An idea to turn the vacant Hoffman Heights Library into an activity center for children and teens gained traction at an Aurora City Council committee meeting June 19.
City officials will solicit ideas from youth-based nonprofit organizations in the metro area to see how they would use part or all of the Hoffman Heights Library space to create an activity center.
“We do think there’s a significant need to serve teens and youth in the area,” said Patti Bateman, director of the city’s Library and Cultural Services.
Nonprofit organizations are expected to respond to a Request for Information that will be drafted by the city in mid-July.
The city will solicit interest in the space from those nonprofits starting in mid-July.
The idea for the activity center includes a game room with pool, table tennis and foosball tables; a hangout room for listening to music and playing games, and a room with a computer lab and some books.
The proposed cost of an activity center like this would be about $103,500 in one-time costs and $184,000 in ongoing costs.
The idea of letting a nonprofit organization take the reins on the project, rather than the city, was more attractive to council members at the committee meeting.
Councilwoman Debi Hunter Holen said she has raised her children in the Hoffman Heights neighborhood.
“I feel like a youth-oriented building is what’s needed there,” she said. “I would like to see it happen. I think it would be not only used, but used tremendously.”
Committee members nixed the idea of turning the Hoffman Heights Library into a city-operated day-care and preschool facility, because it would cost too much to have the building retrofitted for that use.
The committee also moved forward a proposal to find about $665,000 in the budget or raise money to expand the Aurora History Museum to accommodate Trolley Trailer No. 610.
About $150,000 worth of restoration work has gone into refurbishing its wooden seats, painting the exterior and interior, and replacing glass windows. The Aurora Museum Foundation has paid for the work, which has been completed by a crew of about 15 people who have tried to restore the trolley to its original state.
The option to expand the museum is the most expensive of the three options, but committee members said it’s the most worthwhile investment. The plan calls for an expansion of the museum building on the east side to accommodate the trolley in the existing interior gallery.
“We feel that the trolley is an opportunity right now for a draw that will say good things about (the city),” said Kate Tauer, mother of former Mayor Ed Tauer, who has helped raise money for the Aurora Museum Foundation’s projects.
She said she’d be willing to solicit money from local organizations to fund the museum expansion.
“We’re willing to step forward because we feel the trolley is a blessing we have in this city,” she said.
Reach reporter Sara Castellanos at sara@aurorasentinel.com.