Nonprofits may have a new home in Aurora community center

Rebuilding Together-Aurora, Triple Threat Mentoring and the Aurora YWCA all serve children and families in the city and Aurora Township.

And under a lease Aurora aldermen recommended for approval Tuesday, those organizations and three others all will have their home bases at the Fred Rodgers Community Center, 501 College Ave.

"It's a community center where all facets of the community come in and meet there on a monthly basis," Alderman Scheketa Hart-Burns said.

The city pays about $280,000 a year to maintain the 42,000-square-foot building, which used to be occupied by city staff, said Dan Barreiro, director of community services.

Under the lease, the community organizations, which also include the Robert Crown Health Center, Communities in Schools and the Elssy Fabela Foundation, would pay $1 a year in rent, with the city effectively subsidizing the cost of renting office and program space.

"Trying to make a profit on not-for-profit youth programs that help us provide those programs cheaper than we used to is not a goal," Mayor Tom Weisner said.

However, each organization will be responsible for paying its share of the building's maintenance costs, at a 2010 rate of $6.36 a square foot and a 2011 rate of $7.25 a square foot.

"These organizations are helping to pay for the community center to stay in the community," Alderman Stephanie Kifowit said.

Rebuilding Together-Aurora will be renting 680 square feet of office space on the first floor of the community center, Executive Director Emily Stern said.

"We needed a handicapped accessible building in Aurora," Stern said. "This is a great way to partner with the city."

Barreiro said 70 percent of the community center's space will be leased, while the remaining space - including the gymnasium and conference room - will be available for other community groups to use for a few hours or a day.

Although the community organizations will not be paying market value rent under the lease, Alderman Rick Lawrence said he wanted more information about the amount the building could generate in rent.

The city council is scheduled to vote on a resolution authorizing the lease on Sept. 28.