advertisement

Batavia mayor: Grocery stores, possible restaurant considering downtown

Batavia is going to spend $7,500 to get some demographic information about the town, especially the people who live close to its downtown.

It will do so on behalf, at least initially, of several entities that have expressed interest in doing business in the downtown.

The study won't be segment-specific, as economic development consultant Chris Aiston had first proposed in April. Back then, he suggested collecting information specific to whether a particular grocery store should open in the downtown.

Aldermen, meeting as a committee Tuesday, gave Aiston approval to buy the study. Their approval wasn't needed, because the amount is covered by the budget the city has set aside for Aiston's work.

Mayor Jeff Schielke said three grocery stores — including Berkeley Finer Foods, which has been in Batavia since 2009 — want to see the information, as does a potential restaurant owner.

The restaurant owner, Schielke said, needs to present the information to bank loan officers, and believes it will have more positive results if it comes from a government agency. Schielke also said the unnamed man said the bank particularly wanted to know how many people in the Millennial and Gen X age groups lived near downtown.

Several names of potential grocers were batted around at Tuesday's meeting, including that of the Blue Goose Supermarket. Blue Goose has one store, in St. Charles. The potential Green Tomato Grocery cooperative was also mentioned.

Aiston said the study information could be posted on the city's website, so that it could be easily accessed by other potential businesses.

Grocery for downtown Batavia?

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.