Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Park Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Aurora unveils expanded River Edge Park ahead of June 20 Blues on the Fox
Summary
Officials previewed River Edge Park's upgrades — new backstage spaces, two jumbotrons, larger restroom capacity, a 1,500-seat boost in capacity, parking plans and family programming — and said the venue will host Blues on the Fox starting June 20.
Aurora officials and River Edge Park managers on a city podcast on Wednesday previewed the newly expanded downtown venue ahead of Blues on the Fox, which the mayor said will begin June 20.
"It's very exciting," Mayor John Lash said of the upgrades, which he said increase the park's capacity to accommodate roughly 1,500 additional patrons and add backstage and VIP space for touring acts.
The mayor and Jim Jarvis, chief programming officer and general manager of River Edge Park, walked through operational improvements designed to reduce lines and improve the patron and artist experience. "We built 24 new women's stalls in the new restroom, 18 new men's," Jarvis said, and added family restrooms and permanent fixtures to replace porta-potties. He also cited a new beverage pavilion with 16 service windows to shorten concession waits.
Officials said the expanded backstage infrastructure and dressing-room capacity have helped attract higher-profile acts. Jarvis named bands who have agreed to return or perform because of the upgrades, and the hosts noted Cheap Trick, Third Eye Blind and the Beach Boys among acts discussed on the program.
City leaders said the partnership with the Aurora Civic Center Authority will continue to be important as programming grows. Lash said his administration will nominate a more diverse board of the authority at an upcoming council meeting and described plans to expand parking on property north of the bridge; he said the city expects to charge about $10 per vehicle on the west side of the park on event days.
Jarvis said about 83% of eventgoers currently do not live in Aurora, a statistic officials cited when discussing outreach and regional draw. Ticketing and pricing were also discussed: the program named Blues on the Fox tickets at $37, and Jarvis said VIP access to the sky deck is included under the same ticket pricing structure for sponsors. Family programming was also emphasized: the city plans movies in the park with tickets at $2 and jumbotrons showing films across the venue, with concessions and food trucks on site.
On logistics, officials said the expansion was completed on time and on budget and that crews were finishing testing before opening. The bridge adjacent to the park is scheduled to open for the June 20 event, with security scanning planned on show days; officials added the bike path will remain closed during concerts and reopen afterward.
The mayor and park managers framed the improvements as part of a broader effort to draw people into downtown Aurora and support local businesses. "We want to make sure that the taxpayers who put so much into this have more access to the park," Lash said. Blues on the Fox will kick off the season June 20, and officials encouraged residents and visitors to attend.
