No surprises, no projects as Weisner makes report

Progress in Aurora

AURORA -- There were no alarms and no surprises in Mayor Tom Weisner's third State of the City address Wednesday night.

Weisner made no major announcements this year. He did not unveil any new projects or initiatives, and he did not announce whether he is running for re-election.

Instead, he used his annual platform to tout the progress he sees in several areas of the city.

He delivered the speech at the Aurora Economic Development Commission's annual dinner at Piper's Banquets on Butterfield Road, and each positive note was met with loud applause.

"Like every community in America, we have our share of challenges," Weisner said. "But tonight will show, without a doubt, that we have made tremendous progress to transform Aurora."

Weisner lauded the efforts of the past year to clean up the riverfront, starting with the old Kiddie Kar site on Broadway, which had become an illegal dump site over years of neglect. The city received a redevelopment grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to help remediate the site, and Weisner proclaimed it clean Wednesday night.

Much of that IEPA grant also went to assist developer Kent Shodeen with environmental work on his EastBank project, between Broadway and the Fox River downtown. While no timelines have been set for the cleanup of the site, which at various times has housed a rail depot, an industrial building and a city dump, hundreds of thousands of tons of dirt have been removed, and Shodeen continues to work with IEPA toward an all-clear.

Weisner also mentioned Waubonsee Community College's new campus, planned to open downtown in 2010. WCC officials are set to bring the site plan before the City Council Committee of the Whole on May 6. He also touted the planned new Ballydoyle Irish Pub, slated for New York Street by year's end, and the proposed River Edge Park along Broadway -- the major announcement of Weisner's 2007 State of the City speech.

The first phase of the park, including a new performance venue that will be home to the annual Downtown Alive! events, is still scheduled to be open by the summer of 2009.

Weisner also dedicated much of his speech to public safety. He referred to the crime-ridden image the city has not shaken as the "Aurora of yesterday" and pointed to statistics that show overall crime rates on the decline. Standing next to a line graph that tracked crime as a descending arrow, he touted the lowest crime rate in 22 years.

Weisner stuck to long-range statistics, noting that murders are down 54 percent in the past five years, with shootings down 56 percent over the same period. Violent crimes rose 7 percent in 2007, according to official statistics, owing partially to a rise from four to 12 murders in 2007. But the overall trend, he said, is downward, and he credited the police department.

He also praised neighborhood watchdog groups for their part in reducing crime.

"The most important factor in our success has been the level of citizen involvement," he said. "There are people who have worked for two or three decades to keep their neighborhoods safe."

Weisner closed by saying he is pleased with the progress of the city but not satisfied.

"Aurora is a work in progress," he said. "We will stumble at times, but if we work together, we can make a city we can all be proud of."