'Restaurant Row' gaining steam in downtown Aurora
Walk or drive west across the Fox River on New York Street in downtown Aurora and it will be easy to have food on the mind.
Irish food, pub grub, upscale American fare and Southern barbecue already are available on what's becoming a “Restaurant Row” in the city, and pizza is soon to come.
“When people want to go out to dinner, they'll know they can go to downtown Aurora and have choices,” said Amaury Rosado, owner of Chef Amaury's, an upscale contemporary American restaurant at 33 W. New York St. “I'm ecstatic.”
The Restaurant Row began taking shape in February 2009 when Ballydoyle Irish Pub opened at 28 and 42 New York St. Its growth continues as a group of investors purchased four buildings for development of two new restaurants, expansion of a third and an outdoor plaza.
“(Restaurant Row is) something we decided would be a good focal point for trying to bring development to downtown,” said David Dorgan, development consultant for Seize The Future, a long-term plan started in 2000 to revitalize downtown Aurora.
The city has promised $1.25 million in special tax district funding to Steve Arwady and a group of investors who purchased the properties along the north side of New York Street as long as the investors secure a well-known “name restaurant” as a tenant.
The Billy Goat Tavern, which is projected to open in March on the river level at 29, 31 and 33 New York St., qualifies as such a “name restaurant,” Dorgan said.
“We're doing more than just The Billy Goat,” Arwady said. “We're doing more than just developing the buildings themselves.”
Developers also are changing the outdoor environment near Restaurant Row. With the help of Seize the Future, Arwady struck a deal with the city allowing construction of 50-person outdoor seating areas for two existing restaurants, The Comfort Zone BBQ Restaurant at 37 W. New York St. and Chef Amaury's at 33 W. New York St., as well as a new eatery, Luigi's Pizza, at 29 W. New York St.
“They are definitely putting more of an emphasis on outdoor dining,” Mayor Tom Weisner said.
And behind the outdoor eating patios, the east end of Pinney Street will be transformed into a plaza instead of parking spaces, Dorgan said.
“Taking out the 20 or so spaces on Pinney Street will not be an issue,” Dorgan said. “It will enhance the project.”
Restaurant Row also aims to be an entertainment spot. Ballydoyle already has a stage for live entertainment, and The Comfort Zone is expanding by building a jazz and blues room, which owner Richard Green said will be open by November. The addition will feature live entertainment every night of the week, Green said.
“Downtown is a hot spot here,” Green said. “It got a bad rap a few years ago, but we're bringing it back to life.”
A restaurant scene may be just what Aurora needs to revitalize its downtown, said Jodie Hickey and Angela Fetterolf, co-owners of Sculpted Image personal training studio and day spa in downtown Aurora, as they lunched at Ballydoyle on a recent afternoon.
“Any positive thing that brings people downtown and gets rid of the whole stereotype or stigma of ‘Aurora is dangerous,'” Hickey said.
Aurora may soon have more residents living downtown, as a few condo developments are under way near the Fox River, Weisner said.
“Our idea is basically to bring mixed-use development to the downtown,” Weisner said. “We're focusing on redevelopment of the downtown and we're still making progress. I'm pretty happy with the progress we're making considering the general economy.”
And a plan to redevelop former industrial land along the river's banks into RiverEdge Park eventually will give downtown a community gathering place, Weisner said.
Yet downtown development, as well as Restaurant Row, will take time, Dorgan said.
“I think it is working well; we just have to get these (restaurants) up running,” Dorgan said. “The key to success is having the Aurorans adopt these restaurants as theirs.”