Aurora to sell 18 acres to Lennar for 159 townhomes; closing contingent on approvals

The Aurora City Council reviewed a staff recommendation to sell roughly 18 city-owned acres east of Farnsworth Avenue to Lennar Builders for $6,000,042, with the developer proposing 159 for-sale townhomes.

City staff said the sale follows a request for qualifications and an evaluation by a steering committee. Trevor (assistant director, Mayor's Office) told the council the city bought the land in mid‑2024 to steer future development and that Lennar was selected as “the highest, and most qualified bidder.” He said, “They are requesting no city incentives.”

The sale matter was presented as a resolution (25Dash0349) at the finance committee and placed on the consent agenda after questions from aldermen. The staff presentation said the city had originally paid a little over $5.8 million for the parcels; the proposed sale price is about $6.0 million.

Why it matters: Staff said converting the property to a townhome community will increase property-tax revenue on a site previously providing about $42,000 annually; staff estimated the development could ultimately generate about $1.8 million a year in property taxes if the proposed project proceeds as described.

Details and council questions: Tim Kellogg of Templeton Property Consultants, representing Lennar, told the council the developer would work through entitlements and intended to obtain approvals and building permits before closing. Kellogg said, “we would be working to get full approvals, even building permits.” Trevor confirmed the closing would be contingent on approved plans and entitlements: “they will not close until we have a plan that's approved.” The developer intends to construct urban-style, for-sale townhomes similar to other local Lennar products; staff showed examples including Liberty Meadows and Abbey Meadows.

Staff said Lennar proposes 159 three‑bedroom, 2.5‑bath townhomes with two‑car garages and a projected average sale price of about $424,000 per unit; the development would include a private neighborhood park and playground. The council also heard that the buyer will have a 9–10 month due‑diligence period to complete preliminary approvals and that the sale would not proceed to closing until those entitlements are secured.

Process and outcome: The resolution authorizing the sale was put on the consent calendar with no recorded objections during the meeting; a formal recorded vote was not included in the staff summary presented at the time. The staff packet referenced an RFQ process that attracted multiple responses for for‑sale townhome development and described Lennar’s bid as the highest-dollar offer.

Local context: Staff said the purchase was intended to prevent industrial or heavy‑truck uses on the parcel; Trevor told the council the city received industrial and storage inquiries for the site and wanted to guide a residential outcome instead. Aldermen who questioned staff said they had heard some resident concerns but that the item was appropriate to place on consent and to work through design and zoning details in future council review.

Next steps: If the council completes the consent action, Lennar will proceed with its entitlement and design work and return to the council for any required plan approvals; the sale contract and closing will depend on those approvals.