Former Batavia alderman Hanson recalled for efforts to improve growing city
Batavian Jim Hanson is being recalled for shepherding Batavia through a growth spurt in the 1960s that saw the redevelopment of the downtown, the construction of a new high school on the town's western outskirts, and the construction of Fermilab on its eastern end.
But one of the things he was most proud of, according to a 2013 interview, was getting the city to adopt a fair housing law in 1968 that applied to single-family homes, several years before federal law required such anti-discrimination rules.
Hanson, 79, died June 4.
"This guy really did have a significant impact of a positive nature on Batavia," Mayor Jeff Schielke said.
Hanson was born in Batavia. He spent a few years in Florida at the start of his career but moved back to stay in 1955.
Hanson was named the Batavia Citizen of the Year in 2013. He is going to be inducted in the inaugural class of the Batavia school district's Hall of Honor in September.
He was an alderman from 1961 to 1977. He also served as chairman of the planning, zoning and annexation committee.
Hanson was a teacher at a junior high in West Aurora District 129. He later served four terms as Kane County regional school superintendent.
He also was on the board of directors of the Batavia Historical Society and volunteered at Calvary Episcopal Church, the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, Retired Seniors Volunteer Project and the Golden Diners meal delivery program.
During Hanson's tenure on the city council, downtown Batavia went through significant change. A man-made channel of the Fox River was filled in, and a former windmill factory torn down to make way for the Batavia Plaza shopping center, anchored by a Jewel Food Store. A hardware store, a bank, a McDonald's and another shopping center were also built in that block.
He also worked on establishing city boundaries along Kirk Road when the federal government was building the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; pushed for development of the northeast side industrial parks; and was part of the effort to site a new high school on an extension of West Wilson Street, according to Schielke.
Hanson was also part of the city council that decided to buy Depot Pond and the factory next to it. One of the factory buildings served as city hall for a while, until it was razed. The pond and some of the land were turned over to the Batavia Park District for the Depot Museum and the Batavia Riverwalk, and another factory building became the Batavia Government Center.
"He was very instrumental truly and had a lot of impact on Batavia," Schielke said.
Funeral service information has not been released.