The area of Aurora that encompasses the Orchard Road corridor means a lot to the people living there. Many residents have seen multiple generations call this part of town “home”. They are proud of their community and support continued business growth and expansion in their neighborhood. Aurora’s own 5th ward Alderman Carl Franco shares how this established district of Aurora is becoming more revitalized with exciting new businesses, and how the City of Aurora continues to support this growth opportunity.
Orchard Road growth
As Alderman Franco explains, Orchard Road has been there for over 30 years. As more people have moved to the west side of the city, there has been an increased demand for new businesses of all kinds. There is incredible potential for smaller retail stores and restaurants to fill in existing trip centers, as well as larger business development projects in the works. For example, there are plans for new development on the large property that is owned by Toyota, which will create opportunities for new retail stores and restaurants.
According to Alderman Franco, Orchard Road is “a key corridor into the City of Aurora especially from the west, which sets the image and identity for not just Ward 5, but for the larger City of Aurora. As developments are presented to the City, staff and council are working hard to make sure the buildings are attractive and the highest and best use”.
One great example of this is the conversion of the former Lowes/Cosmopolitan grocery store building into the site of Factor75, a meal-kit company recently purchased by Hello Fresh. This excellent use of a vacant big box store allowed Factor75 to expand from its former Batavia location into this new food preparation and delivery facility with over 500 employees.
Orchard Road benefits
One important benefit of an Orchard Road location is the visibility it provides to businesses. High traffic areas, such as the Orchard Road corridor, can have a big impact on the overall success of a business, especially for retailers and restaurants. These types of businesses can see significant increases in sales when their business is easily visible to passing traffic.
Another benefit to new businesses looking to locate in this area is the support they will receive from the City of Aurora. As Alderman Franco points out, “Aurora is a very pro-business community that values its small, local and larger national businesses. Our strength is in our diversity and in our ability to support businesses”. He describes the Factor75 expansion as an excellent recent example of that type of success. It not only filled a long-vacant big box with high-quality jobs, but it also demonstrates the ease of the City permit review process. The business started the process in September and by the middle of December they were up and running, producing 30,000 meals a week to ship across the country.
As a final consideration, it is important to note that residents of Aurora’s west side are supportive of new business and are eager to shop local. The local community is long-established and is loyal to their area. New businesses to this district will have access to a qualified local workforce, as well as consumers looking to contribute to the success of their own neighborhood. Alderman Franco believes the area is appealing to new businesses because of the amount of traffic on Orchard Road, along with the fact that disposable income in the area is above average.
Working with Invest Aurora to achieve your business goals
Opening or expanding a business can be a difficult process, especially trying to determine where to begin. The economic development specialists at Invest Aurora work with our partner organizations to help you get your business up and running from the ground up. There are many local resources specifically designed to help your business grow and prosper and we are here to make sure you have access to those that are most appropriate to your business. Contact us at 630-256-3160 or at info@investaurora.org to learn how we can help you achieve your business goals!