AURORA | Aurora City Council members on Feb. 25 unanimously approved a deal for a Colorado dessert company to open a manufacturing facility in Aurora, creating 951 new full-time jobs.

Under the agreement, Aurora will give Steven Roberts Original Desserts up to $1.34 million in waivers and rebates of taxes for 10 years. In return, Steven Roberts will consolidate its three Colorado operations at 2780 Tower Road in Aurora and create hundreds of new jobs.

The company will also buy more than $5 million in Aurora real estate initially, and will buy more than $30 million in equipment for nine years.

All Aurora council members voted in favor of the deal.

“This is a great project, and I’m in full support of it,” said Councilman Brad Pierce before the vote.

Even Councilwoman Renie Peterson, who has opposed tax incentive deals in the past because she said companies will begin to expect them if they become too prevalent, voted for the deal.

“Normally I don’t vote for incentives or tax waivers,” she said. “In the case of this, I will be voting yes tonight because of the fact that it will bring jobs.”

The manufacturing plant will be located at the former Albertsons distribution facility, a 380,000-square-foot building near Interstate 70 and Tower Road in Aurora.

The new facility is set to open later this year.

Scott Chavkin, director of marketing for Steven Roberts, said in January the company chose the Aurora location in part because of its accessibility.

“We chose this facility because it met our bakery, warehouse and office space needs and the location on the I-70 corridor near the Denver International Airport makes it very easy for our customers to visit us,” he said.

Aurora City Council members at their meeting Feb. 25 also voted to delay plans for a report that was supposed to study the city’s response to the July 20 theater shootings.

City Attorney Charlie Richardson said District Attorney George Brauchler had concerns about the after-action study being conducted while the trial of alleged shooter James Holmes is ongoing.

Brauchler requested that the city hold off on plans for the study.

City officials sent a statement to the media Feb. 26 about council’s decision to delay the report. According to the statement, “the city council is committed to maintaining the integrity of the judicial process.” The statement also said the city will decline interviews on the issue.