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Batavia Main Street reports strong attendance at summer events, continued small-business recruitment
Summary
Batavia Main Street told the council it drew about 500-600 attendees to 'Cocktails in the Park,' celebrated new retail interest including Warehouse 55 and noted ongoing challenges in moving Boardwalk shop tenants into permanent downtown spaces.
The executive director of Batavia Main Street briefed the council on Aug. 18 about recent events and business development, reporting strong attendance at "Cocktails in the Park" and several successes in regional marketing and tenant recruitment.
The director said Cocktails in the Park drew about 500 to 600 attendees, which matches the event's capacity. She outlined an upcoming block party at the end of the month that will feature live music and a tasting area with about 13 vendors. She also described merchant trainings on online visibility and noted a regional spotlight from a WGN segment that packaged market coverage for broader exposure.
On small-business incubation, Main Street staff said Gustavo Starz of Main Street America visited on Aug. 2 and praised Batavia's entrepreneur ecosystem, highlighting the Artisan Collective, the Farmers Market and the Boardwalk Shops as a model for other communities. The director said another Boardwalk shop operator, Scout and Jem, has taken a brick-and-mortar lease in nearby Geneva because a suitable move-in-ready space in Batavia was not available.
Main Street staff said Warehouse 55 (from Aurora) will occupy about 7,900 square feet in Batavia, expressed optimism about the new retail traffic and highlighted ongoing efforts to work with landlords on build-out and partitioning challenges. Councilmembers discussed possible incentives or grant programs to help merchants with build-outs; staff said they are exploring options and talking with property owners about flexible leasing and partitions.
Councilmembers praised the organization's outreach and asked staff to continue collaborating on strategies that help Boardwalk shops convert to permanent downtown spaces.
No council action was required; staff will continue outreach and report back on landlord negotiations and potential grant ideas for build-outs.
