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VNA Health Care of Aurora is looking at opening a facility in Bloomhaven, the former Copley Hospital campus on the near East Side of Aurora.
Officials from both the city of Aurora and Fox Valley Developers, creators of Bloomhaven, confirmed that VNA Health Care is negotiating with the developers to lease about 55,000 square feet in one of the oldest buildings on the former hospital campus.
David Dibo, Aurora’s Economic Development director, stressed that the “lease negotiation is still ongoing.” But Linnea Windel, president and chief executive officer of VNA Health Care, appeared at the May 2 City Council meeting with Fox Valley Developers officials to underscore the intent of VNA to get the lease done.
VNA Health Care is the largest Community Health Center in the Chicago suburbs, and has been serving the area for more than 100 years. It serves more than 75,000 patients a year with three centers in Aurora, two in Elgin, two in Carol Stream, and in Bolingbrook, Bensenville, Joliet, Romeoville and the DuPage County Health Department in Wheaton.
It soon will open a center for West Aurora school students and their families on the near West Side. If the deal for the near East Side location is finalized, it would be the fifth location in Aurora for the community health center.
The city of Aurora is looking at loaning Fox Valley Developers $1.5 million to go toward building out the space for the health care provider. Aldermen are set to vote on the loan at Tuesday’s regular council meeting. It is on unfinished business on the agenda.
In addition, aldermen would consider an amendment to the redevelopment agreement the city has with Fox Valley Developers to defer money the city is supposed to get from the tax increment financing district on the property.
As part of the original redevelopment agreement, the city is supposed to get 20% of the money created in the increment – the developers get the other 80% – for the first 10 years of the TIF district. After that, the city gets 30%.
Under the proposed amendment, the city would defer its 20% to the developers until 2030, at which time the developers would pay the money back to the city.
Currently, the Bloomhaven property generates about $25,000 in property taxes, but when the redeveloped property is reassessed, officials expect it to generate about $750,000 in property taxes, Dibo said.
In both the deferred TIF district payment and the proposed $1.5 million loan, the developers would pay back the money with interest. Dibo said the developers would personally guarantee the $1.5 million loan.
The $129 million project redeveloped about 330,000 square feet of space. The city already has put in about $9 million in loans toward the project, as well as $3 million toward the original cleanup. City officials have estimated they would have had to spend between $10 million and $12 million to demolish and clean up the old Copley site, if it had not been redeveloped.
Bloomhaven includes Weston Bridges, residential apartments for developmentally disabled adults, and Bardwell Senior Living Residences, an independent living community for seniors.
It also is home to the East Aurora School District administrative headquarters, and a five-acre Fox Valley Park District park and playground, with trails and walking paths.
slord@tribpub.com
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