Aurora's Music Garden ready to go

The design is complete and bid packages are ready to go out for Aurora's first phase of its RiverEdge Park project.

Planning Director Stephane Phifer said other city projects have received favorable bids and she's hoping for the same with the four bid packages set for the Music Garden, the first phase of the project being developed along the Fox River in downtown Aurora.

The park originally was scheduled to open this year and host such events as the summer Downtown Alive concert series, but current estimates have set those plans back until at least late 2011 or 2012.

"Everything regarding the timeline is a great unknown because of the economic slowdown, but this is the time to bid projects like this, so we're optimistic," Phifer said. "I'm still hopeful to have an event, any event, on the site in 2011 just to be able to say we're open and be able to welcome the public in."

Special Events Manager Gina Moga said the design completion is a reason for optimism about downtown Aurora.

"We'd like to eventually put everything from our Farmers' Market to Fiesta de Luces to Blues on the Fox in the music garden, but right now I'm in a holding pattern as far a booking anything," she said. "But the update keeps me extremely optimistic that as soon as we can get this park open it will become the economic driver for the downtown. I truly believe that once built it will create an economic stimulus in that area."

An agreement between the Fox Valley Park District and city last year combined property to create the nearly 10-acre riverfront Music Garden as well as a commitment of up to $3 million toward construction of the approximately $12 million park.

RiverEdge Park has been a public-private partnership since the idea was conceived in 2006. Plans were refined further in the 2007 RiverEdge Park Master Plan and the 2009 design and engineering plan for the Music Garden.

Engineers said the first bid package includes grading, constructing a new bike path with decorative lighting and a lot of grass. The second bid package includes Blues Island and shoreline restoration, which is required to be finished before starting any work in the park. The third set of bids would add sidewalks, decorative paving, underground utility connections for future buildings. The final group covers construction of the performance pavilion and the guest services building.