AURORA | The Aurora City Council on Monday approved a plan to purchase and demolish the aging, bulbous building on Havana Street, bringing to end decades of uncertainty for the vacant eyesore. Lawmakers approved the measure 8-2.
The city will use money loaned from its water fund’s operating reserve to pay up to $4 million for the building, its demolition and property. The council approved an amendment before passing the measure that would shift the loan from the water department to another city fund if no developers are interested in the property within 25 years to shield water ratepayers. City Budget Director Jason Batchelor said the practice of loaning money from one government agency to another was a relatively common practice. The city has done it before, he said, to purchase golf carts and finance the construction of Murphy Creek Golf Course.
City staff and council members said that if vacated, the land could generate tax revenue that would help pay for the initial investment.
“We have lost millions of dollars on sales tax on that property, sitting there, doing nothing,” said Councilwoman Barb Clelland.
Residents at the meeting who live near the building said Fan Fare is an eyesore and should be torn down.
“The (dilapidated) condition effects property values,” said Barbara Dutton, a Sunnyvale neighborhood resident who said she’s lived nearby for over 50 years.
Aurora resident and critic of the plan to buy Fan Fare, Duane Senn, agreed the building is blight, but said it wasn’t the city’s role to purchase the building. Senn’s argument that the building was overvalued, was partially addressed by Councilman Bob LeGare and Councilwoman Marsha Berzins.
“I think there are a lot of misgivings about using this money, and it’s a lot of money … but if we don’t do this now, when is this going to get done?” Berzins said.
“I commend the owner for getting what they wanted,” LeGare said. “I think that at some point it will sell, but it’s not likely to have any serious looks at it until that building is torn down.”
Councilwomen Molly Markert and Renie Peterson voted against the proposal.
The council also approved 8-2 an incentive for an Asian market near East Mississippi Avenue and South Peoria Street.
Good-bye and good riddance to that piece of garbage. The same might be said for a couple of council members and one cranky old resident. As my cranky old hubby use to say – let’s gett’er done
Good for Renie Peterson and Molly Markert for not giving in to the greed of the owner of FanFare who appears to be demanding $4 million of our money for a dangerous eyesore that isn’t even worth $1 million. The City Council has decided to pay him or her a huge ransom with the taxpayers’ money. Perhaps further negotiations and more input from the community would have saved us a great deal. If the water department has all this extra money, why are our sewer rates about to be increased??? Thank goodness we have two city council members who are watching out for Aurorans when it comes to spending our money needlessly and poisoning our water and polluting our air and land with fracking. Thank you to Renie and Molly!