AURORA, Ill. — The City of Aurora’s Committee of the Whole held an extended discussion on RiverEdge Park improvements on Oct. 7, with public works and venue managers defending plans for two new jumbotrons while some aldermen and residents urged caution about costs and timing. Council set the agenda item authorizing contracts and change orders for the jumbotrons and paver replacements (agenda item 25-0740) to “unfinished business” for further review.

City public works project manager Jason Bauer and Jim Jarvis, chief marketing and programming officer for the Aurora Civic Center Authority and general manager for RiverEdge Park, described the additions as part of a broader renovation meant to increase the venue’s marketability to touring acts, improve patron experience and raise revenue. “We’re trying to increase the marketability of the venue in terms of getting new acts,” Jarvis said, describing backstage dressing rooms, showers and food service facilities built to industry expectations.

The discussion centered on whether the city should proceed immediately with the jumbotron purchase and installation or delay buying screens after completing site work. Supporters said the screens are essential to activate a newly usable lawn area and to attract larger acts. Jarvis called jumbotrons “just a part of the patron experience” and said agents increasingly require them in riders for acts. Officials said the additions, alongside new restrooms and a beverage pavilion with multiple service windows, would enlarge usable capacity by roughly 1,000 people and improve concession revenues.

Opponents and several residents pressed for specifics on cost and return on investment. Resident Sandy Schmidt said during public comment, “The 800,000 is a change order and not part of the original budget,” and asked whether the change order covers power, wiring and audio or only the screens. Aldermen questioned contingency, potential effect on the city’s debt and whether the jumbotrons could be rented per event rather than bought. Staff told the committee they had been breaking the project into pieces to meet an aggressive schedule and that some change-order work became necessary because structural elements or paver replacements were not part of the original bid packages.

City staff and project leaders provided the following figures and clarifications during the meeting:
- The city reported about $10 million of contracted work remaining across the RiverEdge project; the jumbotron/audio/furniture packages are part of that overall bond-financed program. City staff said the purchases remain within the proceeds of the bonds sold for the project and related items, and that those bonds may not be used for general-fund items.
- Jason Bauer and Jim Jarvis said the jumbotrons they are buying match several existing units already purchased for the park so parts are standardized.
- The vendors quoted rental costs of about $14,000 per week for two jumbotrons plus labor to install and remove them.
- Staff said the screens being discussed are roughly 15-by-12 feet (vendor specification provided during the briefing) and that two screens are needed to cover sight lines across the sloped lawn.
- Christkindlmarket, which occupies parts of the park seasonally under a five-year contract, expects roughly 325,000 visitors this year according to staff remarks.

Aldermen urged the staff to provide clearer financial scenarios before council action. Alderman Mary Barreiro (Ward 5) asked whether the city could split the package, completing permanent structures now and postponing screen purchases until contingencies and budgets are clearer; staff said that is feasible and recommended by some council members as an amendment option. Council also asked staff to prepare concrete revenue scenarios showing the projected loss or gain from not activating the lawn with jumbotrons, including ticket, food and beverage revenue assumptions for an additional 1,000 patrons.

Several council members raised procurement and scheduling considerations: staff said contractors already on site (Wegman) are in a position to build the support structures for the screens while other trades are working, and that retrofitting later could be more expensive and disruptive. Supporters argued delay could reduce the venue’s competitiveness in the Chicago-area concert market; opponents stressed fiscal caution, alternative uses for the lawn (movie nights, family events) and pursuing private sponsorship naming opportunities for the screens.

Outcome: The item authorizing the director of purchasing to execute contracts and change orders for RiverEdge Park jumbotron purchases and paver replacement (25-0740) was placed on unfinished business for further review. A related change-order request for expanded design services to Rachel Architects (25-0741) was also sent to unfinished business.

What’s next: The council directed staff to return with clearer cost breakdowns, scenario modeling of expected ticket and concession revenue tied to different attendance assumptions, and comparative options (rent vs. buy, phased purchase, sponsorship/donor funding). The jumbotron and related change-order items will appear on the next city council agenda for additional debate and a possible vote.