For the Aurora area, 2018 is shaping up to be a busy year, with elections and construction projects leading the way.
Election time
The year will see a primary election in March and a general election in November for a variety of county, state and federal positions, including races for seats in Congress.
Also, local voters in March will weigh in on some referendum questions, including a proposed sales tax in Geneva as well as a sales tax issue in Maple Park.
The Fox Valley Park Board recently voted to place a tax increase referendum on the spring ballot.
Also, a 16th Circuit Court judge will hear testimony about putting a question on the March 20 ballot asking Aurora residents if they want to eliminate the Aurora Election Commission.
Circuit Court Judge David Akemann ordered a hearing at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 4 in Room 320 in the Old Kane County Courthouse, 100 S. Third St., Geneva. In the order, Akemann said the hearing would “entertain all objections as may be properly presented …” which can be brought the day of the hearing, or filed ahead of time with the circuit clerk’s office.
Campana Building case continues
The Batavia City Council has asked developer Evergreen Real Estate Group to come back before the board Feb. 5 with plans to deal with issues raised concerning its plan for the Campana Building.
A historic structure, the Campana Building is located on the board of Batavia and Geneva. Evergreen has submitted a zoning application with Batavia to renovate the building for a mixed-use, mixed-income development with 80 market-rate and income-restricted apartments.
Some residents have raised concerns about the plan, including how much traffic it will generate and whether apartments are the right fit for the site.
East and West Aurora projects
Both East and West Aurora school districts are moving closer to finishing tens-of-millions-of-dollars’ worth of construction in 2018.
In West Aurora School District 129, $84.2 million worth of work was approved by voters in 2015, including additions and renovations at school buildings, installation of a new geothermal heating and cooling system, a new Hill Elementary building and the creation of a “district campus” comprising a career and technical center, an early childhood education center and a new district office. Work remains on the career and technical center and early childhood education center, and the early childhood center – which will also house some career programs – is expected to be complete in 2018.
In East Aurora School District 131, the district planned more-than $70 million worth of construction at the district’s high school, middle schools and a high-school stadium. A final phase of construction at the high school is expected to be complete in 2018, and work is expected in 2018 at the district’s middle schools.
East Aurora superintendent search
East Aurora School District 131 is expected to continue its search for a permanent superintendent in 2018, working with a search firm to conduct community surveys and meetings early in the year. The district has had two interim superintendents since July 2016.
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School board members have not set a timeline to hire a permanent leader, saying the time frame will depend on the search process.
Focus on Aurora’s downtown
A number of projects will be ongoing in 2018 in Aurora’s downtown.
Work will continue to turn the old Waubonsee Community College campus at Galena Boulevard and Stolp Avenue into the new Aurora Arts Centre. The project would include apartments, a performing arts school and a restaurant.
The city also is ready to bid the estimated $14 million project to enhance the Aurora Transportation Center, which includes a new pedestrian bridge over the Fox River.
The city would like to begin construction by May.
Aurora secured an $11.4 million Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant from the federal government for the project. It also will receive a $2 million grant from the Kane County Forest Preserve District.
Also, work should be moving forward on a Fox Valley Music Foundation project to build a downtown music venue.
The foundation will put the roughly 250-seat venue — that also will house a music museum, offices, a music retail area and an educational area — in the former Woolworth Building at 19-21 S. Broadway.
State funding for schools
After a two-year state budget stalemate ended in 2017 with the promise of a new school funding formula, the Illinois State Board of Education is expected to finalize in 2018 how much money school districts will get under the new formula. That will affect the way East Aurora School District 131, West Aurora School District 129 and Community Unit School District 308 in Oswego plan for the coming year and the programs or areas on which they spend money.