Batavia in 'positive' place, Schielke tells business crowd
Voters have rejected a recreation center, and there is still no Golden Corral restaurant, but Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke believes there are good things happening in Batavia.
“I would tell you that Batavia is in a very positive position right now,” he told businesspeople and government leaders Tuesday at the annual Mayor's Breakfast of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce. About 160 people attended.
Schielke noted the city council had picked a bridge route the night before, but that as far as he is concerned, there's no money available to build a bridge anytime soon. More than 80 percent of the cost of the reconstruction of the Wilson Street bridge was paid for with “one of those infamous earmarks” that Congressmen are now talking about eliminating to reduce the federal deficit, he said. And Batavia had a powerful ally then in Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, who represented the 14th Congressional District.
“I've never seen such a rapid disappearance of funding sources as I have in that arena,” Schielke said. He is chairman of the Metro West Council of Mayors and, as such, sits as a director on the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, both of which deal with getting federal funding for municipalities.
As for the McDonald's restaurant in downtown, Schielke said company officials have told him they are discussing whether to tear down the current building or remodel. A remodel would likely be done in 2011 and a rebuild in 2012, he said.
City officials met with owners of the nearly vacant strip center east of the McDonald's Monday about its building code violations and doing more to get business in there, Schielke said.
He mentioned new businesses, such as the Rubicon Technology, that have moved in, and how Avenue Autos is reinventing itself as a used-car dealership after 77 years with Chevrolet, and that the first Chicago-area Smashburger restaurant franchise received its liquor license Monday night.
Maybe that will make up for Fuddruckers not opening. The restaurant spot, in a strip mall on the southwest corner of Randall Road and McKee Street, was approved by the city in 2005. At his 2006 speech to the chamber the mayor said it would open “in a few weeks.” It has become something of a running joke, as Fuddruckers' parent company has experienced financial problems. Schielke said the space will likely be split up for small stores.
But “a very high-profile restaurant chain is meeting with us on a regular basis” about building in the parking lot just west of that strip center, he said. The council approved a re-plat of the shopping center to add a lot there Monday.
Schielke remains confident a Golden Corral restaurant franchise will open at Main Street and Randall. The building is complete, but is caught in a foreclosure action against its developer, he said.
“I feel like a broken record. This is the third year in a row I've been telling you the Golden Corral is coming to Batavia,” Schielke said, drawing laughter.
“Hopefully (the franchisee) will be here next year at the breakfast.”