Batavia council gives final OK for One Washington Place redevelopment

BATAVIA – Mayor Jeff Schielke almost single-handedly dragged the One Washington Place downtown redevelopment project across the finish line.

Once again, Schielke on Monday broke a series of Batavia City Council tie votes connected to the project, setting the stage for construction to finally get underway this summer.

In six separate roll calls on ordinances designed to establish a new tax increment financing district to help fund the $50 million project, aldermen were deadlocked 7-7, with the mayor casting the tiebreaker each time.

Voting in favor of the project was 1st Ward aldermen Michael O ‘Brien and Jennifer Baerren, 2nd Ward Alderman Alan Wolff, 3rd Ward Alderman Dan Chanzit, 6th Ward aldermen Nick Cerone and Michael Russotto and 7th Ward Alderman Drew McFadden.

Those voting against were 2nd Ward Alderman Marty Callahan, 3rd Ward Alderman Elliott Meitzler, 4th Ward aldermen Tony Malay and Joe Knopp, 5th Ward aldermen Mark Uher and Abby Beck and 7th Ward Alderman Keenan Miller.

Schielke’s deciding vote means that the new TIF district will have 23 years to generate revenues to help pay for land acquisition, demolition and public improvements, including a 333-space two-level parking garage.

The six-level building will cover most of a city block bounded by North Washington Avenue, East Wilson, North River and State streets in the heart of the downtown.

The mixed-use project includes 186 apartments, 14,180 square feet of commercial space and 2,370 square feet for offices.

Planning for the development has been underway for more than five years, with the start of excavation delayed repeatedly.

The first resulted from a miscalculation by the developer, Geneva-based Shodeen Construction, on the cost of the parking garage, which will be owned by the city. Eventually the city increased its commitment to the project by $2 million, bringing the total to $16 million.

Later, city officials discovered that the building site is contaminated with lead, requiring a lengthy approval process with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for a plan to clean up the property during excavation.

Last year, city officials determined that there was not enough time left on the existing TIF district to generate sufficient revenues to repay the bonds that will be issued to fund the public improvement.

They waited until the start of 2021 to approve the new district in order to maximize the 23-year period as specified in the state law.

Work on the project will take about two years, according to Shodeen Construction President Dave Patzelt, who said that State Street will be closed for anywhere between the first year to 18 months, in order to provide a place for staging equipment and erecting the massive building.

Gates will be installed at State’s intersections with North Washington and North River, Patzelt said, to provide access for construction vehicles.

As for North River Street, the location of the popular Saturday morning Batavia Farmers Market, the roadway may periodically be needed for delivery of construction materials, Patzelt said.

“I don’t see the farmers market getting in the way of construction,” Patzelt said.