopment projects, a larger, new campus on the West bank of the Fox and Design Review Ballroom, with which peaked at $16.2 million in 2002, River, and helps the City to develop the riverfront seating for Committee established. walkway. declining in later years with only $8.9 2006 Aurora listed as over 300, gets million in 2013, and approximately $7 one of 100 Best Places to a renovation, million in 2014. and returns to 2005 The Seize the Future Live in Money Magazine. the hands of Development Foundation was formed, 1974 The Roundhouse and 1990 SciTech 1996 The Paramount. Hands on Museum Roundhouse re-opens which resulted in the creation of the shops close. The structure remains 2008 Ballydoyle’s relocates from with a brewpub, STF Downtown Master Plan in 2006. abandoned for 21 years. 1978 Riverfront Playhouse is Pub opens on New Naperville to Aurora. restaurant, museum founded. Since its creation, the York St. & the river. nonprofit storefront theatre company and pavilion by Walter 2003 The 1st Midwest has produced over 200 shows in Payton’s investment Literary Festival is held in group. downtown. 1970 Burlington downtown Aurora. 1989 Riverwalk 2008 Commission created. Northern begins 1996 The restored David Aurora operating commuter rail L Pierce Art & History Center hosts 1978 Paramount service on the railroad 1985 opens. GreenTown Theatre reopens after 2013 Parking Management Policies 1968 Dr. Charles Smith line from Aurora to Amtrak trains conference. a major restoration. 1996 The 1st Blues on begins creating a sculptural Chicago. stop servicing 14 the Fox festival is held. landscape in his yard. The site Aurora. was known as the African- 2009 Sustainability Plan American Heritage Museum and 2000 Members of the Aurora 1979 Aurora City 12 Black Veteran’s Archive. Council of Neighborhoods and 2006 Historic Districts & Landmarks Guide Council establishes 2006 Aurora Riverfront Vision Plan 13 2010 the City initiate a neighborhood 11 the Preservation Population: 49,400 planning approach to develop 7 10 Commission to local neighborhood plans. preserve properties that 8 reflect the City’s rich 9 2015 Santori history. Library opens on River Street. 1974 Preliminary Development Program 1970 2 1963 Plans for Progress Population: 44,000 1 1993: Aurora ‘98 Strategic Plan 6 2000 1980 Population: 41,800 2008 Walker Parking Study 1987 Report on Current Development Opportunities 5 While the City of Aurora’s population Population: 37,400 1984 Strategic Plan for Downtown Aurora 2015 The city’s 4 2009 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan continued to rise, the downtown census 3 2000 Seize the Future, the five-year public/ first protected 1960 2007 RiverEdge Park Master Plan 1990 private campaign for economic growth is 1950 Population: 39,100 tracts saw a decline in population in the Population: 38,700 bike lane opens 1970s. With the closing of the railroad 1993 Quad launched by the Aurora Economic Development 2012 Aurora on River Street, The City’s Latino population Commission (AEDC) and the Greater Aurora holds first solar- connecting two 1965 The shops, many other factories and industrial County African 2006 Seize the Future Master Plan Chamber of Commerce Foundation. powered concert major regional trail Aurora Civic areas relocated or went out of business. begins to grow in the 1980s 1986 The 1st American Chamber in Illinois. segments. Center Authority and continues to grow faster downtown TIF of Commerce and the Aurora than all other demographic and SSA districts formed. 2012 Construction begins on RiverEdge Park, an idea that emerged from the Seize the Future Redevelopment 1966 Aurora Municipal Airport groups combined. are established. Commission opens 8 miles west of downtown as Master Plan to reconnect the neighborhoods and (ACCA/ARC) a reliever for O’Hare and Midway 1986 Waubonsee Community create an outdoor gathering space. 2012 First CMAP were established. airports. 1982 Carson Pirie Scott, the College opens a new downtown Fridays (art, 2015 last major department store in campus in the former Carson Pirie music, dance) is awards $8.6 downtown Aurora, closes. Scott department store. started by the million through Aurora Downtown CMAQ to organization. improve access 1985 Aurora Public Art to Metra train Commission is established. 1983 Pace Bus service starts. 1997 ULI “Getting to the Next Level” Development Review station..