Aurora council OKs YWCA purchase

Calling the purchase the beginning of a "slow metamorphosis of the betterment of the community," Aurora aldermen Tuesday approved the $6 million purchase of the YWCA lot at 201 N. River Street.

Mayor Tom Weisner initially introduced the plan last month, as a temporary downtown parking solution, during his state of the city address. Since then, staff has been working out plans to demolish the YWCA building, likely early next year, to build 732 new, temporary parking spaces between the lots directly north and south of the property.

Weisner and several staff members and aldermen agree that the property on the banks of the Fox River will one day, in a better economy, be sought after by developers looking to build either a hotel or mixed-use development. Such a move would then free the city up to build permanent parking structures downtown.

"From an investment standpoint, we not only have the ability to not only utilize this property as an investment toward a redevelopment but also, it is TIF eligible," said Chief Development Officer Bill Wiet. "We believe the acquisition of this particular property at this price and it being in a TIF district would work toward a nice development in the future along the river with parking off the river."

Representatives of local environmental groups, Friends of the Fox and the River Shore Vision Plan also have high hopes for future development at the site but asked the city to be environmentally conscious when constructing the new parking lot by using natural berms and permeable brick pavers instead of asphalt.

Alderman-at-Large Bob O'Connor agreed with the need to both preserve the history of the river while making new progress.

"It's taken us 100 years to try to retrieve the river fronts and lake fronts from what has existed in the 1800s and 1900s in regards to its use. It's not an easy process but we realize what the difference is now and every time we have an opportunity to get back to what is the best overall plan for the openness and for the availability of the riverside we need to take it," he said. "I think this is a tremendous opportunity to do that. We cannot pass up the opportunity to have control of this area in our city."

First Ward Alderwoman Abby Schuler, also a member of the YWCA board of directors, abstained from the discussion and vote. Fourth Ward Alderman Rick Lawrence did not, and bashed the city for overspending on a property he believed was not worth the price or value to developers in the future.

"We get ourselves into all these different projects and this property is not going anywhere," he said. "There's nobody coming down here to buy $6 million worth of property. The organization that has it is not financially strong. To take it and say we're going to spend $6 million to acquire it and hold for some future development just doesn't make sense."